In 2020, UK regulator Ofcom found similar amounts of time spent, although its research included watching TV.
App Annie's report indicates that apps were downloaded 230 billion times in 2021, while $170bn (NZ$248bn) was spent.
TikTok was the most downloaded app worldwide, with users spending 90 percent more time there compared to 2020.
"The big screen is slowly dying as mobile continues to break records in virtually every category - time spent, downloads and revenue," said chief executive of App Annie, Theodore Krantz.
