The First 90 Days After App Launch: What to Expect and How to Thrive

March 31, 2025 - 60 minutes read

After reading this article, you’ll:

Understand the critical performance metrics (e.g., retention, churn rate, active users) to closely monitor during the first 90 days after your app’s launch.
Learn how to proactively address common challenges and pitfalls that can negatively impact early user engagement and app success.
Gain actionable strategies for effectively utilizing user feedback, agile iteration, and targeted marketing tactics to drive sustained growth and retention after launch.

Launching a new mobile app is an exciting milestone for any business. But the real test begins immediately after launch. The first 90 days post-launch are a critical period that often determines whether your app will gain traction or fade into obscurity. During this time, businesses must closely monitor performance metrics, navigate common challenges, iterate quickly based on user feedback, and execute smart marketing tactics.

This post will walk through what to expect in those initial three months, with an educational, data-driven perspective to help you maximize your app’s chances of success. We’ll cover key metrics to track, pitfalls to avoid, the importance of agile iteration (especially with user feedback), effective post-launch marketing strategies, and when to consider updates or even pivots in your mobile strategy.

Key Performance Metrics to Monitor Early On

In the weeks after launch, certain key performance indicators (KPIs) will reveal how well your app is resonating with users. Tracking these metrics from day one allows you to react swiftly and keep your app on course. Some of the most important metrics include retention rates, active user counts (DAUs/MAUs), and churn rate, among others.

User Retention Rate

Retention measures the percentage of users who continue to use your app over time, and it’s essentially the inverse of churn. It’s common for apps to see a steep drop-off in users in the early days. In fact, the average app loses about 77% of its daily active users in the first 3 days after install, 90% by 30 days, and over 95% by 90 days. That means only ~5% of users stick around by the three-month mark on average.

This industry-wide trend is a sobering reminder of how hard user loyalty is to earn. Retention is therefore arguably the most critical metric to watch in the first 90 days – a rising retention curve means users see lasting value, whereas a sharp decline signals trouble. (Retention is often tracked at intervals like Day 1, Day 7, Day 30, and Day 90 post-install.)

Daily and Monthly Active Users (DAU/MAU)

These metrics indicate how many unique users engage with your app daily or monthly. Beyond absolute numbers, the ratio of DAU to MAU (sometimes called “stickiness”) is insightful. A higher DAU/MAU ratio means users are returning frequently (e.g. a DAU/MAU of 0.5 means the average user uses the app ~15 days out of 30). This ratio varies by app type – social networking apps or messengers might achieve 50%+ DAU/MAU due to habitual daily use, whereas niche or utilitarian apps naturally see lower frequencies.

For example, an engaging news or social app can drive DAU/MAU well above 0.3 (30%), whereas an app for a periodic task (like tax filing or certain healthcare apps) will have lower daily engagement by nature. In the first 90 days, you should track not just how many people downloaded or signed up, but how many are actually active each day and each month. Spikes and drop-offs in active user counts can indicate the effectiveness of your onboarding and ongoing engagement efforts.

Churn Rate

Churn is the flip side of retention – it’s the percentage of users who stop using the app over a given period. Early on, churn will be the mirror image of your retention curve. For instance, if only 20% of users continue using the app by Day 30, that implies an 80% churn in the first month. It’s normal for churn to be highest in the initial days and weeks (when new users are deciding if your app provides value).

The goal for the first 90 days is to flatten the churn curve as soon as possible – in other words, stabilize retention so that you’re not continuing to lose a huge chunk of users every week. Industry benchmarks vary, but one analysis suggests that a 10–30% retention by 90 days (i.e. 70–90% churn) is considered “good” in many categories. Anything better than that is exceptional. Monitoring churn closely can help you gauge if your early improvements are working: a decreasing churn rate week-over-week is a positive sign that you’re addressing initial issues and convincing more users to stick around.

App Store Ratings and Reviews

App launch While not a traditional metric like those above, your app’s rating in the app store (and the content of user reviews) is an important health indicator in the first 90 days. A drop in average rating or an influx of negative reviews in the first few weeks can quickly stifle your growth – after all, new potential users often decide whether to download an app based on its star rating and feedback. Track the average rating, the volume of reviews, and common themes in review comments.

