Getting a ton of downloads can be seen as a bit of a badge of honor for app developers, but in spite of the fact that this is the case it is not the only metric that can judge their success. Oftentimes download numbers can distract from another factor at play, namely that of how long a user has the app for before uninstalling it.
With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that nearly half of Android apps were uninstalled within 30 days of download in 2022! What’s more, 49% of them get uninstalled within the span of a 24 hours. This seems to suggest that app developers on Google Play Store are doing a decent job of convincing users to download the app, but they are not doing quite enough to make the apps permanent fixtures on their smartphones.
The apps that saw the highest rates of uninstalls before a month were gaming apps, 66% of which ended up getting deleted before being used for 30 days. Social media apps don’t fare much better either, with 60% of them going down the same route with all things having been considered and taken into account.
All of this seems to indicate that developers need to do more work to get out of this trap. Casual gaming apps are especially in for a rough time, since their simplistic nature can give them less staying power than might have been the case otherwise.
Interestingly, the apps that appeared to have the longest shelf life turned out to be travel apps with just 31 being deleted before 30 days! It is not currently known why this is the case, but it is definitely an interesting sign that some apps can break free of this trend.
One thing is for sure, the first day is when a large number of apps end up getting rejected. Making a good first impression is one thing, but if that impression doesn’t translate into a good experience for the user it is very unlikely to give the app any kind of longevity.
H/T: Appsflyer's App uninstall report – 2023 edition
Read next: What Is The Biggest Risk To Your Business’s Technical SEO Success In 2023? This Study Says It All
With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that nearly half of Android apps were uninstalled within 30 days of download in 2022! What’s more, 49% of them get uninstalled within the span of a 24 hours. This seems to suggest that app developers on Google Play Store are doing a decent job of convincing users to download the app, but they are not doing quite enough to make the apps permanent fixtures on their smartphones.
The apps that saw the highest rates of uninstalls before a month were gaming apps, 66% of which ended up getting deleted before being used for 30 days. Social media apps don’t fare much better either, with 60% of them going down the same route with all things having been considered and taken into account.
All of this seems to indicate that developers need to do more work to get out of this trap. Casual gaming apps are especially in for a rough time, since their simplistic nature can give them less staying power than might have been the case otherwise.
Interestingly, the apps that appeared to have the longest shelf life turned out to be travel apps with just 31 being deleted before 30 days! It is not currently known why this is the case, but it is definitely an interesting sign that some apps can break free of this trend.
One thing is for sure, the first day is when a large number of apps end up getting rejected. Making a good first impression is one thing, but if that impression doesn’t translate into a good experience for the user it is very unlikely to give the app any kind of longevity.
H/T: Appsflyer's App uninstall report – 2023 edition
Read next: What Is The Biggest Risk To Your Business’s Technical SEO Success In 2023? This Study Says It All
