Above: Photo by Scanrail/BigStock.com
According to a representative of TRG Datacenters, “This evolution is not just about adding more features; it’s about enhancing the overall experience with richer content and stronger functionalities. Interestingly, while some apps have expanded significantly, others have focused on refining their efficiency, balancing growth with optimization.
As apps continue to evolve, this shift will undoubtedly influence how we approach storage, design, and user experience in the years to come.”
The TRG Datacenters study aimed to identify how much data volume grows over time by collecting apps in four main categories—communication, navigation, work, and social media. The download sizes of these apps were traced over time using the Wayback Machine.
The study also gathered data on the most sold phones from 2014 to 2024, focusing on their photo, video, and non-expandable memory characteristics. By calculating the average non-expandable memory and the sizes of photos and videos, the study compared these sizes over the years to determine the file size change both in megabytes (MB) or gigabytes (GB) and as a percentage.
Summary of the work-related data
| Type of data | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | File Size Change | File Size Change, By Percentage |
| Photos (MB) | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3.5 | 4 | 4.5 | 7 | 6.5 | 9.5 | 7 | 6.5 MB | 217% |
| Videos (MB/minute) | 60 | 130 | 170 | 350 | 400 | 450 | 450 | 350 | 400 | 400 | 500 | 440 MB | 733% |
| WhatsApp (MB) | 15 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 23 | 25 | 28 | 30 | 35 | 38 | 40 | 25 MB | 167% |
| Slack (MB) | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 | 35 | 40 | 45 | 50 | 55 | 60 | 50 MB | 500% |
| Zoom (MB) | 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 | 35 | 40 | 45 | 50 | 55 | 60 | 65 | 50 MB | 333% |
| Asana (MB) | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 | 35 | 40 | 45 | 50 | 55 | 50 MB | 1000% |
| Trello (MB) | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 | 35 | 40 | 45 | 50 | 55 | 50 MB | 1000% |
| LinkedIn (MB) | 35 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 90 | 120 | 150 | 180 | 200 | 220 | 185 MB | 529% |
| Average Non-Expandable Memory (GB) | 16 | 32 | 48 | 64 | 96 | 128 | 192 | 256 | 256 | 320 | 384 | 368 GB | 2300% |
Photos
Type of Data – Work, Communication, Entertainment
Overall change – 217%
The average file size of photos has seen a moderate increase from 3 MB in 2014 to a peak of 9.5 MB in 2023 before slightly decreasing to 7 MB in 2024. As a result, the app saw a 217% growth throughout the ten years, reflecting advancements in camera technology.
Videos
Type of Data – Work, Communication, Entertainment
Overall change – 733%
The file size of videos per minute has grown from 60 MB in 2014 to 500 MB in 2024, a 733% increase. This growth is primarily due to the transition from lower resolution to 4K and even higher video quality, requiring more storage capacity for each minute of footage.
WhatsApp
Type of Data – Work, Communication
Overall change – 167%
WhatsApp’s file size has steadily increased from 15 MB in 2014 to a peak of 40 MB in 2024, a 167% rise. This consistent growth aligns with the app’s continuous feature enhancements and increased data requirements for richer media and messaging capabilities.
Slack
Type of Data – Work
Overall change – 500%
Slack saw a substantial 500% increase in file size, growing from 10 MB in 2014 to a peak of 60 MB in 2024. This growth reflects the platform’s expansion in collaborative tools, integrations, and multimedia messaging, requiring more storage.
Zoom
Type of Data – Work, Communication
Overall change – 333%
Zoom’s file size increased by 333%, from 15 MB in 2014 to a peak of 65 MB in 2024. This significant growth is due to the platform’s development into a comprehensive communication tool that supports high-quality video calls, webinars, and collaboration features.
Asana
Type of Data – Work
Overall change – 1000%
Asana experienced a dramatic 1000% increase in file size, the second-highest on the list. The file size grew from 5 MB in 2014 to 55 MB in 2024. This surge highlights the app’s evolution into a robust project management tool with expanded team collaboration and task-tracking features.
Trello
Type of Data – Work
Overall change – 1000%
Trello has also seen a 1000% increase in file size, which is the second highest tied with Asana. The app size grew from 5 MB in 2014 to 55 MB in 2024. This reflects Trello’s enhanced capabilities in project management, including integrations, visual boards, and collaborative features that make it an essential tool for teams.
LinkedIn
Type of Data – Work, Communication, Social Media
Overall change – 529%
LinkedIn’s file size increased by 529%, from 35 MB in 2014 to a peak of 220 MB in 2024. This growth aligns with the platform’s expanding role in professional networking, incorporating more media, educational content, and job search functionalities.
Average Non-Expandable Memory
Type of Data – Available Storage On Mobile Device
Overall change – 2300%
The average non-expandable memory of devices has increased by 2300%, from 16 GB in 2014 to a peak of 384 GB in 2024. This exponential growth highlights the increasing demands of apps, media, and data storage over time, necessitating larger internal storage capacities in modern devices.
The raw data for this survey is available here.
[…] Caribbean – According to a representative of TRG Datacenters, “This evolution is not just about adding more features; it’s about enhancing the overall experience with richer content and stronger functionalities. Interestingly, while some apps have expanded significantly, others have focused on refining their efficiency, balancing growth with optimization… more […]