This metric ties in closely with user feedback loops (discussed more below) because it’s an immediate window into user satisfaction. For perspective, about 21% of users use an app only once before abandoning it, often heading to the store to leave feedback if their experience was poor. High churn combined with low ratings is a red flag that must be addressed promptly. On the other hand, improving ratings over the initial 90 days – by quickly releasing fixes and features – can bolster your app’s credibility and conversion rate for new users.

Quantitative metrics like retention, DAU/MAU, and churn will define your app’s trajectory post-launch. Aim to measure these from day one. If you see, for example, Day-7 retention creeping up week over week, or DAU/MAU gradually improving, it means your early interventions are making an impact. Conversely, if these metrics are trending in the wrong direction, it’s a signal to take action (perhaps via an urgent update or rethinking parts of your mobile strategy). The next sections will explore what can cause poor metrics in this window – and how to address them.

Common Challenges and Pitfalls in the First 90 Days

The early post-launch phase is full of challenges that even well-prepared businesses often encounter. It’s important to be aware of these common pitfalls so you can mitigate them proactively. Below are some of the typical issues that plague apps in their first few months:

Low Initial User Retention

As the stats above showed, user retention tends to be brutal early on. Many users try an app once and never return. An analysis by Apptentive found the average 90-day retention for mobile apps is only 20–30%, meaning 70–80% of users drop off within about three months. It’s not unusual to see a big dip in active users after the “honeymoon” of launch day. This attrition can happen even with significant downloads or press coverage at launch – users show up, but many don’t stick.

The reasons vary, from lack of perceived value, to simple forgetfulness, to better alternatives in the market. Expectation vs. reality plays a role here: if the app’s actual experience doesn’t live up to the hype or solves a less important problem than users hoped, they won’t return. The first 90 days are essentially a race to prove your app’s value proposition and get users “hooked” before they churn. Apps that fail to communicate their core value quickly often fall victim to this early retention cliff.

Poor Onboarding Experience

One frequent culprit for low retention is a confusing or tedious onboarding. If users find it hard to sign up, learn the interface, or achieve something meaningful on first use, they may abandon the app. Remember, users decide within the first 3-7 days (or even minutes) whether an app is worth their time. A seamless onboarding that showcases key features and guides the user is critical.

Common pitfalls include asking for too many permissions upfront, requiring account creation before any value is shown, or dumping a new user into a blank screen with no guidance. Such onboarding mistakes contribute heavily to the statistic that 88% of users are less likely to return after a bad user experience. In the initial weeks, watch the funnel metrics for onboarding (e.g. percentage of users who sign up successfully, complete first key action, etc.). If you notice drop-offs at specific steps, it’s a sign the onboarding flow needs immediate improvement.

Bugs, Crashes, and Performance Issues

No matter how much QA testing you do, real users will inevitably find glitches once the app is in the wild. Technical issues are a top reason for early uninstallations. In the first 90 days, you’ll likely encounter unexpected crashes, slow load times under real-world conditions, or compatibility problems on certain devices. If your app falters when users try to use it, expect retention to plummet. It’s critical to have monitoring in place (crash analytics, performance tracking) from launch day and to be ready to push hotfixes quickly.

Users are unforgiving with new apps – and a buggy experience is often the trigger for that uninstall. To avoid this pitfall, prioritize stability and speed improvements in your first updates. Even a quick patch in week 1 or 2 can save a chunk of users and show the community that you’re responsive.

Lack of Feature Engagement / “One-and-Done” Usage

Another challenge is that users might not be engaging deeply with your app’s features. Perhaps they tried one aspect of the app and never discovered other functionality, or they used it for a single task and felt no need to return. For instance, in a fitness app, maybe many users complete the initial assessment but don’t start a workout plan, indicating they aren’t reaching the app’s “aha moment.”

This ties back to measuring feature usage analytics. If you find that a core feature isn’t being used as expected in the first month, it could signal usability issues or misalignment with user needs. There’s a classic finding that only a small slice of app users drive the majority of engagement, and many others drop off after fulfilling a one-time need (Research Shows Huge Growth in Millennial use of Mobile Apps | Dogtown Media). Combating this requires identifying the hooks that make your app valuable long-term (e.g. daily streaks, new content, reminders) and making sure new users encounter those hooks early. It’s a pitfall if your app fails to demonstrate reasons for continued use.

