Most Apps Get Deleted Within a Week Of Last Use

It’s pretty common for smartphone users to quickly discard apps.

From January-July 2018, Adjust analyzed 8 billion app installs worldwide and found that on average, apps get deleted in 5.8 days after they’re last used. Entertainment apps get uninstalled the quickest and, on average, lasted less than one day after last usage before they were removed.

There are many reasons why smartphone users abandon apps. Sometimes their phone’s storage is too full, and they’d rather delete their third ride-sharing app instead of their personal photos to free up space. Other times, apps get deleted because they’re buggy or they deplete battery life. The novelty of certain apps can wear off rather quickly, too.

Although these high churn levels are worrisome for many app publishers, Adjust’s study isn’t all bad news for those trying to bank off of apps. Adjust found that four in 10 users worldwide reinstall the apps they’ve deleted.

A similar study in May 2018 conducted by Tune found that about 30% of app downloads in North America were reinstalls.

For more on mobile marketing, check out our report on mobile app installs.