A representative YouGov survey conducted in Germany commissioned by the Internet Exchange operator DE-CIX has found that more than half (56 per cent) of users abandon digital applications if they have to wait even just a few seconds.

The survey, conducted in April 2026, found expectations are particularly high for applications using AI. Some 54 per cent of German consumers expect a response within a few seconds, including seven per cent who expect an almost immediate reaction of no more than two seconds. Just 27 per cent of users are willing to wait more than ten seconds for an AI response — but only if it means a better result. With new technologies like AI, expectations are increasingly shifting toward real-time performance. Just under half (43 per cent) of respondents say they have less patience with digital applications today than they did a few years ago.

Patience is also running low when it comes to everyday digital services. Over half (56 per cent) of respondents wait no more than ten seconds for a website or online service to fully load, abandoning applications if they respond too slowly. Fast loading times are thus becoming a key criterion for the success of digital offerings.

Streaming and gaming users are equally unforgiving. Nearly two-thirds (64 per cent) will wait no more than 20 seconds for a video to start, while 84 per cent of gamers say lag directly damages their experience. Loading times top the frustration list for 41 per cent of users, ahead of slow online payments (37 per cent) and sluggish downloads and system updates (34 per cent). And the stakes are high — for more than half (53 per cent), the speed of a digital service influences their confidence in its quality.

When apps are slow, trust evaporates

“Germans’ digital patience is waning – regardless of whether it’s websites, streaming, gaming, or AI applications,” commented Ivo Ivanov, CEO of DE-CIX. “What is often underestimated here is that speed has become a sign of quality for many users. When applications take too long, trust evaporates. The survey clearly shows that real-time usage is no longer an optional feature, but a basic requirement for digital offerings. With an increasing number of data-intensive applications, the demand on digital infrastructure to deliver content reliably and without noticeable delays is also rising.”

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Categories: AI, Articles, Consumer Behaviour, Games, Research

Tags: AI, games, germany, YouGov