App Store Discoverability and Competitive Pressure

The first 90 days aren’t just about the users you have – it’s also about ensuring a steady flow of new users to replace those who churn (at least until retention stabilizes). Here, the challenge is getting noticed in overcrowded app marketplaces. There are over 8.9 million apps across the major app stores, so standing out is difficult. A pitfall for many businesses is assuming that “if we build it, users will come.”

In reality, without ongoing marketing and App Store Optimization (ASO), your app’s initial spike can fade fast. Moreover, competitors are constantly vying for user attention. If a rival app offers more features or better UX, early adopters might switch. Monitoring competitors’ moves and user reviews of competing apps in these early months can provide insight – perhaps users are leaving your app for a feature your product lacks, or a big player launched something similar that’s drawing away interest.

Being complacent about competition is dangerous in the first 90 days, when your user base is impressionable. Make sure you’re actively communicating your app’s unique value and differentiators during this time to withstand the competitive pressure.

Data Overload or Misinterpreting Early Data

An often overlooked challenge is how to interpret the flurry of data coming in. Early metrics can sometimes be volatile or misleading. For example, a surge of downloads due to a press mention might inflate your Week 1 numbers, only to crash later. Or a cohort of highly engaged beta users could skew the averages upward.

Businesses sometimes fall into the trap of chasing vanity metrics (like total downloads) instead of focusing on meaningful ones (like retention and engagement). It’s important to contextualize the data from the first few months and look for trends rather than single-point metrics. Additionally, ensure you have analytics set up properly; mis-tracking events or KPIs can lead to wrong conclusions about user behavior.

The pitfall here is either drowning in too much data without insights, or cherry-picking stats that paint a rosy picture while ignoring fundamental issues (like poor retention). Combat this by defining what success looks like ahead of time (e.g. “We aim for at least 15% Day-30 retention, and an upward trend after each update”) and measure against that, rather than making ad-hoc interpretations of the numbers.

Ignoring User Feedback

In the rush of launch, some teams focus solely on quantitative metrics and ignore qualitative feedback. This is a mistake. User feedback (from app reviews, support emails, social media, etc.) in the first 90 days often highlights exactly what needs to be fixed or improved. If you see multiple users complaining about a particular issue or requesting a certain feature, that’s a clear signal. A pitfall is to brush off these early feedback points as outliers or “edge cases.”

In reality, early adopter feedback can be gold – these users are invested enough to tell you what’s wrong. We’ll dive more into feedback in the next section, but suffice to say that failing to listen to users early on is a recipe for disaster. The ones who do voice complaints are giving you a chance to make things right. Don’t ignore that chance.

Expect the first 90 days to be a rollercoaster. You’ll likely see great enthusiasm at launch, followed by some level of user drop-off and issues arising that you hadn’t anticipated. Anticipating these pitfalls – from retention free-fall to technical fires to user disengagement – can help you respond faster. The companies that succeed are those that treat Day 1 of launch as the beginning of a learning process, not the end. Next, we’ll discuss how to harness those learnings by gathering feedback and iterating rapidly.

The Importance of User Feedback and Iterative Development

One of the most important activities in the first few months of launch is listening to your users and continuously improving your app. No matter how much market research or beta testing you did, real users will surprise you with how they use (or don’t use) your app. Embracing an agile development mindset – where you release updates frequently and adapt based on feedback – is crucial during this period. Here’s why user feedback and iteration should be front and center:

User Feedback is a Reality Check

Early feedback provides context behind the numbers. Analytics might tell you what users are doing, but feedback tells you why. For example, if you observe many users dropping off after a certain step in your app, feedback might reveal that a button was hard to find or a feature was confusing. User feedback offers qualitative insights that pure analytics can’t provide – it sheds light on user frustrations, desires, and motivations in their own words. During the first 90 days, set up multiple channels to capture these insights: in-app feedback prompts, customer support channels, social media listening, and app store review monitoring.

Actively encourage users to share their thoughts. Not only does this make users feel heard, but it uncovers specific issues and ideas for improvement. Some successful app teams even reach out to early users personally or conduct quick user interviews in this phase. The goal is to learn as much as possible about how real users perceive your product. Remember, only about 1 in 26 unhappy customers will complain – the rest leave without a word. So treasure the feedback you do get, and go seek it out.

