Most mobile apps don’t make it. Not because their founders lacked ideas or money, but because the apps themselves missed the fundamentals. The kind of features users expect without even thinking about it.
The numbers are brutal. Around 80% of apps lose their users within the first three days. That’s hardly enough time for someone to even figure out what your app is about.
On the flip side, some apps don’t just survive, they thrive. They build loyalty, get people hooked, and quietly set the standard for what everyone else should be doing. After working with dozens of developers and studying apps that win vs. those that flop, we’ve seen a pattern.
It doesn’t come down to flashy branding, or who spends more on ads. It comes down to must-have features and thoughtful design decisions that make an app not just functional but indispensable.
In today’s crowded app market where more than 8.9 million apps are competing for attention, you can’t afford to miss these. Let’s break them down.
Why Apps Actually Fail (It’s Not Just Competition)
It’s tempting to think apps fail because the market is saturated or because they didn’t invest enough in marketing. But the truth is most apps collapse because they don’t solve basic user experience problems.
The onboarding is confusing. The app takes too long to load. The features feel generic, or worse, unnecessary. People download, get frustrated, and delete. Simple as that.
So what makes an app actually stick? Let’s explore the core features every app needs, backed by examples, user data, and lessons from apps that are winning in 2025.
1. Onboarding That Works in the Real World
You know what most people hate? Forms. And yet, too many apps greet new users with a wall of questions before they’ve shown a single ounce of value.
Think about it from the user’s perspective: they downloaded your app because they want a problem solved right now. They didn’t sign up to hand over their personal details before even seeing what you can do.
Great onboarding is about speed and clarity:
- Show value within 15 seconds.
- Keep it to no more than three steps before the user gets their first “win.”
- Always give a “skip” option for non-essential steps.
- Reveal advanced features gradually rather than overwhelming people on day one.
Case in point: Duolingo helps you learn your first words of Spanish or French within 30 seconds of opening the app. There’s no fuss or friction and you are instantly paidoff.
Pro tip: test your onboarding with people who’ve never seen your app. What seems obvious to you may be confusing to them. Many apps lose 60% of new users simply because the first screen wasn’t clear.
2. Performance Without the Headaches
Slow apps die fast. Yes, that’s a hard truth to accept.
Users expect apps to be instant. A three-second delay might not sound like much, but studies show it’s enough for more than half of users to quit. And the worst part is, once people sense lag, they stop trusting the app altogether.
Performance isn’t just about strong servers. It’s about smart engineering:
- Pre-load screens while users are still browsing.
- Cache data locally so everything feels snappy.
- Compress and optimize images (formats like WebP are game-changers).
- Use skeleton screens so loading never feels like “waiting.”
The expectation today is clear, 2 seconds or less. Anything more, and your users will look for a faster alternative.
3. Effortless Design for Every User
A beautiful app that’s confusing is still a bad app.
Good design is just about keeping things simple, clear, and making sure people instantly know what to do next without overthinking.
That means:
- A layout that’s built for small screens first.
- Consistent typography, buttons, and icons that reflect your brand identity.
- Prioritizing readability over clutter.
- Highlighting important actions so they’re obvious at a glance.
Your design should serve as a guide. If a user has to stop and “learn” your app, you’ve already lost them.
4. Personalization That Really Connects
Generic experiences don’t cut it anymore. People want apps to feel like they’re built just for them.
But personalization doesn’t mean bombarding users with settings and asking them to configure everything manually. That’s work. Real personalization happens automatically:
- Recommending content based on what they’ve already used.
- Adapting the interface to highlight the features they value most.
- Timing notifications based on when they’re most active.
- Remembering small preferences so they don’t have to repeat themselves.
Netflix nails this. No endless preference forms, just smart suggestions that get sharper over time.
For your app, even small moves help. If a user always checks in at night, don’t ping them with notifications at 8 a.m. Meet them where they are.
5. Security You Can Trust
With all the news about data leaks, users are more cautious than ever. If your app doesn’t feel secure, people won’t just uninstall it they’ll avoid your brand altogether.
Strong app security should never be an afterthought. Build it in from day one:
- Use only authorized APIs.
- Patch vulnerabilities quickly.
- Offer multi-factor authentication.
- Encrypt data end-to-end.
Remember that security isn’t a one-time task. It’s an ongoing commitment. The moment users feel their data isn’t safe, they stop trusting you.
6. Push Notifications People Actually Like
Push notifications can go both ways. Use them well, and people come back, but overdo them and you’re just one tap away from being deleted.
