chitika ios mac share
Analytics firm Chitika today released a report showing that by its metrics iOS has now surpassed OS X in overall web traffic share in the United States. Chitika's methodology involves an analysis of browser user agents for hundreds of millions of ad impressions across its expansive network.

To quantify this study, Chitika Insights analyzed several data sets composed of a series of US traffic taken from August 2011 to February 2012 out of the Chitika Ad Network (covering hundreds of millions of ad impressions). The user agents of individual impressions were then aggregated to determine relative overall share of the different operating systems.

Chitika's results show that iOS and OS X have seen their shares of web traffic quickly converge between September and December of last year, with the two platforms running neck-and-neck since that time.

iOS has been posting regular gains, and has experienced an overall growth of nearly 50%, whereas OS X has seen its market share decline by 25% since a high point in September. February marks the first point where a reversal in position can be seen in the respective operating systems. iOS passes Mac OS with 8.15% of all web traffic, whereas Mac OS only sees 7.96%.

Chitika theorizes that the decline in OS X share may be due to either Apple customers choosing to purchase iOS devices instead of Macs or simply a general increase in mobile usage that is overwhelming growth in traditional platforms such as OS X. Given Apple's continued record Mac sales over the past several quarters, the latter explanation seems to be the more likely one.

Chitika's results appear to be supported by worldwide data from Net Applications, which shows that desktop share outweighs mobile and tablet usage by a roughly 10:1 margin. With Apple holding only 6% of the desktop share but over 50% of the mobile and tablet share, iOS and OS X do appear to be fairly close in their shares of the overall market.

Top Rated Comments

techfreak85 Avatar
175 months ago
Many people have two iOS devices (an iPhone and an iPad), and only one Mac.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chrmjenkins Avatar
175 months ago
I would venture that a fair amount of desktop users have an Adblock feature, which could slightly distort this metric.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rodimus Prime Avatar
175 months ago
I would venture that a fair amount of desktop users have an Adblock feature, which could slightly distort this metric.

yep. Problem with those metric using Ads is they do not count huge chunks of the desktop market.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
*LTD* Avatar
175 months ago
We're seeing the future, folks.

In any case, though, Apple sells a great deal more iOS devices than Macs.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gumblecosby Avatar
175 months ago
Considering many iOS devices are tied to windows machines and how many iOS devices are sold, I'm surprised its only surpassed mac os x now. This comparison is chalk and cheese.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BaldiMac Avatar
175 months ago
Yep. I cry when I see someone browsing with no adblocker

As someone said above, I cannot imagine any reason why anyone wouldn't have an adblocker.

You should appreciate those people without adblockers. They finance the web for those with them. :D
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
iOS 26 Feature

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 3

Monday July 7, 2025 1:20 pm PDT by
Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and beta three features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July. Transparency In some apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store, Apple has toned down the...
imac video apple feature

Apple Launching These 15+ Products Later This Year

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
The calendar has turned to July, meaning that 2025 is now more than half over. And while the summer months are often quiet for Apple, the company still has more than a dozen products coming later this year, according to rumors. Below, we have outlined at least 15 new Apple products that are expected to launch later this year, along with key rumored features for each. iPhone 17 Series iPho...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
iPhone Car Key Kia

Here's Which Vehicles Offer iPhone Car Keys

Sunday July 6, 2025 3:03 pm PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. Apple has a web page with a list of vehicle models that ...
iphone 17 pro render majin bu

New iPhone 17 Pro Renders Highlight Apple Logo and MagSafe Design Changes

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:43 pm PDT by
New renders today provide the best look yet relocated Apple logo and redesigned MagSafe magnet array of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Image via Majin Bu. Several of the design changes coming to the iPhone 17 Pro model have been rumored for some time, such as the elongated camera bump that spans the full width of the device, with the LiDAR Scanner and flash moving to the right side. ...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...
apple account card feature

Apple Account Card Expanding to More Countries

Tuesday July 8, 2025 7:34 pm PDT by
Apple is expanding the ability to add an Apple Account Card to the Wallet app to more countries, according to backend Apple Pay changes. With iOS 15.5, Apple updated the Wallet app to allow users to add an Apple Account Card, which displays the Apple credit balance associated with an Apple ID. If you receive an Apple gift card, for example, it is added to an Apple Account that is also...