QuestMobile 2026 Panoramic Ecosystem Traffic Autumn Report

With the rise of AI applications, the ecological traffic model of the mobile internet has expanded from the previous APP-dominated, multi-terminal concurrent and offline penetration pattern to multi-scenario and full-link closed loop, thus forming a "panoramic ecological model centered on users, driven by AI, anchored by intent recognition, featuring cross-terminal continuity and cross-scenario delivery". From the perspective of Mr.QM, this will be the traffic logic in the AI era! As always, we only deliver data-based hardcore insights!

According to QuestMobile data, as of August 2026, the monthly active user scale of China's mobile internet has reached 1.278 billion, with a slight year-on-year increase of 0.9%. On the APP side, the monthly active user scales of AIGC and short drama videos are 537 million and 467 million respectively, representing year-on-year increases of 87.5% and 77.6%. On the mini-program side, the proportions of life service categories in WeChat Mini Programs, Alipay Mini Programs, and Baidu Smart Mini Programs are 29%, 44%, and 32% respectively, and they are expanding into mobile games, mobile shopping, and mobile video sectors respectively; the proportions of mobile games and mobile videos in Douyin Mini Programs are 60.0% and 22.0% respectively.

The maturity of AI applications has accelerated the consolidation of smart TV terminals' role as the "central control console" in family life. In August 2026, the number of active devices in the entire industry has reached 300 million, with a net increase of 11.882 million units compared with the same period last year. The active device volumes of Xiaomi, Hisense, and Skyworth smart TV terminals are 59.54 million units, 49.69 million units, and 48.07 million units respectively; in September, Hisense, TCL, Skyworth, and Xiaomi, with their early layout in the family big-screen track, have ownership volumes of 84.06 million units, 72.12 million units, 71.18 million units, and 67.92 million units respectively.

Around these several user ports, "cross-scenario delivery" has become the focus of competition for all parties. For example, in the vertical information scenario, Sina News and Weibo APP have built a collaborative model of "in-depth information + social topics" to meet the multiple needs of users; in the life consumption scenario, the "APP + mini-program" model has become the core of cross-scenario services in fields such as instant retail, food delivery, express delivery, and operator services. The same activity reaches young users through APP, reaches families and elderly customer groups through mini-programs, and realizes cross-scenario performance for home delivery and in-store services, effectively expanding the customer base and total service volume...

2026 Panoramic Ecological Traffic Map of Mobile Internet

I. Overview of Traffic Pattern: Multi-terminal Ecology Advances in Parallel, Subdivided Tracks Gather Momentum for Growth

1. In August 2026, the scale of monthly active users across the entire network rose slightly, and the growth of AIGC and short drama video tracks stood out, benefiting from the continuous enrichment of AIGC applications and the expansion of access scenarios

2. In August 2026, the user scales of major traffic domains of leading internet enterprises showed obvious differentiation. ByteDance expanded at a high speed to the aggregated information and music tracks, Alibaba saw a significant year-on-year increase of users in the aggregated information track, and the user scale in some traffic sectors faced stock adjustment

3. Among mini-programs, Alipay, WeChat, and Baidu all take life services as the cornerstone and extend to entertainment and shopping respectively, while Douyin Mini Programs are highly focused on the mobile game and mobile video tracks

4. With full-scenario general capabilities and multi-terminal distribution channels, AI general assistants have built the basic market of the track, while AI travel assistants and life assistants have achieved rapid breakthroughs by leveraging the hosted APP and terminal ecology

According to QuestMobile data, in September 2026, the monthly active user scale of AI general assistants reached 1.16 billion, ranking as the largest track, and AI search engines, AI travel assistants, and AI social interactions mainly take application plugins as the carrier.

5. Hisense, TCL, Skyworth, and Xiaomi lead in ownership with their early layout in the family big-screen track; traditional established manufacturers such as Konka and Changhong rely on the accumulation of offline channels to maintain long-term stock

6. Smart TVs are gradually taking on the role of family central control. The industry has shifted from device volume growth to ecological collaborative operation, and ecological linkage has promoted continuous differentiation of active performance of various brands

According to QuestMobile data, in August 2026, the number of active smart TV terminal devices has reached 300 million, with a net increase of 11.882 million units compared with the same period last year. The active device volumes of Xiaomi, Hisense, and Skyworth smart TV terminals are 59.54 million units, 49.69 million units, and 48.07 million units respectively.

7. In the OTT big screen sector in August 2026, leading long video platforms maintained the basic market of device scale, while Cloud TV, BesTV TV, and Orange Video achieved substantial growth in monthly active device volume relying on differentiated content

8. Instant messaging, search browsers and office software firmly occupy the basic traffic market of PC web pages & clients, and AI large model applications have formed a new traffic echelon through penetration in office and information retrieval scenarios

II. Ecological Performance of Core Scenario Traffic: Deep Cultivation of Traffic in Multiple Scenarios, Continuous Extension of Ecological Value

1. Vertical Information Scenario: All platforms focus on in-depth content cultivation based on their own industries, and AI empowers service upgrading

1.1 The monthly active user scales of comprehensive information and automotive information have slight year-on-year fluctuations. The industry focuses on refined operation, and optimizes content supply relying on vertical content and AI capabilities

1.2 Sina News takes Weibo's off-site ecology as its core traffic source, with a scale of 272 million, and realizes the collaborative dissemination of in-depth information and social topics through the interconnection of content and user systems

According to QuestMobile data, the number of overlapping users between Sina News and Weibo APP reaches 70.38 million.

1.3 Both Sina News and Weibo APP are dominated by users in high-tier cities. Sina News users are mainly married people, with prominent preferences for information and wealth management; Weibo users are dominated by young groups, with stronger pan-entertainment interest attributes

1.4 With 508 million panoramic ecological users, Autohome takes the automotive vertical large model as the base, launches the Cheese Car Housekeeper for C-end users to cover the entire automotive consumption link, and realizes the collaborative upgrading of ecological traffic and AI business

1.5 The panoramic ecological traffic of Yiche has achieved steady expansion, with the traffic focus distributed in mobile web pages and video account channels. The user scale of the video account ecology continues to grow, and the supporting AI tool matrix empowers dealers' new media marketing conversion

According to QuestMobile data, in August 2026, the number of panoramic ecological users of Yiche increased by 2.8% year-on-year, reaching 600 million.

2. Cultural, Sports and Entertainment Scenario: TV series and variety shows consolidate basic traffic, and sports events and mini-game ecology drive incremental growth

2.1 The traffic source of leading video applications is mainly APP. Short videos and Hongguo Free Short Dramas steadily rank at the top of the scale, and some long video platforms obtain incremental users by adding mini-program ecology

2.2 The themes of the drama track are diversified, the variety content is dominated by the reality show category of Mango platform, and reality shows of music and life observation types have significant advantages

2.3 Mango TV takes APP as the core traffic base, and OTT, content alliance and other channels supplement the traffic, opening up the viewing link between large and small screens to realize multi-terminal experience collaboration

According to QuestMobile data, Mango TV focuses on the two core directions of cross-screen connection and immersive experience, reshaping users' viewing experience on different devices and in different scenarios from the perspective of "full-terminal integration", with the number of panoramic ecological users reaching 379 million