Agile Iteration Yields Quick Wins

With feedback in hand, the next step is to iterate. Adopting an agile approach means pushing out updates on a frequent cadence (often every 1-2 weeks for a new app) rather than waiting months to make changes. These updates can include bug fixes, UX tweaks, performance improvements, and small feature additions. The first 90 days is not the time to sit back – it’s the time to refine your product-market fit. Many top apps attribute their success to rapid iteration post-launch.

For instance, a study by Apptentive/Alchemer found that apps which proactively engage users and iterate can achieve 90-day retention rates up to 58% (double the industry average). In fact, users who felt “heard” (through in-app prompts like a quick survey or a “Love this app?” dialog) had retention jump to 79% in 90 days. Those numbers underscore the payoff of iterative improvement: each update that addresses a user pain point can keep more people around. Businesses should be prepared to treat their initial launch as a soft launch, followed by continuous improvements.

Incorporating agile development methodologies – like doing quick sprints focused on the most pressing feedback – can dramatically improve your app in a short time. A flexible, iterative approach is beneficial even in complex sectors like healthcare, where requirements are strict; being agile allowed teams to adapt to user needs while still meeting regulations (Benefits of Agile in Healthcare Apps | Dogtown Media)). In short, agility is an asset in any industry when it comes to evolving your app post-launch.

Closing the Feedback Loop Builds Goodwill

It’s not enough just to quietly implement improvements – let your users know you’ve heard them. When you release an update that fixes a bug or adds a requested feature, communicate it in the release notes, or even better, via a direct message to affected users if possible. This practice of closing the loop with users can turn skeptics into fans.

If a user complained in an App Store review and you address it quickly, they might update their review or at least gain trust in your brand. Early adopters often have outsized influence (they may be active on forums or social media), so winning them over through responsiveness can amplify positive word-of-mouth. In an era where 43% of organizations lack processes to make UX decisions based on user feedback, simply showing that you are not in that bucket – that you do listen and act – can set you apart.

Consider adding an in-app message like “Thanks to your feedback, we’ve improved X in this update!” during the first months. It humanizes the development process and makes users feel like partners in the app’s journey. This goodwill translates into higher engagement and retention because users perceive that the app is only getting better (and that their input can shape it).

Using Analytics to Guide Iteration

Feedback is crucial, but pairing it with data makes it even more powerful. In the first 90 days, you should establish a habit of data-driven iteration. This means forming hypotheses from user feedback, then validating them with analytics after you make a change. For example, users say onboarding is confusing, so you simplify it in an update – then watch if Day-1 and Day-7 retention improve in the following weeks.

Modern app analytics can even enable A/B testing to try different solutions and see what works best. Ssuccessful app companies treat analytics like a “compass” for their roadmap, ensuring they build the right features in response to user needs (How to Use Analytics for Better Mobile App Features). An iterative cycle in the first 90 days might look like: release -> collect feedback/data -> refine -> release again. Embracing this cycle prevents stagnation and helps you zero in on product-market fit.

It’s much easier to adjust course in month 1 or 2 than after a year of building the wrong features. In essence, user feedback + rapid iteration = continuous improvement. Many apps that we consider big successes today went through numerous iterations and even directional changes in their first few months based on what they learned from their users.

In-App Feedback Mechanisms

On a practical note, it’s wise to build in-app feedback channels right from launch. This could be as simple as a “Send Feedback” option in your menu or as proactive as a prompt asking “How do you like the app so far?” after a few days of use. Having an in-app survey or feedback form can dramatically increase the volume of feedback you get, because it removes friction (the user doesn’t have to leave the app to give input).

Approaches like in-app feedback prompts, surveys, and even monitoring support chats are effective ways to gather user insights continuously. The first 90 days are a perfect time to experiment with these channels. For example, you might prompt users who have used the app 5 times in the first week to rate their experience or suggest improvements. Just be cautious to prompt at the right moments and not too often (you don’t want to annoy users).

When done thoughtfully, these mechanisms can surface both quick fixes and big ideas that guide your next steps. Many successful apps attribute their early improvements to things they learned via such feedback channels – sometimes uncovering unexpected use cases that lead to new features.

Treating your early users as collaborators rather than just customers can dramatically improve your app’s fortunes. By gathering customer feedback (How to Start a Healthcare App: A Step-by-Step Guide) and iterating in an agile way, you not only fix problems faster but also forge a positive relationship with your user base. The first 90 days should be a period of intense learning and improvement. Every week is an opportunity to make the app better than it was the week before. Next, we’ll look at how to keep users coming in and engaged through smart marketing and engagement tactics after launch.

