Google Surpasses Naver in MAU After 20 Years... Is the Search Market Shifting?
Google has surpassed Naver in Monthly Active Users (MAU) in the domestic mobile app market for the first time in 20 years, signaling an AI-driven shift in the search market.
As of July 2026, the Monthly Active Users (MAU) for the Google app in the domestic mobile app market reached approximately 47.02 million, surpassing the Naver app (46.84 million) for the first time by a margin of about 170,000 users. This is an unprecedented shift, marking the first time this has happened in 20 years since mobile statistics tracking began.
Key Factors Behind Google's MAU Reversal and Market Outlook
This phenomenon of the Google app overtaking Naver is largely analyzed as a result of the proliferation of generative AI services. Google has aggressively integrated its AI chatbot, 'Gemini', into its mobile search ecosystem, significantly increasing user accessibility. Furthermore, the infrastructure of the Android OS and strong platform integration with the Chrome browser have driven the expansion of its user base.
However, it is difficult to conclude that the supremacy of the domestic search market has completely shifted based solely on the MAU reversal, which only measures users who log in once a month. Naver still maintains a firm dominance in Daily Active Users (DAU), dwell time, and actual domestic search advertising revenue share. Nevertheless, this metric is evaluated as a symbolic event indicating that the keyword-centric search trend is rapidly shifting toward conversational AI exploration.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Has Google completely beaten Naver in search market share?
No. Google only slightly pulled ahead in MAU, which indicates monthly app visitors. Naver is still maintaining the top spot in Daily Active Users (DAU) and comprehensive search platform market share.
Why did Google app users suddenly increase so much?
The spread of Google's generative AI 'Gemini' and heightened interest in global AI services like ChatGPT have had an impact. Additionally, the accessibility of being a pre-installed app on Android smartphones contributed to the MAU increase.
How is Naver responding to this situation?
Naver is refining 'AI Briefing' and personalized search features utilizing its proprietary generative AI technology. They are also moving to defend their position by strengthening the cohesion of their local ecosystem, which is specialized for the Korean market, such as community, shopping, and reservations.