Every app founder, marketer, and startup team wants the same thing: more installs. So they do what seems obvious—pump more money into ads, redesign app icons, optimize keywords, launch TikToks, and push for downloads.
But here’s the brutal truth in 2025:
Most apps aren’t failing to grow because they aren’t doing enough…
They’re failing because they’re doing too much of the wrong thing: chasing cold installs.
Let that sink in. The one thing that’s killing your growth?
Obsessing over install volume at the expense of retention, trust, and user value.
Why Chasing Cold Installs Doesn’t Work Anymore
On the surface, the CPI (Cost Per Install) race seems like a game of numbers. Run a few ads, optimize your creative, drop your cost per install—and win. Right?
Not anymore. In 2025, the mobile ad ecosystem is saturated. CPIs are rising. Privacy restrictions limit tracking. And users are more ad-blind than ever before.
But most importantly, a cold install means nothing if the user leaves the next day.
According to Adjust, 80% of new users churn within 72 hours of installing an app. That means if you get 10,000 installs from paid ads…
only 2,000 might still have the app by the end of the week.
So what’s the fix?
Shift from Acquisition to Activation
Smart growth teams today don’t ask “How can I get more installs?”
They ask, “How do I keep the right users once I have them?”
Here’s what they do differently:
They don’t run ads without a tight onboarding plan. A good first-time user experience can double retention.
They use creative to target pain points, not just features. A user who relates to your message is more likely to stay.
They track Day 1, Day 7, and Day 30 retention—more than CPI. These are the metrics that matter for sustainable growth.
In short, they stop treating installs like the finish line—and start treating them like the starting point.
The Power of Pre-Qualified Installs
Let’s take two hypothetical app users:
User A clicks a flashy Instagram ad with vague promises, installs your app, opens it once, and forgets about it.
User B found your app through a user-generated video, learned about your value prop, saw reviews, and downloaded with intent.
Which user do you think sticks around?
Cold installs don’t convert. Pre-qualified users do.
Focus your efforts on educating, engaging, and building credibility before the install happens.
What You Should Be Doing Instead
1. Build warm traffic funnels
Don’t go straight to “Install Now” ads. Use top-of-funnel content like:
15-sec TikTok explainer videos
Carousel ads showing before/after scenarios
Creator-led walkthroughs
Then retarget engaged users with a call to install.
2. Make onboarding your secret weapon
Treat your onboarding like a sales funnel:
Cut friction
Highlight the “aha moment” in the first session
Personalize it based on where the user came from (ad campaign, region, etc.)
3. Retarget drop-offs early
If a user installs but doesn’t activate, don’t wait a week to reach out.
Use push notifications, emails, or in-app prompts to re-engage within 24–48 hours.
4. Track meaningful metrics
Instead of asking “How many installs did we get?” ask:
What’s our cost per activated user?
What’s our retention at Day 7 and Day 30?
What’s the LTV of each user segment?
What Winning Apps Are Doing Right Now
A meditation app recently slashed its install volume by 20%—but increased revenue by 63%.
How? They shifted focus from mass cold acquisition to:
Building a mini-content series on TikTok
Partnering with micro-influencers who actually used the app
A/B testing onboarding screens to get users to the first “win” within 2 minutes
The result? Fewer installs, but way more activated, retained, and paying users.
Final Thought
You don’t need more installs.
You need the right installs—users who understand your value, feel a connection, and are ready to stick around.
So if you’re serious about growth, do yourself a favor:
Stop chasing cold installs.
Start building meaningful connections.
And watch your app take off.