What’s more important: your right hand or your left leg? That’s about how relevant it is to compare engagement metrics and download numbers.
From our experience, most clients interested in creating or promoting a mobile app don’t want to think of engagement as a key metric. They care more about the number of downloads. After all, it:
- looks impressive and attracts investors (“we’ve got 10 million downloads!”);
- helps with marketing;
- proves the project has a wide audience.
But here’s the issue: if people download the app but don’t use it, these are "dead" users. They bring no profit (they don’t make purchases or view ads). In fact, they can even hurt your metrics (like uninstalling the app a day later).
So is it worth chasing that kind of baggage?
This article outlines app engagement best practices that will help you rethink user interaction and increase the long-term value of your app.
Understanding Mobile App Engagement
User engagement mobile app shows how actively people use your application:
- how often they open it;
- how much time they spend inside;
- whether they complete target actions (purchases, subscriptions, etc.).
Why does this matter for business? Simple: 1,000 active users who buy are better than 100,000 downloads that are forgotten. High engagement = people like the app and come back to it.
Also, App Store and Google Play are more likely to recommend apps with strong engagement.
Metrics that matter: DAU/MAU, session time, churn rate
To pick the right mobile app engagement strategy, you need to track key user retention metrics:
- DAU, WAU, MAU – basic activity
DAU (Daily Active Users) – unique users per day.
WAU (Weekly Active Users) – per week.
MAU (Monthly Active Users) – per month.
How does this relate to engagement?
If DAU/MAU ≈ 20%+ – the app is used regularly (high engagement).
If DAU/MAU < 5% – users rarely return (low engagement).
- Session Length
The average time a user spends in the app per session.
- High session length → users are immersed in content (TikTok, YouTube).
- Low session length → users exit quickly (bad UX or lack of value).
Note: mobile analytics tools won’t give a clear answer on whether your session length is good or bad. You need to analyze it in context. Is 10+ minutes good? For social apps or games — yes. For a banking app? It could signal the user is “lost” and can’t find what they need.
3. Churn Rate
The percentage of users who stop using the app: (Users who left during a period / total users) × 100%
- High churn rate → users lose interest quickly (poor retention).
- Low churn rate → your app retains its audience (good engagement).
It’s crucial to apply churn reduction techniques. For example, top services like Netflix and Spotify often have churn rates below 5%.
Retention Rate
Important! Engagement and retention are related but not the same.
Mobile user retention strategies work on bringing users back and tracking when they return. For example:
- Day 1 Retention – returned the next day.
- Day 7 Retention – returned after a week.
Standards vary by app type. Day 1 Retention for social media can reach 60%, while Day 30 Retention for media apps may barely hit 7%.
Top Engagement Strategies for Mobile Apps
Now to the practical part. How to increase app engagement? You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Just use proven mechanics. Here are the top 7 strategies with examples and numbers.
1. Personalized Push Notifications
Push notifications strategy is a powerful tool, but only when they’re not seen as spam. When a message reflects a user’s behavior or interests, it feels like care, not distraction. This increases the chances of users returning. Personalization boosts open rates by 50% and return rates by 20%*
Example:
“Your favorite artist Imagine Dragons has released a new track!” from Spotify
Best practices:
- Segment your audience: newcomers, active users, dormant users
- Include names: “Anna, your order is ready!”
- Test send times: morning for productivity, evening for leisure
- Use triggers: abandoned cart, expiring progress, missed opportunity
- Avoid spam: no more than 1–2 push notifications per day
*here and further are used the internal statistics of our company
2. Smart In-App Messaging
Pop-ups and promos inside the app. Unlike push notifications, in-app messaging works when the user is already engaged. It guides, explains, and drives action. It's 3x more effective than email and can boost purchases by up to 27%.
Example: “Only 2 rooms left at this price!” from Booking.com. Creates urgency and motivates booking.
Best practices:
- Show messages at the right time: after sign-up, before exit
- Offer value: discounts, tips, free features
- Make it interactive: CTA buttons like “Try Now,” “Learn More,” “Save”
3. Onboarding
First impressions shape user perception. If they don’t understand why they need the app or how to use it, they’ll leave. A clear onboarding experience in the first minutes can increase retention by 50% and reduce churn by 30% in the first week.
Example: Duolingo offers a 2-minute first lesson.
Best practices:
- Keep it short: 3–5 screens max
- Make it interactive: let users choose preferences or goals
- Add a mini-action: profile setup, first task, sample result
- Make the core value clear within 1 minute of usage
4. Feature-Based Reminders
Users often don’t explore all app features. Feature-based reminders are part of the engagement funnels that boost time spent in-app.
Example: “Try adding animation. Bring your design to life!” from Canva. It brings users back and reveals more app value.
Best practices:
- Analyze feature usage stats
- Send reminders in context: when similar sections are opened
- Highlight benefits: “Enable notifications to never miss a deal”
5. Gamification and Reward Loops
Let’s be honest, gamification for engagement is one of our favorites. Game mechanics increase retention by at least 30%. It’s simple: people love progress, rewards, and goals. Even small elements can make everyday tasks feel exciting.
