Rise of AI Apps in Vietnam: A New Era of Mobile Engagement
A recent report from Sensor Tower reveals that Vietnamese users are increasingly turning to mobile applications, with total usage time hitting an impressive 704 million hours in the first half of 2026. This marks a substantial increase from 300 million hours recorded in the same period last year.
As people engage more with technology, spending on AI features has also grown significantly, from $7.44 million in 2025 to $14.4 million just this year. This shift suggests that users in Vietnam are not only curious about AI but are also ready to invest in its advanced functions.
However, the growth in Vietnam is occurring in the context of a broader regional slowdown, as the Asia-Pacific region saw a 3.75% drop in monthly active users for the first time in over three years. With this change, companies are now focused on keeping their existing users engaged rather than just attracting new ones.
By the end of the first quarter, OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini stood out as the top AI platforms in Vietnam. Local AI assistant AI Hay, developed by a Vietnamese startup, ranked third, surpassing notable international competitors like Grok and DeepSeek. Many local platforms in other countries have struggled, with South Korea’s Wrtn falling in rankings and Brazil’s Luzia also dropping in popularity.
The spokesperson for AI Hay mentioned that the startup has shifted from a basic Q&A tool to a versatile assistant catering to academic, professional, and daily tasks. A standout feature of AI Hay is its visual query capability, allowing users to take photos of documents for translation, get help with homework, or extract important details from bills with ease.
With over 22 million downloads, AI Hay has seen a significant increase from 15 million last year. The focus on local language and cultural context has been crucial for its success. For instance, following the high school graduation exams, AI Hay introduced specialized tools to help students solve exams and understand their university admission chances, resulting in millions of interactions.
Furthermore, Google’s recent findings indicate that Vietnam leads Southeast Asia in native-language AI interaction, with 89% of requests being made in Vietnamese. Experts believe this shift demonstrates a change in how AI is being used—from simple chatbots to advanced productivity tools. Users now rely on AI for tasks like translating complex documents, analyzing data, and summarizing reports.
Sensor Tower estimates that global spending on AI mobile apps surpassed $4 billion, with significant growth in both time spent and sessions in the first half of 2026. Looking ahead, AI Hay plans to open its API, allowing other software and tools to leverage its capabilities. This move will enable local developers and organizations to incorporate AI Hay’s features into their products, providing a strong alternative to foreign technology.
“This is a vital step for AI Hay,” the spokesperson stated, emphasizing the potential of Vietnamese engineers and the importance of having a homegrown platform.