The key is relevance and timing:
- Send notifications based on actual user behavior, not your marketing calendar.
- Always make the value clear (“Your order is ready” works, “Check our app” doesn’t).
- Let users customize what they want to receive.
- Test, track, and refine instead of blasting everyone the same message.
A single well-timed, useful notification can win a customer back. Ten irrelevant ones will guarantee they never return.
7. Customer Support with a Human Touch
No matter how polished your app is, users will always run into questions or problems. The difference between keeping or losing them often comes down to support.
Chatbots are useful for quick answers, but they can’t replace human problem-solving. The best apps offer a hybrid: AI-powered bots for routine stuff, and real humans when the stakes are higher.
Make support easy to find. Don’t bury it under endless menus. When users need help, they want it fast.
8. Tech Trends Every App Should Leverage
Technology is moving fast, and the best apps use it to create smoother, smarter experiences:
- Cross-platform frameworks like React Native or Flutter for faster, consistent builds.
- AI & machine learning for smarter recommendations and predictive insights.
- AR (Augmented Reality) for immersive, interactive features.
- Blockchain for transparency and secure transactions.
- Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) for app-like experiences without downloads.
You don’t need to adopt everything, but you can’t ignore the direction the industry is moving.
9. Features Designed for Easy Daily Use
Some features aren’t flashy, but they quietly make or break the experience:
- Multi-device sync: users expect seamless transitions between mobile, tablet, and desktop.
- Offline capability: apps should still function without a strong connection and sync later.
- Multilingual support: especially if you’re targeting a global audience.
- Feedback systems: let users report bugs and suggest improvements easily.
- Analytics & insights: track how people use your app so you can continuously improve.
- Accessibility: features that make the app usable for people with disabilities aren’t optional anymore.
These might not be “headline” features, but they’re what turn casual users into loyal ones.
10. Engagement Features to Keep People Coming Back
Retention is often harder than acquisition, and apps that master engagement win big.
- Gamification: badges, achievements, or rewards for consistent use (Duolingo is a masterclass here).
- In-app payments & subscriptions: secure, fast, and convenient, with multiple payment options.
- Social media integration: makes sharing seamless and drives word-of-mouth.
- Voice and gesture controls: especially useful when multitasking or for accessibility.
These features add stickiness, keeping users not just active but invested.
11. Updates to Keep Users Feeling Valued
One of the biggest mistakes app owners make is launching the app and then forgetting about it. Users can instantly tell when an app hasn’t been touched in months. The bugs pile up, the interface starts to feel outdated, and competitors quickly take over.
Consistent updates don’t have to mean releasing new features every week. Even small changes like fixing performance issues, improving navigation, or refining existing tools make a huge difference.
Regular updates show your users that you’re listening to feedback, staying relevant, and investing in their experience. This not only improves trust but also gives users a reason to keep your app on their devices.
12. Clear Monetization Without Annoyance
Every app needs to make money, and that’s a brutal truth. But users today are quick to uninstall apps that bombard them with ads, push them aggressively toward subscriptions, or hide basic features behind paywalls.
A successful app strikes the right balance between profitability and user satisfaction. That means being transparent about costs, avoiding “surprise” charges, and ensuring your free version is still valuable.
If you do use ads, keep them minimal and non-intrusive. And if you’re offering premium features, make sure they genuinely enhance the experience rather than frustrate free users. Monetization should feel fair, not forced.
13. Community Building Inside the App
People don’t just use apps, they join communities. Apps that create a sense of belonging tend to have much higher retention rates.
Think about fitness apps with leaderboards, learning apps with discussion forums, or productivity apps that allow team collaboration.
By building community features directly into your app, such as group challenges, chat spaces, or social sharing, you give users a reason to come back regularly, not just when they need the core function.
This sense of connection turns your app from a simple tool into part of someone’s daily routine. Over time, the community itself becomes one of the strongest reasons people stay loyal to your app.
Bringing It All Together
Here’s the bottom line. In 2025, you don’t win users by just having a clever idea. You win by creating an app that feels natural, fast, secure, and genuinely useful from the very first interaction.
Start small. Fix your weakest area first, whether it’s onboarding, performance, or personalization. Test, learn, and keep improving.
Because your users won’t wait around. If your app doesn’t meet their expectations, they’ll find one that does. But if you get these fundamentals right, you’re not just building an app, you’re building a relationship that lasts.