This year, global internet traffic surged by 19%, according to Cloudflare’s “Radar 2025 Year in Review” report. More people are online than ever, highlighting shifts in digital access. While AOL’s dial-up internet officially faded into history, satellite services like Starlink are connecting remote areas worldwide.
Cloudflare has a unique view of internet trends. A recent outage reminded everyone how crucial it is, causing disruptions for platforms like Spotify, Google, and Discord. As a major internet service provider, Cloudflare offers valuable insights into online activity.
One big takeaway: AI bots now drive 4.2% of all HTML requests. As tech companies use bots to gather data, many websites are experiencing an increase in this type of traffic.
Interestingly, internet usage mainly grew in the year’s latter half. Cloudflare noted a stabilization from January to July, likely reflecting the post-holiday return to work and school. Growth picked up after mid-year.
Google remains the dominant force online. It leads not just as a search engine but also in terms of traffic, with both Facebook and Apple trailing behind. Surprisingly, even with the rise of AI, tools like ChatGPT didn’t make the top ten for most popular services.
Android devices account for 65% of web traffic, with iOS taking the rest. However, this varies significantly across regions. For example, iOS has reached 70% adoption in some places, but in the U.S., it captures 56% of mobile traffic.
Starlink, a satellite internet service by Elon Musk, has seen significant growth, expanding its user base by 2.3 times this year. It recently marked a milestone by launching its 10,000th satellite, further enhancing global connectivity.
In the AI realm, ChatGPT stands out as the most popular service, despite other challengers like Google’s Gemini coming up short in user preference. Recent trends show that while AI technology is advancing rapidly, ChatGPT remains at the forefront, leading other platforms.
As internet habits continue to evolve, these insights reflect how our online landscape is changing and adapting. For deeper dives into these trends, you can check out the full report from Cloudflare.