Example: Nike Run Club rewards users for milestones.
Best practices:
- Create personalized experiences through progress levels
- Add competition and leaderboards
- Offer motivation and answer “Why do this?” e.g., collect 5 stars to unlock a skin/discount/feature
- Keep reward cycles going: repeat action → reward → motivation
6. Building Loyalty Through Value and Experience
Loyalty features in mobile apps aren’t about discounts, they’re about unique experience and exclusivity. These users are 5–7x more likely to recommend the app (and do so naturally!) and bring in 25% more revenue by acting as brand ambassadors.
Example: “Your favorite latte, now 30% off” from Starbucks
Best practices:
- Create multi-level loyalty programs (Bronze/Silver/Gold) with increasing privileges
- Offer early access to new features for top users and exclusive content (guides, webinars, expert chats)
- Run feature voting campaigns (like Twitter) and maintain a public roadmap (“We’re adding chat because you asked for it!”)
7. Segmenting and Targeting Users for Higher Retention
Different users have different needs. Segmentation allows you to personalize the experience, boosting retention by 30–50% on average. When a user feels that the app “understands” their needs, they tend to stay longer and engage more actively.
Example: MyFitnessPal segments users by goals (weight loss, muscle gain, staying fit) and activity levels (data input frequency, workouts, diet). Based on this, it delivers tailored advice and notifications.
Best practices:
- сreate dynamic user scenarios — the user journey should adapt
- use dynamic user paths: new users → simplified onboarding + quick win. Regular users → loyalty program + exclusives. Churn-risk users → special offers: “Come back and get 500 points!”
- integrate real-time behavior analytics to send timely notifications and adjust the UI on the fly
Tools and Platforms to Boost Engagement
A strong mobile app engagement strategy requires the right tools. They help track user behavior, test hypotheses, and automate personalized communication. What can we recommend from our own toolkit?
For behavior analytics:
- Firebase by Google. A free tool for tracking events, analyzing retention and funnels
- Mixpanel. A powerful platform for unit economics and segmentation; check out its A/B testing features and churn prediction
- Amplitude. An intuitive and easy-to-use tool for visualizing engagement funnels and identifying “drop-off points”.
For automation and communication:
- OneSignal – used for executing a push notifications strategy: enables bulk alerts, activity-based segmentation, and smart campaigns
- Braze (formerly Appboy) – ideal for email/push/in-app campaigns triggered by user behavior. This is the key to a personalized approach, real app engagement best practices in action.
Mistakes That Hurt Engagement
Spammy push messages are one of the most frustrating practices. When users receive dozens of generic alerts (“Deal for everyone!”), it triggers aversion. Up to 60% of users disable push notifications because of this. What’s the alternative? A segmented strategy, e.g., cart abandonment reminders only for users who actually added items but didn’t check out.
Ignoring user feedback is a silent engagement killer. 80% of customers abandon brands due to poor service and lack of communication. Loyalty drops when users feel they can’t influence the app: leave reviews, suggest improvements, or comment on updates. Even worse: when they don’t see changes based on their feedback.
Tip! Create a sense of co-creation. For example, publish a roadmap with planned updates and align it with your app lifecycle marketing strategy.
Poor onboarding experience is a critical risk factor. If the app requires lengthy registration, profile completion, or a multi-page tutorial, around 23% of users uninstall it after first launch. Assume users are lazy and avoid friction.
Solution: Try progressive onboarding, like TikTok: core features are explained during actual use.
Technical issues can nullify all engagement efforts. According to Google, 53% of users abandon an app if it takes more than 3 seconds to load. Beyond speed, focus on: stability (minimize bugs and crashes), battery optimization (don’t drain devices), responsive design (render correctly on all screens), fast content loading (data caching), security (protect user data).
Measuring Success and Iterating
To understand whether your mobile app engagement strategy is working, you need clear metrics and continuous testing. Focus on: retention (Day 1, 7, 30), activity in key features, time spent in app, conversion rates for key actions. These metrics reflect the performance of your user engagement mobile app strategy.
Use A/B testing to evaluate push notification formats, onboarding screens, CTAs: this is one of the top app engagement best practices. Testing helps you discover what really works.
Don’t ignore feedback: app store reviews, NPS, and support tickets all highlight gaps in your app retention techniques. Also track churn signals like declining activity, frequent account deletions, and low response rates to notifications.
How to increase app engagement? Constant iteration: make small changes, measure results, and improve. Engagement isn’t a one-time setup, it’s an ongoing process.
Conclusion
High user engagement is a direct path to profit. Active users are more likely to take key actions: subscribe, recommend the app to friends, and spend 5–7x more. Plus, retaining users is cheaper than constantly acquiring new ones.
To achieve high engagement, follow three simple steps:
- Measure (Retention, DAU/MAU, conversions)
- Test (A/B testing, personalization)
- Optimize (eliminate pain points, add value)
Invest in UX, user feedback, and gamification — and your monetization will grow.