Netta Lev Sadeh, AppsFlyer EMEA-SANI MD.
Android users in South Africa are clearing their phone storage at an alarming rate, uninstalling apps twice as fast as the global average, according to a new report from AppsFlyer.
While the average app in the world lasts around two months, South Africans typically abandon an app within a month.
This report monitored 4 billion installs of apps with uninstall functionality from January 2022 to December 2023. Uninstall rate was calculated by dividing the number of uninstalls within 30 days of an app's download by the total number of installs.
The report revealed that South Africa's uninstall rate was 58%, 7% higher than the global average. According to the report, Android users account for 85% of the market share in South Africa, while iOS users account for 16% of the market share.
The company says it doesn't have statistics for iOS because iOS uninstall tracking has been limited since iOS 15.
According to AppsFlyer, uninstall rates in South Africa are high due to the abundance of apps available, a disconnect between marketing promises and user experience, and impulsive installations such as installing “free trial” apps. These include increased concerns about behavior, smartphone storage constraints, and data privacy. , data costs are high.
The report highlights that the global uninstall rate for apps downloaded within 30 days through marketing efforts is 92%, higher than the 66% uninstall rate for apps that are discovered naturally. Masu.
Organic installs refer to users discovering and installing your app through free channels, while non-organic installs include acquiring users through paid channels such as social media ads.
“Although organic installs are often considered more valuable because they represent a user's genuine interest in your app rather than due to external marketing efforts, the importance of non-organic installs cannot be ignored. ” explains Netta Lev Sadeh of AppFyler.
In terms of non-organic uninstall rates, social media apps lead the way at 92.42%, followed closely by dating apps at 84.60%. In other categories, non-organic uninstall rates were 70.75% for shopping apps, 73.56% for entertainment apps, and 77.67% for photo and video apps.
By comparison, naturally installed social media apps have an uninstall rate of 65.91%, followed by lifestyle apps at 68.78% and dating apps at 71.79%.
“High 30-day uninstall rates for dating apps can be explained by a lack of patience on the part of users or the idea that in this post-corona era, people are starting to return to old habits, namely face-to-face interactions. ” says AppsFlyer. .
In response to these challenges, AppsFlyer helps app developers measure uninstalls, prioritize first impressions, maintain app engagement, prioritize privacy and security, and educate users before they download an app. We suggest that you notify us.
Sadeh also suggested that strategies could include app developers and internet service providers working together to develop zero-rated apps where certain apps don't consume data, and optimizing network infrastructure. .
“It's easier to delete apps you don't currently use and reinstall them if necessary than to keep them on your phone as they can impact data consumption. For change to happen. , will require major infrastructure changes that will lower data costs for end users,” concluded Sadeh.