Why apps get deleted (and how we build ones that don’t)

Before we dig into solutions, it’s worth facing the numbers head-on.

According to a report, a jaw-dropping 49% of Android apps are uninstalled within just 30 days of being downloaded. iOS performs slightly better, but still sees an average uninstall rate of around 28%. And across platforms, a whopping 25% of users abandon an app after just one use.

That means for every 10 people who download your app, five might never open it again, and three might not even make it past the first day.

It’s not that these people hate apps. It’s that their time is limited, their expectations are high, and their tolerance for friction is almost nonexistent. If your app doesn’t immediately offer value, they’re gone.

So what actually drives someone to uninstall?

When someone opens your app for the first time, you have about 10 seconds to show them why it matters. If you bombard them with forms, pop-ups, or explanations, it’s game over. If you say nothing and hope they figure it out themselves? Same result.

This is where we see a lot of well-intentioned apps lose users straight out of the gate. At our app development agency, we prioritise thoughtful, human-centred onboarding. It’s not about hand-holding; it’s about giving users a quick, satisfying “aha” moment that tells them they’ve found something useful.

We see it time and again: apps that look nice, function well, but fail to connect with a real, day-to-day need. Sometimes that’s because the idea was based on assumptions. Sometimes it’s because the app tries to do too much.

Good apps don’t need to be complex. But they do need a clear purpose. The most-used apps on your phone probably only do one thing, but they do it really well. That’s the mindset we bring to discovery sessions when working with new partners. Before we design a single screen, we dig into the real user problem and find out where your app fits into their life.

Nothing breaks trust faster than a crash. Even slight delays or inconsistencies in the user experience can create enough frustration for someone to close your app and never return.

Users won’t give you a second chance to make a first impression. That’s why performance and stability are baked into our development process from day one. We don’t launch an app just because it technically “works.” We test it until it feels good.

According to a survey, 62% of users uninstall an app if it crashes or freezes, and 48% delete apps that drain battery or use too much data.

Some apps do a great job of getting users in the door, but give them no incentive to return. Maybe the content’s static. Maybe the notifications are irrelevant. Maybe it doesn’t evolve with the user’s needs.

Retention isn’t about pestering your users with alerts or gamifying everything. It’s about designing reasons to return, habit-forming features, timely nudges, dynamic content, or practical tools that integrate naturally into their routine.

We don’t tack this on at the end. We build for it from the start.

Apps that are just stripped-down versions of websites (or worse, glorified PDFs) rarely succeed. The whole point of an app is to offer a richer, faster, more personalised experience than a browser tab ever could.

If your app doesn’t take advantage of native functionality (like offline access, location awareness, notifications, camera input), it will likely feel like an afterthought.

And here’s the thing: your users can tell.

Here’s where we switch from doom and gloom to opportunity.

Apps don’t have to end up in the app graveyard. In fact, when designed with users in mind and developed with care, they can become essential tools, things people use every day without thinking.

At The Distance, we don’t just “build apps.” We create experiences. Here’s how we do it:

Every great app starts with empathy. Who’s going to use it? What do they care about? What frustrates them? We never assume, we ask. Our discovery process is collaborative, insightful, and focused on real-world needs.

A sleek UI means nothing if it’s not intuitive. Conversely, powerful features won’t shine if users can’t find or understand them. We bring together user experience (UX), interface design (UI), and technical performance to ensure everything feels seamless.

We help our partners think beyond launch day. What happens next week? Next month? What features will keep your users engaged without feeling forced? We think long-term because that’s what drives results.

We don’t believe in bloated products or feature-stuffed roadmaps. We believe in clarity. The apps we build are light on friction, high on value, and designed to get better over time, not bulkier.

If you’re wondering what “good” looks like in terms of retention, here’s a rough guide, depending on your industry and audience:

• Day 1 retention: 25–30% is average, anything above 35% is strong
• Day 7 retention: 10–15% is common, 20% is excellent
• Day 30 retention: 5–7% is industry standard, 10%+ is best-in-class

If you’re seeing sharp drop-offs early on, there’s work to do. But that also means there’s room to improve, and we can help.

In a world where attention spans are shorter than ever, people don’t need another app. They need the right app, one that adds value to their life, feels effortless to use, and earns its place on their home screen.

That doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when app developers and businesses work closely to create something with intention, insight, and a deep understanding of user behaviour.

If you're thinking about launching an app, or you’ve already got one that’s underperforming, now’s the time to rethink the experience, not just the tech.

At The Distance, we build more than just beautiful apps. We build apps people want to use. If you're ready to create something with impact, we're here to help, from early planning and workshops to design, development, and long-term optimisation.

Let’s build something that doesn’t just get downloaded, it gets remembered.