Marketing and User Acquisition Tactics Post-Launch

Your app’s launch day might have been accompanied by a burst of PR, existing customer announcements, or app store featuring – which is great for an initial user boost. However, post-launch marketing is just as important to sustain momentum. In the first 90 days, you can’t rely on “build it and they will come.” A plan for continuous user acquisition and engagement marketing needs to kick in immediately after launch buzz subsides. Here’s what businesses should focus on:

App Store Optimization (ASO)

Ensuring your app is discoverable in the App Store and Google Play is fundamental. In the early days, you’ll be gathering data on which keywords users search to find your app, what your conversion rate is (views to installs), etc. Optimize your app listing – title, description, screenshots, and keywords – based on this data. For example, if you notice more traffic when you include “habit tracker” in your description, make sure it’s prominent.

Ratings and reviews also heavily influence ASO, so as mentioned, keep those high by addressing issues quickly. Early on, even a dozen thoughtful reviews can make a difference in how your app is ranked in certain searches. Regularly update your listing with any new features or accolades in the first 90 days. The app stores often favor apps that show active support and updates (which is another reason those agile updates help).

ASO is a slow burn strategy, but starting on day one means that by day ninety, you’ll have gradually improved your search positioning to capture organic installs. Since the majority of app discovery (especially for younger users) still happens via app store search, this is one post-launch marketing tactic you can’t skip.

Targeted User Acquisition Campaigns

If budget permits, consider running targeted ad campaigns to attract more users beyond the early adopters. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Google UAC (Universal App Campaigns) allow you to promote your app to specific demographics or interests. In the first 90 days, you might run a few small campaigns as experiments: e.g., test different ad creatives or messages to see what resonates.

Keep a close eye on Cost Per Install (CPI) and the quality of users acquired (do they retain at rates similar to organic users?). According to recent industry data, the average CPI on popular channels ranges from around $2 to $4 (e.g., about $2.88 on TikTok and $3.75 on Facebook, globally), but it varies widely by category and region. Use these campaigns not only to boost your numbers but to learn which messaging yields engaged users.

For instance, you may find that users acquired with an ad highlighting Feature A retained twice as well as those acquired with an ad highlighting Feature B – indicating Feature A might be your stronger selling point. Also, if you have a web presence or email list, promote the app there continuously (“Now that you’ve signed up on our site, download the app for the full experience!”). Every user touchpoint is an opportunity to drive app installs in these early months.

Push Notifications and Re-Engagement

Marketing to users who have already downloaded your app is equally vital. Push notifications, when used judiciously, can bring back users who might otherwise forget about your app after the first week. In fact, studies show that users who enable push notifications have significantly higher retention; one analysis found users engaging weekly have a 90% chance of sticking around long-term. In the first 90 days, you should implement a basic push notification strategy: reminders, useful content, or personalized nudges based on their activity.

For example, if someone hasn’t opened the app in 7 days, send a friendly note like “We’ve added new workouts, jump back in!” (assuming yours is a fitness app). However, be very careful with frequency and relevance – one of the top reasons 28% of users uninstall apps is excessive ads or notifications. So this is about finding balance. Also consider email or SMS as re-engagement channels if you collected user contact info at sign-up.

A well-timed “We miss you – here’s what’s new!” email in the early period can win back lapsed users. Essentially, you want to extend multiple “invitations” for users to return and experience the value again, especially during that volatile first-month window. When done right, these owned-media outreach efforts can improve your Day-30 or Day-60 retention significantly.

Content Marketing & Community Building

Beyond direct advertising, growing an engaged user community and producing valuable content can drive both acquisition and retention. In the first 90 days, consider creating content that helps users get more out of your app – for example, blog posts, tutorials, or short videos demonstrating tips and tricks. Share these on your social media and within the app if possible. This not only helps existing users discover features they might have missed, but also improves your SEO (if someone searches for solutions related to your app’s domain, they might find your content and subsequently your app).

Moreover, if you can facilitate some form of community interaction, even externally (like a subreddit, Discord server, or regular live Q&A), you start to build brand loyalty and belonging. Apps with thriving user communities benefit from higher engagement and organic growth via word-of-mouth. In the early going, your community might be small – maybe it’s a dozen power users who comment on your posts or give feedback – but nurturing that group can pay dividends.

