The amount of time spent on an app and the number of times a user goes back to an app in a day are two key metrics to better understand the stickiness of an app. If a new feature is rolled out, one of the best ways to identify if it has worked is to check how long users are accessing it, and how many times they come back to it.
Session length can be an important indicator of user enjoyment, and many apps strive to keep users on their app for longer to get them more engaged and to watch more ads. If a user comes back to an app multiple times a day, it shows the content or service provided is of value to them.
Both session length and number of sessions can both be dependant on the app category, with gaming apps far more likely to keep users for longer than finance or utility apps. A social app, such as TikTok or Instagram, is going to be opened far more times in a day than a food delivery app.
But there are ways to improve the amount of time spent on an app and the number of times an app is opened, regardless of the app category. Push notifications reminding users of unfinished tasks and new updates, alongside additional services provided once a user has been on the app for a certain length of time or completed a task.
Duolingo is one of the key examples of this, providing users with more experience points after completing a level, this pushes competitive players to continue learning.
We have collected data on app sessions. Read on below to find out more.
App Sessions Key Statistics
- North America has the highest average length of session by region at 21.8 minutes per session
- Latin America has the lowest average length of session by region at 16.9 minutes per session
- Games have the highest average length of session by category at over 30 minutes per session
- Finance apps have the lowest average length of session by category at just over six minutes per session
- The highest average session by region and category is North America and food & drink, with the average session lasting over 50 minutes
- The number of daily sessions on an app declines heavily after day one, with the average dropping from 1.6 to 0.22 sessions per day
- Social apps have the highest number of daily sessions, while food & drink have the lowest
