Mobile games host three times more malicious ads than other apps says AppHarbr

• Weaker ad quality controls in games may be enabling scam campaigns.
• 84% of players would uninstall a game after a negative ad experience.
• Unskippable ads remain a major frustration for mobile players.

Every 58 ads served in mobile games are malicious compared with one in every 165 ads in other mobile applications. 

That's according to AppHarbr’s in-app network quality index report, which showed that mobile games are nearly three times more likely to display malicious ads than non-gaming apps.

The company said the findings point to a wider issue within the mobile gaming ecosystem, where weaker ad quality controls and formats such as rewarded videos may make players more vulnerable to scams.

Moreover, AppHarbr found that malicious ads can expose players to malware, phishing attempts and forced redirects, creating unsafe user journeys while increasing developer support costs and reducing player trust.

Ad quality concerns 

The research also points to broader problems with intrusive advertising. AppHarbr’s research found that 84% of players would uninstall a game after a negative ad experience.

Furthermore, data from the report shows that one in five interstitial ads and one in ten rewarded video ads are unskippable, with some running as long as 80 seconds. The industry standard for in-game video ads is typically between 15 and 30 seconds.

Several networks, including Moloco, AdMob, Meta, InMobi and Vungle were cited as having stronger enforcement of ad duration limits and skippable formats.

AppHarbr said improving ad quality can boost retention, reduce support costs and protect long-term monetisation for developers.

“Ad quality is revenue protection,” said AppHarbr general manager Alex Yerukhimovich. “When developers proactively manage intrusive and malicious ads, they reduce risk, improve retention, lower operational costs, and protect long-term monetisation.”