Half of Android apps are uninstalled within 30 days after download

Anne Freer | January 23, 2023

App Business

User churn is a major issue for app developers. Around half of Android apps were uninstalled within 30 days of download in 2022 and half of those were removed within just 24 hours finds a new report from AppsFlyer. Let’s take a closer look.

Some app categories fare better than others

The App Uninstall Report found that 49% of Android apps were uninstalled within a month after download and of those, 49% were uninstalled within just one day. Whilst that number seems staggering, it’s still 8% lower compared to 2021. 

Android app uninstalls year-on-year

Source: AppsFlyer

Gaming apps saw some of the highest uninstall rates (66%) within 30 days after download, followed by social (60%), education (53%), utilities (53%) and finance apps (45%). Travel apps, on the other hand, saw some of the highest brand loyalty at 31%.

AppsFlyer says that hyper-casual and casual gaming titles suffer because of their reduced shelf life of these titles. 

Uninstall rates by app category

Source: AppsFlyer

Unsurprisingly, uninstall rates of organic users were lower at an average of 28% among all categories. Organic users typically show higher intent than non-organic ones. The difference between organic and non-organic users in gaming was just 13% compared to 30% for non-gaming apps. 

The where and the when

Uninstall rates were higher in developing markets with Nepal, Bangladesh and Kazakhstan showing the highest rates of user churn. The average uninstall rate in developing countries was between 26-43% compared to 36% in developed nations. This may be due to the more dominant use of iOS devices and their higher storage which results in users having to delete fewer apps to free up space.

Day 1 is typically the highest for uninstalls across all categories. Day 1 rates were particularly high in finance apps at 27% compared to the average of other verticals. 

Overall Day 1 uninstalls

Source: AppsFlyer

How to optimise your app marketing for fewer uninstalls

The key takeaway for app marketers is optimisation. With uninstalls being a major issue, it’s important to keep measuring them using attribution options. First interactions with users should be designed to encourage lasting connections. Apps must deliver on their promise in order to be successful and be updated in good time. User feedback proves valuable in doing the latter. It’s worth bearing in mind user privacy and security. 

Key takeaways

  • 49% of Android apps were uninstalled within a month after download 
  • 49% of Android apps were uninstalled within just one day
  • Gaming apps had the highest uninstall rates (66%) within 30 days after download

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