When it comes to mobile apps, getting users to download your product is just the first step. The real challenge is keeping them engaged and coming back for more. That’s where user stickiness comes into play. Simply put, application stickiness measures how frequently users return to your app and how much they interact with it.
If your app has high stickiness – well done, it means users are making it part of their daily routine, whether that’s messaging, browsing content, or completing daily challenges.
What Is User Stickiness & How to Measure it?
App stickiness is calculated using the DAU/MAU ratio (daily active users as a percentage of monthly active users). A higher ratio suggests that a significant portion of users are not just casually engaging but integrating the app into their daily routines. For example, a DAU/MAU ratio of 70% means that, on average, 7 out of 10 monthly users are using the app every day indicating strong habitual behavior, deeper engagement, and a higher likelihood of long-term retention. This metric is especially useful for benchmarking user engagement across different apps and categories.
Why Does Stickiness Matter?
One of the most common questions we hear is:
“Is increasing user engagement and stickiness considered retention or growth?”
The answer is: both. Boosting stickiness not only drives higher retention but also fuels growth by creating loyal users who naturally promote the app through word-of-mouth. Sticky apps maintain consistent engagement, which contributes to higher lifetime value (LTV) and lowers customer acquisition costs (CAC).
Real-World Examples of High User Stickiness
What makes an app habit-forming enough that users open it daily or even dozens of times a day? To understand how stickiness drives engagement and long-term growth, let’s take a closer look at some of the world’s most frequently used apps across different categories.
Social Media and Communication Apps
WhatsApp has one of the highest stickiness rates globally, with a DAU/MAU ratio of approximately 83%. On average, users open the app 930 times per month nearly 30 times a day. Its central role in daily communication, whether personal, group-based, or business-related, makes it indispensable.
Instagram keeps users coming back with its blend of visual content, stories, and Reels. With users opening the app 348 times per month on average, it shows how interactive features and social feedback loops can build strong usage habits.
TikTok is especially notable for session depth. While its DAU/MAU ratio is similar to Instagram at around 60%, users spend an average of 6 minutes per session, longer than most social platforms. Its personalized feed and viral content keep engagement consistently high.
Source: We Are Social USA, Digital 2024
Gaming Apps
Roblox demonstrates impressive engagement for a gaming platform, with an estimated DAU/MAU ratio of 22%. With 85 million daily users out of 380 million monthly users, the platform sees players collectively spending 4 to 5 billion hours per month. Its user-generated content and social play model drive strong return behavior.
Source: Roblox Active User Statistics (2025)
Candy Crush Saga maintains a DAU/MAU ratio in the 10–20% range, a solid figure for a mobile game over a decade old. Its high engagement is tied to consistent daily challenges, streak incentives, and simple but addictive game mechanics.
Source: Candy Crush Usage and Statistics (2025)
Business and Productivity Apps
Slack has become a daily essential in remote and hybrid workplaces. While users may stay connected all day, active usage exceeds 90 minutes daily. Its DAU/MAU ratio of around 60% reflects real-time messaging, channel collaboration, and integrations that keep people engaged.
Source: Slack Statistics (2025) – Revenue & Users Data
Microsoft Teams reached 320 million active users by 2024. Though daily usage metrics aren’t disclosed, Teams is heavily embedded in daily workflows thanks to its integration with Microsoft 365, support for messaging, meetings, and document collaboration.
Source: Microsoft Teams Statistics (2025)
How Phiture Helped Improve Stickiness
Headspace collaborated with Phiture to boost user retention through targeted CRM experiments. Using segmented messaging across push, in-app, and email channels, we increased paid conversions by 49% within a day, lifted Week 1 retention by 109%, and raised new user activation by 26%.
Read the full case study → Phiture x Headspace
Blinkist partnered with us to increase engagement through in-app messaging. One campaign drove a 90% click-through rate, resulting in a 3,220% increase in users adding a suggested book and a 4,367% increase in those starting to read it.
Discover how we did it → Phiture x Blinkist
A Common Thread: Habit, Utility, and Reinforcement
Across all these examples whether it’s a social app, a game, or a workplace tool one consistent theme stands out: sticky apps become part of a user’s routine by solving a recurring need and reinforcing engagement through smart product design.
Apps like WhatsApp and Slack serve essential, high-frequency purposes of communication and work that naturally drive daily usage. Instagram and TikTok pair entertainment with feedback loops that reward attention. Even games like Candy Crush succeed by offering short, repeatable goals that fit neatly into users’ days.
What unites them is how well they build habits. Some do it by delivering constant value (like real-time collaboration), others by sparking emotional responses (like stories or streaks), and many by simply being present when users need them most.
Stickiness, at its core, is about relevance and reinforcement. The more consistently an app delivers value, the more natural it becomes for users to return without needing to be reminded.
If you’re looking to increase your app’s stickiness, Phiture helps teams turn engagement into long-term growth with data-backed strategies, CRM excellence, and performance insights tailored to your audience and lifecycle. Reach out to learn how we can support your growth journey.
FAQ on App Stickiness and User Engagement
What is app stickiness?
App stickiness refers to how often users return to and interact with an app over a given time. It’s an important metric for understanding user engagement and loyalty. A sticky app becomes part of a user’s daily or weekly routine, driving consistent usage and long-term retention.
How is app stickiness measured?
App stickiness is typically measured using the DAU/MAU ratio—that is, the number of daily active users (DAU) divided by the number of monthly active users (MAU). A higher percentage indicates stronger user engagement and more habitual app usage.
What is a good DAU/MAU ratio for an app?
A good DAU/MAU ratio depends on the app type:
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Social apps like WhatsApp often achieve DAU/MAU ratios above 50%.
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Gaming apps typically see ratios between 10–30%.
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Productivity apps like Slack often maintain ratios around 50–60%.
In general, a DAU/MAU ratio above 20% is considered strong for most apps.
Why is app stickiness important for growth?
High stickiness leads to better user retention and fuels organic growth. Sticky apps create loyal users who are more likely to refer others, spend more time in the app, and increase their lifetime value (LTV), while reducing customer acquisition costs (CAC).
How can I make my app more sticky?
To improve app stickiness:
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Solve a recurring need for users.
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Create habit-forming product experiences.
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Use CRM strategies like personalized push notifications and in-app messages.
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Offer rewards for consistent engagement, like daily challenges or loyalty incentives.
A strong retention and engagement strategy, like the ones Phiture builds for clients, can significantly boost an app’s stickiness.
What are examples of apps with high stickiness?
Examples include:
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WhatsApp – 83% DAU/MAU, users open the app around 30 times per day.
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Instagram – High daily usage thanks to Stories, Reels, and community engagement.
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TikTok – Notable for long session times and strong content loops.
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Slack – Embedded into daily work routines, sustaining a DAU/MAU around 60%.
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Candy Crush Saga – Maintains strong daily engagement through streaks and simple daily goals.
How can Phiture help improve my app’s stickiness?
Phiture specializes in boosting app engagement and retention with data-driven CRM campaigns, lifecycle marketing, and product engagement strategies. Brands like Headspace and Blinkist have partnered with Phiture to drive measurable gains in stickiness, user activation, and long-term retention.
Learn more about how Phiture can support your app’s growth →
