NEW DELHI: From listening to bhajans and reading the Bible to finding the direction of Mecca or discovering what the stars have in store, Indians are increasingly turning to smartphones for matters of faith and fortune. Religious, spiritual and astrology apps recorded nearly 30 crore downloads in the first nine months of 2026, emerging as fast-growing segments of India’s app economy.According to data shared exclusively with TOI by market intelligence firm Sensor Tower, astrology apps registered 15 crore downloads between Jan and Sept, a 75% jump over last year. Religious and spiritual apps clocked 14.6 crore downloads, up 47%. Together, the categories surpassed their combined 24.8 crore downloads in the whole of 2025 and touched nearly 30 crore downloads.

The digital devotion wave is cutting across religions. Sanatan Status Bhajan Mantra topped the religious and spiritual category by average monthly active users, followed by YouVersion Bible App, which offers Bible reading and audio content, and WeMuslim, which provides prayer timings and Qibla direction. Sri Mandir, offering online pujas and devotional services, ranked fourth, while Muslim Pro, which provides Quran reading and prayer-related features, completed the top five.The diversity is also reflected in user growth. Sanatan Status Bhajan Mantra saw its average monthly active users jump 109% year-on-year, while YouVersion recorded 24% growth and WeMuslim 39%. Muslim Pro grew 5%, although Sri Mandir witnessed a 20% decline. “India’s strong cultural affinity with religion and astrology, combined with its mobile-first consumer base, creates a favourable environment for growth in these categories,” said Eve Chen, insights analyst, Sensor Tower.Indians are spending more time on these apps. Average daily usage of religious and spiritual apps rose from 5.8 minutes in the first quarter of 2022 to 8.2 minutes in corresponding quarter of 2026, a rise of over 40%. For astrology apps, engagement climbed more than 50%, from 3.5 to 5.3 minutes.Astrology is witnessing an AI-powered shift. Astrotalk led with 3 crore downloads, followed by AstroSage Kundli: AI Astrology at 2.5 crore, up 172%. Newer entrant Tarot99 recorded 1.1 crore downloads, while AstroLokal’s downloads surged 1,062% to nearly 75 lakh.