Desktop dominates AI search traffic, leaving mobile untapped: report

Despite mobile's dominance in general web traffic, a new BrightEdge report reveals a surprising trend—over 90% of AI search traffic still comes from desktop devices. This leaves mobile, particularly in ecommerce, as a largely untapped growth opportunity.

Why It Matters

According to Datos, traditional search still surpasses AI tool usage on mobile in the U.S., UK, and EU. BrightEdge's latest data supports this, confirming that while AI search is growing, it's primarily happening on desktop.

The Numbers

Here's the share of AI search referrals coming from desktop:

ChatGPT.com: 94%

Perplexity.ai: 96%

Bing: 94%

Google Gemini: 91%

Only Google Search bucks the trend, sending more traffic from mobile (53%) than desktop (44%).

What's Holding Back Mobile?

Several factors are limiting mobile AI referrals:

Mobile AI apps often show in-app previews, requiring an extra click to reach external sites.

Referral delays or limitations happen when AI search is performed inside apps.

Mobile vs Desktop AI Overviews

On Mobile:

AI Overviews appear 3x more often (13.5%) than on desktop for ecommerce-related queries.

They vary more in design, as Google experiments with presentation styles.

On Desktop:

AI Overviews occupy 80% more screen space.

They appear 39% more frequently and have more consistent formatting.

Expert Insight

Jim Yu, CEO of BrightEdge, emphasized the importance of platform-aware AI strategies:

“If marketers are not paying attention to how AI operates on different devices, they may be missing some key opportunities, especially in ecommerce.”

The Bottom Line

AI search is gaining traction, but marketers must tailor their strategies for device-specific behaviors. Mobile may lead in discovery, but desktop still drives deeper engagement—for now.