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…
I keep forgetting about the Apple Watch Series 9’s coolest feature
Apps on the Apple Watch Series 9's screen.

I’m just going to come out and say it: I love the Apple Watch Series 9. A couple of weeks ago, I returned to wearing it every day after an extended period of not doing so. And you know what? I was surprised by how much I’d missed it.

But one thing has bothered me this time around: There's a feature I haven't been using. Not because it’s bad, but because I tend to forget it's there.
Effortless to own and wear

Read more
3 foldable phone deals you should seriously consider today
The Google Pixel Fold with the screen open.

For those who are thinking about getting a foldable phone, we've rounded up three foldable phone deals for you to consider as your next purchase. Motorola is currently selling the Motorola Razr at $200 off, which brings its price down to $500 from $700, and the Motorola Razr Plus at $300 off, which lowers its price to $700 from $1,000. Meanwhile, the Google Pixel Fold is available from Best Buy with a $500 discount that slashes its price to $1,299 from $1,799. You can be sure that you won't regret purchasing any of these devices because they're all included in our roundup of the best folding phones, but you need to hurry because the offers may expire at any moment.
Motorola Razr -- $500, was $700

The Motorola Razr features a 1.5-inch external OLED display and a 6.9-inch Full HD+ internal pOLED display, with decent performance provided by its Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 processor and 8GB of RAM. It's got a 64MP main camera and a 13MP wide-angle camera at the back, plus a 32MP selfie camera inside. The folding phone features a metal chassis that's surrounded by soft but durable leather, and it folds without a gap.

Read more
The OnePlus 12R is still one of 2024’s best smartphone deals
OnePlus 12R Genshin Impact Edition in hand.

OnePlus is still quite new to me, as I was a lifelong iPhone user until I joined Digital Trends. However, OnePlus has a pretty solid reputation in the mobile world, and now I can see why, as the OnePlus 12 is one of my favorite smartphones that I’ve used so far this year.

But the OnePlus 12 isn’t the only phone that OnePlus launched in 2024. There is also the more affordable value option, the OnePlus 12R, which even comes in a cool Genshin Impact Edition.

Read more