Skip to main content

Are you a rarity? Only 16 percent of people will try out an app more than twice

iphone-app-screen
Image used with permission by copyright holder

For most of us, when apps first made their way to the market, it was an exciting new phone feature most of us had never imagined. And the rush from downloading a slew of these apps was exhilarating. But then, there was always that moment of disappointment when one of the new downloads didn’t live up to our expectations or, worse, were riddled with bugs.

It’s surprising when we come across buggy apps, considering the vast popularity of apps in the mobile world. As TechCrunch recently reported, technology analysts at Compuware found that mobile apps are still the preferred means of connecting for most users over mobile websites, with 85 percent choosing the former over the latter. The company found that the majority of people feel that apps are a much more efficient means of connecting with a brand. (Though who knows? Responsive websites may help shift that opinion, though that won’t likely happen anytime soon.)

That being said, there is major incentive for companies to do thorough testing on apps prior to their release. While 79 percent of users will give apps a second chance after it failed to impress them on the first go, that number plummets to just 16 percent that will go back for a third attempt.

Compuware found that, after surveying more than 3,500 the majority of mobile users have encountered app issues in the recent past, citing issues such as freezing, crashing, slow launches, not launching, and just not living up to the users’ expectations.

To boot, the study also showed that anywhere from 80 to 90 percent of all downloaded apps are used once and then eventually deleted by users. Talk about pressure for developers! This means, not only do they have to produce a bug-free app, but the app has to hook users immediately. Granted, developers will have already made money from the initial download, if the app wasn’t free, but they’ll lose out on any potential future in-app sales, which, as we’ve found out recently, can be extremely lucrative.

What are your biggest app pet peeves?

Editors' Recommendations

Joshua Pramis
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Spending a childhood engrossed in such technologically inspiring television shows like Voltron, Small Wonder, and Power…
AT&T just made it a lot easier to upgrade your phone
AT&T Storefront with logo.

Do you want to upgrade your phone more than once a year? What about three times a year? Are you on AT&T? If you answered yes to those questions, then AT&T’s new “Next Up Anytime” early upgrade program is made for you. With this add-on, you’ll be able to upgrade your phone three times a year for just $10 extra every month. It will be available starting July 16.

Currently, AT&T has its “Next Up” add-on, which has been available for the past several years. This program costs $6 extra per month and lets you upgrade by trading in your existing phone after at least half of it is paid off. But the new Next Up Anytime option gives you some more flexibility.

Read more
Motorola is selling unlocked smartphones for just $150 today
Someone holding the Moto G Stylus 5G (2024).

Have you been looking for phone deals but don’t want to spend a ton of money on flagship devices from Apple and Samsung? Have you ever considered investing in an unlocked Motorola? For a limited time, the company is offering a $100 markdown on the Motorola Moto G 5G. It can be yours for just $150, and your days and nights of phone-shopping will finally be over!

Why you should buy the Motorola Moto G 5G
Powered by the Snapdragon 480+ 5G CPU and 4GB of RAM, the Moto G delivers exceptional performance across the board. From UI navigation to apps, games, and camera functions, you can expect fast load times, next to no buffering, and smooth animations. You’ll also get up to 128GB of internal storage that you’ll be able to use for photos, videos, music, and any other mobile content you can store locally. 

Read more
The Nokia 3210 is the worst phone I’ve used in 2024
A person holding the Nokia 3210, showing the screen.

Where do I even start with the Nokia 3210? Not the original, which was one of the coolest phones to own back in a time when Star Wars: Episode 1 -- The Phantom Menace wasn’t even a thing, but the latest 2024 reissue that has come along to save us all from digital overload, the horror of social media, and the endless distraction that is the modern smartphone.

Except behind this facade of marketing-friendly do-goodery hides a weapon of torture, a device so foul that I’d rather sit through multiple showings of Jar Jar Binks and the gang hopelessly trying to bring back the magic of A New Hope than use it.
The Nokia 3210 really is that bad

Read more