QuestMobile: China’s AI-native apps reach 499 million monthly active users

QuestMobile’s first-half 2026 report says China’s AI-native apps reached 499 million monthly active users in May, up 85.4% year over year.

Doubao, Qwen, and DeepSeek led the market, with Doubao adding 13.78 million users in June versus May.

The figures exclude AI plugins and built-in AI features on devices, focusing only on standalone AI-native apps.

The surge highlights how quickly China’s standalone AI app market is scaling and concentrating around a few leaders.