App Analytics
Mobile growth programme reviews
Review app growth across qualified entry, first value, later use and cost, then record the evidence behind the next decision.
A mobile growth programme review asks what the app's growth work achieved for eligible users and what the team should do next. Bring acquisition, first value, later use and cost into one decision record. An install target alone cannot tell you whether to buy more traffic, repair a task or investigate the data.
A programme review is a recurring review of an app's own work, not a rating of agencies or software.
Review a comparable journey
Choose an entry cohort and record its dates, market, platform, app version and entry route. Define who could use the task, what confirmed its first useful result and what later action would matter if another need arose. Wait for each outcome window to close before judging recent entrants.
| Review question | Evidence to bring | Possible decision |
|---|---|---|
| Are suitable people arriving? | Entry counts, source rules and task eligibility | Change targeting or the acquisition promise |
| Can they reach first value? | Eligible users, attempts, confirmed results and errors | Investigate or repair the task path |
| Is there later value? | A useful later action in a window suited to the task | Improve access to the result or reconsider the return measure |
| What did growth cost? | Spend matched to the relevant cohort and outcome | Assess whether additional reach is justified |
Keep unlike measures in separate columns. Use the definitions provided by each reporting source, and do not treat a store interaction, an installation, a first launch and a completed task as interchangeable.
Apple's App Usage installations are completed installations, not a count of unique people. The total includes redownloads on the same device, downloads to multiple devices sharing an Apple Account and Family Sharing installations; failed or incomplete installations are excluded. Keep that definition separate when comparing installation totals with other entry measures.
Use consistent filters when comparing App Usage across review periods. Apple provides filters for app version, device, platform version, region and date; these can help identify whether usage or crashes changed after a release, or whether a result differs by device or region. Record the filters alongside the result so a change in the selected population is not mistaken for a change in app performance.
Apple's deletion metric counts app deletions from the Home Screen or through Manage Storage, but excludes data from resetting or erasing a device's content and settings. If deletions rise, treat that measure as a signal to investigate alongside later use and task outcomes, rather than as a complete explanation of why users stopped using the app.
App Usage Metrics Across Platforms: Apple vs Google Play
- Installation Definition (Apple App Usage)Completed installations, including redownloads, multi-device downloads under one Apple ID, and Family Sharing. Excludes failed or incomplete installs.
- Installation Definition (Google Play)Unique device installations reported via Google Play Console; excludes reinstalled apps on the same device unless the app was uninstalled first.
- Active Device Definition (Apple)Devices with at least one session of two seconds or more in the selected period. Data only includes users who opted in to sharing usage data.
- Deletion Metric (Apple)Count of app deletions from Home Screen or Manage Storage. Does not include resets or erases of device content and settings.
- Uninstalls (Google Play)Counts when users uninstall the app after installation. Includes all uninstalls, regardless of method.
Cohort Review Timeline: From Entry to Later Value
- Entry Cohort DefinitionDefine entry cohort by market, platform, app version, and entry route (e.g., ad campaign, organic search).
- First Value ConfirmationTrack successful completion of a task that confirms initial usefulness (e.g., first booking, profile setup).
- Outcome Window ClosureWait for the full window to close before evaluating performance to avoid premature decisions.
- Review Decision PointUse evidence from all stages to decide next steps: improve task flow, adjust targeting, test changes, or expand reach.
Explain the change before choosing a response
Compare mature cohorts under the same eligibility, identity and event rules. Show counts beside rates. A rise in downloads with flat active use could reflect a different audience, fewer successful first tasks, less use by established users or changed measurement. The total cannot identify the cause.
Name the active-use report. Apple's Active Devices counts devices with at least one session in the selected period; a session requires at least two seconds of use, and Apple's app-usage data covers people who agreed to share it. Neither figure is a universal count of people who received value.
A funnel gap also needs checking. Inspect event definitions, valid alternative routes, event firing and actual product states before calling the gap abandonment.
App Usage data availability can change with its opt-in rate. App Analytics provides opt-in rate history, which helps show what percentage of users contribute usage data and whether changes in that rate may affect how much data is visible. Note this when comparing periods so a change in observed usage is not automatically attributed to user behaviour.
Apple defines Active Last 30 Days as active devices with at least one session during the previous 30 days. A device used again after the app has been in the background can contribute another session. Keep the measure's rolling period and device basis clear in the review, especially when comparing it with a fixed entry cohort or a count of people.
Crashes are another App Usage metric: Apple reports the total number of crashes, and Xcode crash reports can provide unique totals by crash type and the number of users who experienced them. Use a change in crash evidence to decide whether to investigate stability; the total alone does not establish which product change caused it.
Key Mobile Growth Metrics for Australian App Teams
- Opt-in Rate (Apple App Analytics)Percentage of users who consent to share usage data. Affects visibility of analytics.
- Crash Reports (Xcode)Total crashes per build; can be broken down by crash type and number of affected users.
- ABN & GST Compliance (Australia)Ensure app monetisation and data reporting comply with ATO and ACCC regulations.
Pros and Cons of Using Apple App Usage Data for Growth Reviews
- ProsProvides detailed insights into active devices, crashes, and opt-in rates. Supports benchmarking against industry standards.
- ConsData is limited to users who opt in; may underrepresent certain demographics. Redownloads and shared accounts inflate installation counts.
Close the review with a decision
For each issue, choose a supported next step: investigate measurement, repair a verified failure, test a specific improvement, or increase qualified reach. Record the evidence behind that choice, what would reverse it, an owner and the date when the outcome window will be complete. If a booking app serves only selected Australian areas, for example, its Australia-wide entry count is not the denominator for booking eligibility.
The next review should revisit the previous decision and its observed result before adding another action. Keep unresolved data gaps visible rather than turning them into explanations.
For an Apple app, the team can view App Usage by selecting the app in App Store Connect, opening the Analytics tab and choosing Metrics in the sidebar. The Benchmarks dashboard also lets teams compare app performance across a variety of metrics. Record the selected metric and filters with the review decision so the next comparison uses the same view.
Mobile Growth Programme Review Checklist
- Verify cohort eligibility rulesConfirm that entry criteria (e.g., location, device type) are consistent across periods.
- Check event definitions and firing logicEnsure 'first value' and 'later use' events are correctly tracked and not missing due to bugs.
- Compare mature cohorts under identical filtersUse consistent date ranges, app versions, and regions to avoid misleading comparisons.
- Record decision evidence and ownersDocument what supports each action—investigate, repair, test, or scale—and assign responsibility.
- Revisit previous decisions in next reviewDo not ignore unresolved gaps; track progress toward closure.
In this guide
- Connecting acquisition, activation and retention metricsFollow one eligible app cohort from entry to first value and later use, with clear denominators and limits on store-to-app comparisons.
- Planning experiments around the weakest journey stageCheck a weak app journey stage, define a focused change and outcome, protect the comparison and decide after its window closes.
- Deciding when to fix the app before buying more trafficUse confirmed task failures, eligibility and mature outcomes to decide whether to repair the app, adjust targeting or test more spend.
