The big picture: Naturally, some regions saw a greater impact than others. In the US, for example, time spent in apps grew 15 percent in Q2 2020 from Q4 2019. Indonesia saw a 25 percent uptick in usage while in Italy, the increase was even more pronounced at 30 percent.

PC shipments weren't the only thing on the rise during the second quarter as Covid-19 gripped the globe. As millions of people were ordered to shelter in place, reliance on mobile skyrocketed to new heights.

As outlined in a recent report from market insight company App Annie, the average monthly hours spent in mobile apps worldwide increased by a full 40 percent in the second quarter compared to the same period in 2019. During the month of April, consumers' collective app usage surpassed the 200 billion hour mark.

With Covid-19 containment measures being enforced in many parts of the world over the past few months, it was inevitable that mobile usage was going to spike (so long as wireless networks could hold up under the stress, which thankfully they did). Being stuck in doors and isolated from the outside world, millions turned to smartphones to fend off boredom and virtually connect with friends, family and even colleagues.

Along with a spike in usage came an uptick in app downloads. Android downloads from Google Play increased 10 percent year-over-year to 25 billion while iOS downloads shot up 20 percent to nearly 10 billion in Q2.

The challenge for app developers moving forward will be trying to figure out how to keep users engaged with their offerings once things start to get back to normal.

Masthead credit: Billion Photos