July 16, 2025
Welcome to the Frustration Economy: Mobile Users Are Over It
Mobile user frustration is hitting record highs in 2025, according to Fullstory’s newly released report. After analysing over 14 billion user sessions across industries like retail, financial services, food and beverage, travel, gambling, and software, the findings show that mobile experiences are breaking under pressure. A 667% spike in mobile error clicks from 2024 to 2025 indicates that consumers are encountering more roadblocks than ever, at a time when their expectations for fast, seamless, and AI-enhanced experiences have never been higher.
This tidal wave of frustration is giving rise to what Fullstory calls the “Frustration Economy,” a space where poor mobile UX directly threatens loyalty, conversions, and brand trust.
“Today’s consumers expect elevated, efficient digital experiences. These high expectations are a byproduct of consumers’ increasing exposure to sophisticated AI tools, putting pressure on brands to deliver exceptional experiences every single session,” said Adam Spisak, chief customer officer at Fullstory. “Our data confirms that mobile interfaces aren’t keeping pace with the new set of expectations from consumers. This is a wake-up call for brands. As frustration builds and consumers encounter more issues, they will choose to pursue other options.”
Rage Clicking on the Rise
Rage clicks, a key indicator of user irritation, are skyrocketing across both mobile and desktop platforms. The food and beverage sector experienced a 673% increase, while business services rose 131%, financial services increased 85%, and retail saw a 56% rise. These stats highlight that when users face friction, they no longer push through; they push away.
Mobile bounce rates reflect this trend. Across industries, the mobile bounce rate jumped 54%, with nearly half of users exiting after just one page. Financial services led the pack with an eye-watering 85% bounce rate, followed by retail at 64%. Interestingly, travel brands bucked the trend, reporting a 10% drop in bounce rates, potentially due to improved UX or better alignment with evolving user needs.
Longer Sessions, Lower Satisfaction
Despite the rising friction, users are spending more time on mobile than ever before. The average session duration surged 332%, hitting 15 minutes and 51 seconds, a massive leap from 3 minutes and 40 seconds in 2024. Retailers saw the biggest boost in session duration (+442%), suggesting more opportunities for engagement if brands can deliver on expectations.
Yet this engagement comes at a cost. Users are still struggling with unresponsive interfaces, with dead clicks averaging 929 per 1,000 mobile sessions, slightly higher than last year. In other words, users may be sticking around longer, but they’re not necessarily having a better time.
While mobile is grappling with chaos, desktop experiences appear to be levelling out. Error clicks on desktop dropped by 68%, suggesting that sustained investment in web-based UX is starting to pay off. Users are finding fewer dead ends and more reliable experiences when accessing websites via a computer.
In 2025, the pressure is on. Brands that can close the experience gap, especially on mobile, stand to win. If they don’t, they risk losing users to competitors who understand that good UX isn’t optional anymore.