They often become evangelists who bring in others. For example, a fintech app might host weekly X Spaces discussing personal finance, attracting both current users and interested prospects to join the conversation and download the app. The key is to position your app as more than just software – it’s the center of a topic or problem space that people care about.

Promotions, Referrals, and Incentives

To spur growth in the first 90 days, many companies run limited-time promotions or introduce referral programs. A promotion could be a launch special – say, a free month of premium features for those who download early, or a contest/giveaway tied to app usage. These tactics can create urgency and reward early adopters for engaging. Referral programs (where users get a benefit for inviting friends) can also amplify your acquisition.

For example, a mobile banking app might give $5 to both the referrer and referee when the new user signs up. If your app lends itself to virality or sharing (even indirectly via social features or content), lean into that. The first 90 days are a prime time to experiment with these incentives because you’re trying to reach a critical mass of users that makes your app more valuable (many apps become more useful with more users or data). Just ensure that whatever incentives you offer align with your long-term value – you want to acquire users who stick around because they find genuine value, not just ones who are there for a one-time reward.

That said, a well-executed referral or bonus campaign can jumpstart growth. Remember the success of early tech companies with referral bonuses (like PayPal’s famous $10 referral in its early days) – it’s costly, but if the lifetime value of a retained user is high, it can be worth it. Track the ROI of any such campaigns: e.g., users from referral might have better retention due to the friend effect, which could justify continuing the program.

Monitoring Acquisition Channels and Cohort Quality

As you diversify your marketing efforts (ASO, ads, content, referrals, PR, etc.), keep a close eye on which channels bring in the most valuable users. In the first 90 days, you can perform cohort analysis by acquisition source. For instance, perhaps users who came from a niche forum have 30% Day-30 retention, whereas those from a mass advertising campaign have only 10%. This might lead you to double down on community-driven marketing and reduce broad ads spend. It’s not just about quantity (number of installs) but quality (long-term users).

This ties back to the earlier point from Harvard Business Review that acquiring a new customer can cost 5 to 25 times more than retaining an existing one. If you notice one channel yields higher retention, that means lower effective cost per retained user – likely a better investment. Being data-driven in your marketing allocation, even in these early days, prevents wasting budget on hollow installs.

The beauty of digital channels is that you’ll have data quickly. By the end of 90 days, you should have a rough sense of your customer acquisition cost (CAC) from various sources and which cohorts are worth it. This sets you up to refine your marketing strategy moving forward (perhaps focusing on a few high-performing channels). Pivot your marketing spend as needed just like you pivot product features – the sooner you stop what isn’t working and funnel resources into what is, the stronger your app’s user base will grow.

Ultimately, marketing an app is an ongoing effort, not a one-time push. The first 90 days are about finding your footing – both in retaining existing users and attracting new ones in a cost-effective way. By combining strong engagement tactics (push, email, community) with smart user acquisition tactics (ASO, targeted ads, referrals), you cover both sides of the growth equation. Businesses that actively market their app after launch, rather than taking a “wait and see” approach, generally fare better in building a stable user base. That user base, in turn, provides more feedback, more word-of-mouth, and more revenue opportunities to sustain your app.

Planning Updates and Knowing When to Pivot

As the first 90 days draw to a close, you should have a wealth of data and feedback about your app’s performance. This is the time to take stock of what you’ve learned and make strategic decisions about the app’s future development. In particular, businesses often face a fork in the road: double down on the current direction with planned updates, or consider a larger pivot if things aren’t working out. Here’s how to approach this critical juncture:

Assessing the Data Holistically

Around the 3-month mark, do an honest review of your key metrics against the goals or expectations you set. How does your retention look now compared to day 7 or 30? Is it leveling off at a reasonable percentage, or still declining? What is the active user count trend line? Are there signs of a growing core user base (even if small) that loves the app, or are most users churning quickly?

Look at user feedback patterns: have the major complaints from week 1 been resolved, and has the nature of feedback evolved to more positive or more feature-focused (which can indicate users want more, rather than being unhappy with what is)? Also, evaluate any north-star metric specific to your app’s purpose – for example, if you have a marketplace app, did transactions grow each week?

