> So attrition will always take its toll, and the > active user count - as a percentage of users who have EVER installed > your app - will always tend downward. As a result, the active % is > almost more of just a measure of how long your app has been released > than it is a measure of user satisfaction.
Well, that's not been my experience, as my % grew over time and peaked at 70% after about 10 months on the market. It wasn't until the last few months that it dropped rapidly to 54%. Also, if attrition is going to be a known phenomenon (as I originally suggested with the idea that old phones get decommissioned over time), why wouldn't the stats take that into account? Certainly Google can tell the difference between an explicit uninstall and a device that's been trashed (hasn't phoned home in a long time). I'm not so much concerned about the number being wrong as the idea that the number has something to do with the rankings on the market. If active install % is important for rankings, and that number is destined to drop over time, tenured apps are forced to "fight gravity" increasingly over time, even if they continue to improve over that same time. > Bottom line: don't worry about active percentage. Well, I'm not sure about this statement because if active install % is an (important) factor in app rankings, then I should very much be concerned about that number. Rankings are everything as far as visibility is concerned. It's all about getting as high as possible into the rankings if you want your app to be noticed and sell. If Google just came clean on the algorithm that is used to calculate rankings, then we'd know for sure if there's anything to worry about. Doug -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Android Developers" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
