Public service versus social media – new report reveals how generations divide digital Sweden

Nine out of ten young Swedes use Snapchat, while only one in six retirees does. When the digital product agency Framna presents Mobile App Trends Report 2026 A Sweden is emerging where generations increasingly live in different digital realities. Gen Z is dominated by social media, streaming, AI and food delivery services, while older generations use public services, telecom operator apps and community information to a greater extent.

The report is based on installation rate, i.e. how large a proportion of each generation actually has an app installed on their mobile phone. The results show that Swedes share a common digital foundation, but that app choices subsequently differ significantly depending on the generation.

The common digital infrastructure

Despite large generational differences, there are some apps that are used by almost all Swedes, regardless of age.

BankID has an installation rate of 98 percent among all respondents, followed by Swish with 94 percent, Kivra with 72 percent and SOS Alarm 112 with 44 percent. These services function as a common digital infrastructure that unites generations.

Outside of this common base, however, the differences become clear.

Gen Z prioritizes social media, AI and lifestyle apps

Among young Swedes between the ages of 15 and 28, apps for communication, entertainment, AI and everyday services dominate.

On social media, 90 percent use Snapchat, compared to 15 percent among Boomers. TikTok is installed by 72 percent of Gen Z compared to only 8 percent among Boomers. Reddit has an install rate of 31 percent among Gen Z but is virtually non-existent among the oldest users.

Streaming services are also significantly more common among younger people. Spotify is used by 87 percent of Gen Z compared to 53 percent of Boomers. Netflix reaches 69 percent of young people compared to 28 percent of older people, while Disney+ is used by 51 percent of Gen Z and only 9 percent of Boomers.

The mobile phone has also become a tool for everyday consumption. Foodora is used by 48 percent of Gen Z compared to 8 percent of Boomers. The McDonald's app shows a similar pattern with 51 and 8 percent, respectively.

AI and self-development are also becoming an increasingly important part of the digital lives of younger generations. ChatGPT is used by 55 percent of Gen Z, compared to 26 percent of Boomers. The language app Duolingo is installed on 43 percent of Gen Z, compared to only 6 percent of Boomers.

The second-hand market has also gone digital. Almost half of Gen Z, 49 percent, use Vinted, while only 7 percent of Boomers have the app installed.

Older generations choose public service and community services

The picture is different for older generations. Here, apps from established institutions, public services and telecom operators dominate.

Sveriges Radio Play is used by 51 percent of Boomers but only 16 percent of Gen Z, making it one of the report's clearest generational differences.

SVT Nyheter is installed by 40 percent of Boomers compared to 19 percent among Gen Z. At the same time, the report shows that SVT Play also has a strong position among younger adults and is used most by Millennials with 74 percent, followed by Boomers with 68 percent and Generation X with 62 percent.

Telecom operators' apps are also used significantly more often by older people. The Telia app is installed on 27 percent of Boomers compared to only 8 percent of Gen Z.

Security-oriented services show the same trend. Crisis information is used by 17 percent of Boomers compared to 8 percent of Gen Z, while ICA Banken reaches 30 percent of Boomers compared to 21 percent among the youngest.

Mindset is more important than year of birth

The report also shows that age alone does not determine which digital services people use.

Attitudes towards new technology have become an increasingly important factor. A tech-savvy retiree may have more in common with a curious 20-year-old than with others of the same age who are less open to new digital services.

This means that curiosity and the desire to test new features in many cases influence app habits more than what year you were born.

Top 5: Apps that each generation uses the most

– Public service versus social media is the clearest generational gap in digital Sweden. 90 percent of Gen Z use Snapchat, while only one in six retirees does. At the same time, Sveriges Radio Play is as common on Boomers' phones as Snapchat is uncommon. It's not about what's better or worse, but about how different generations use their digital tools in everyday life, says Erik Ridman, CEO of Framna Sverige.

About Mobile App Trends Report 2026

Coming soon Mobile App Trends Report 2026 analyzes Swedes' app usage based on installation rate and shows how different generations use their mobile phones. The report provides a picture of which digital services dominate in different age groups and how the app market is changing over time.

Whole the report is available via Forward.

About Framna

Coming soon is a digital product agency that develops digital products for clients such as Swish, SJ, Vattenfall and Essity. The agency was founded from the leading digital agencies Bontouch, Move and Shape and today brings together over 600 specialists in ten studios in Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Poland and the USA.
More information is available at www.framna.com.