If a fitness app, are users increasingly completing workouts? These tell you if the app is delivering on its core value. By day 90, you should see at least some positive momentum on one or two important fronts (even if others need work). If all metrics are flat or negative despite your efforts, that is a warning sign. On the flip side, if you see strong engagement from a subset of users or a particular feature, that is an encouraging sign to further invest in that area.

Scheduling Regular Updates

Assuming you’re not completely pivoting away, plan out your next phase of updates using what you’ve learned. In the mobile app world, consistent updates are a hallmark of successful apps, especially in the first year. Even beyond the 90-day window, aim to maintain a frequent update schedule (e.g. bi-weekly or monthly).

This keeps the app fresh, squashes lingering bugs, and adds enhancements that keep users excited. It also signals to anyone checking your app listing that the app is actively maintained (which can improve downloads). By now, you likely have a roadmap of features – prioritize it based on user impact and feedback. Perhaps in the first 90 days you focused on fixes and small tweaks; now you can tackle a bigger feature that users requested or an expansion that you believe will drive growth.

Also, consider seasonal opportunities – if month 4-6 after launch includes a holiday and your app could do a seasonal promotion or content update, plan it. The key is to avoid going dormant after that initial flurry. Many apps make the mistake of a big 1.0 launch and then slow down on improvements. Instead, treat the first 90 days as just phase one of an ongoing rollout. Internally, you might even label the launch version as an MVP (minimum viable product) and line up a Version 1.1, 1.2, 2.0 etc., based on everything you’ve learned. Your early adopters will appreciate that the app continues to evolve and improve in the months following launch.

Recognizing the Signs for a Pivot

Sometimes, despite best efforts, the data might show that the current approach isn’t achieving the desired traction. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but better to recognize it early. Signs that you may need to consider a pivot include: extremely low retention that isn’t improving (e.g. if you’re still seeing <5% 30-day retention after multiple updates), user feedback indicating that the core concept isn’t solving a big problem or that another problem seems more pressing, or perhaps market changes (maybe a big competitor entered and is dominating the space, or user behavior shifted).

If the fundamental value proposition seems weak, a pivot could mean changing some aspect of your product strategy – targeting a new user segment, refocusing on a different core feature, or even repurposing the technology for a different use case. It doesn’t necessarily mean scrapping everything; it often means repositioning. For example, an app that started as a consumer fitness tracker might discover through early feedback that its tech is more valued by coaches and decide to pivot to a B2B coaching platform.

In other words, pivoting is not a mark of failure but often a step on the path to success. Hard pivots typically happen within the first year of a startup’s life, frequently around the 6 to 12-month mark once enough data has accumulated. If you already sense by month 3 that something fundamental isn’t working, it may be time to start planning a course correction.

How to Pivot Thoughtfully

If you decide a pivot is in order, communicate with stakeholders and possibly with your user community (depending on how drastic the change is). Use the learnings from those first 90 days to inform the new direction. Maybe pivot by emphasizing a feature that got unexpectedly high engagement while de-emphasizing or removing parts that users didn’t care about.

This can feel scary, but it’s often better than sticking with a failing approach out of stubbornness. Weigh the costs: if your user base is still small and you pivot, you have little to lose and potentially a lot to gain. Many top apps today are the result of pivots in their infancy. A classic example is Instagram, which began as a location-based check-in app called Burbn; early data showed users mainly liked the photo-sharing aspect, so the team stripped everything else away and pivoted to focus solely on photos – the rest is history.

While your pivot may not be that dramatic, embracing change based on evidence is healthy. It’s also possible to do a partial pivot, where you adjust your positioning or target audience without completely overhauling the product. For instance, maybe your app is resonating mostly with a niche group – you could pivot your marketing to focus on that group rather than mass-market, effectively pivoting your go-to-market strategy more than the product. The first 90 days likely gave you hints about who finds the most value in your app; use that to refine your approach moving forward.

Scaling Up What’s Working

On a more positive note, if your app is hitting its early goals, then the 90-day mark is a time to plan how to scale up. Perhaps you achieved a 25% 90-day retention (which is relatively strong) and active users are climbing – now you need to ensure your backend and support can scale to more users. It might be time to invest more in marketing now that you have proof of concept with a smaller group.

Also, consider new features or revenue models once the core usage is solid. Some apps hold off on monetization (like introducing subscriptions or in-app purchases) in the very early phase to maximize user growth. If retention looks good by month 3, you could test monetization strategies on top of your user base in months 4-6. Just make sure any changes (like adding a paywall or ads) are introduced carefully and don’t alienate your early loyal users. Alternatively, if a certain feature or user segment is shining, allocate more resources to that.

For example, suppose you launched a productivity app with various tools, and you discover that 80% of usage is in the team collaboration feature rather than the personal to-do list. You might then focus your next updates on collaboration enhancements and market the app more as a team productivity tool. In essence, invest where you see traction. Those first 90 days might reveal your app’s most valuable features or user groups, and doubling down on them can accelerate your success. Data-driven scaling is far more efficient than blind growth – you now have data to justify where to pour fuel on the fire.

Maintaining an Agile Mindset

Whether you decide to stay the course or pivot, keep the same agile, feedback-driven mindset beyond 90 days. The truth is, the app ecosystem is always evolving. User needs change, technology changes, and new competitors emerge. The habits you establish in the first three months – measuring metrics, talking to users, frequently updating – should continue as your app matures. Many businesses find that the “post-launch” phase is really perpetual. In mobile, an app is never truly finished. Even successful apps continuously refine their UX and roll out improvements (sometimes these are subtle, other times major redesigns or rebrands).

By treating the first 90 days as the foundation of a long-term, iterative process, you set your team up for ongoing innovation. A year from launch, you might look back and be amazed at how far the app has come – possibly a very different product thanks to all the adjustments. That evolution is a sign of a healthy product development lifecycle. So do a retro at 90 days, pat yourselves on the back for victories, learn from the missteps, and carry those lessons forward.

Moving Forward Past 90 Days

The first 90 days after launching an app are a whirlwind of learning and adaptation for any business. It’s a period where the rubber meets the road – where real users interact with your product in unpredictable ways, and where data pours in to either validate or challenge your initial assumptions. By focusing on key metrics like retention, active users, and churn, you gain a clear view of your app’s health. By anticipating common pitfalls – from low retention to technical hiccups – you can respond proactively rather than reactively. Through listening to user feedback and iterating quickly in an agile fashion, you continuously align the app closer to what users want, turning early adopters into loyal fans. And with persistent marketing and engagement efforts, you ensure that growth doesn’t stagnate after launch but instead picks up steam as you refine your outreach and acquisition channels.

In these early months, perhaps the most important thing to expect is a need for flexibility. The plan you had at launch will likely change – and that’s okay. The companies that thrive are those that remain data-driven and user-centric, whether that means doubling down on a successful formula or bravely pivoting when the writing is on the wall. Remember that almost every successful app or startup has gone through twists and turns in its journey; what matters is using the knowledge gained in those first 90 days to make the next 90 days (and the 90 after that) even better.

Finally, keep in mind that launching the app was just the starting gun. True success comes from the continuous marathon of improvements and user growth that follows. By building a strong foundation in the first three months – watching metrics, engaging your community, improving rapidly, and adjusting strategy when needed – you set your mobile app up for long-term success. Stay committed to your mobile strategy and keep the user at the heart of every decision. The first 90 days will fly by, but the insights you gain will guide your app for years to come, helping transform an initial product launch into a sustainable, thriving digital venture.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What key metrics should I track during the first 90 days after launching my app?

You should closely monitor user retention rates, churn rates, daily and monthly active users (DAU/MAU), app store ratings, and user feedback to measure early success and identify issues promptly.

2. What common pitfalls should businesses expect after an app launch?

Businesses commonly face low initial user retention, onboarding problems, performance issues like bugs and crashes, poor app discoverability, and underestimating competition in the early stages after launching their app.

3. How important is user feedback in the first 90 days post-launch?

User feedback is critical during the first 90 days because it provides qualitative insights that analytics alone cannot. Acting quickly on feedback helps improve user experience, retention, and overall app success.

4. What marketing strategies should I use immediately after my app launch?

Implement app store optimization (ASO), targeted user acquisition campaigns, push notifications, content marketing, community building, and referral incentives to maintain steady user growth after launch.

5. When should I consider making updates or pivoting my app strategy?

Updates should happen regularly based on user feedback and analytics. Consider pivoting your strategy if key metrics indicate persistent problems, user retention remains low, or market conditions significantly change.