Uninstall rate
Retention metric. Do they keep coming back?
What is uninstall rate?
Uninstall rate is the share of installs that are removed from devices within a set period after install.
Silent push: a push notification with no visible alert, sent to check whether the app is still installed.
How to calculate Uninstall rate
Uninstall rate (n days) = Cohort installs uninstalled within n days ÷ Installs in the cohort × 100- Cohort installs uninstalled within n days
- devices from the cohort detected as uninstalled within the window
- Installs in the cohort
- installs in the same day, week or month
Where definitions differ
| Variant | Formula | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Cohort uninstall rate | Uninstalled within n days ÷ Cohort installs × 100 | Comparable across campaigns. |
| Period uninstall rate | Uninstalls in the month ÷ Installs in the month × 100 | Mixes old installs into this month's uninstalls, so it can mislead. |
Uninstall rate calculator
Example inputs: change them to your own numbers. The examples only make the calculator show a worked answer; they are not benchmarks or targets. Runs in your browser; nothing you type is sent anywhere.
- 30-day uninstall rate
- 25%
- Installs still on device
- 7,500
How do apps know a user uninstalled?
Apps are not told directly. Most tools infer uninstalls from failed silent push notifications, so the figure depends on push tokens being collected, is an estimate, and arrives a day or more late.
How Uninstall rate differs by vertical
| EdTech | Spikes after exam dates for test-prep apps. |
|---|---|
| Fintech | Rises when KYC fails or a promised offer is not received. |
| OTT and streaming | Users remove apps after finishing a show; reinstalls are common. |
| Gaming | Storage pressure makes uninstalls frequent; watch uninstalls in the first days by source. |
Common mistakes
- Treating uninstall rate as exact when push tokens are missing for many users.
- Using the period version to compare campaigns.
Questions
How do you calculate uninstall rate?
Divide the installs from a cohort that were uninstalled within a set number of days by the installs in that cohort. 2.5k of 10k within 30 days is 25%.
Is uninstall rate the same as churn?
No. A user can keep the app and never open it (churned but installed), or uninstall and come back later. Uninstall rate measures removal from the device only.
Why is my uninstall data incomplete?
Uninstall detection usually depends on push tokens. Users who never granted notifications, or whose token was never sent, cannot be checked.
Do I need an MMP to measure these metrics?
Not for all of them. Engagement and monetisation metrics come from product analytics and billing data, while metrics split by ad channel, such as CPI, ROAS or retention by source, need installs attributed to campaigns.
Are the calculator's example inputs benchmarks?
No. The example inputs only make the calculator show a worked answer when the page loads; they are not typical, good or target values. Replace them with your own numbers.
Does the calculator send my numbers anywhere?
No. It runs entirely in your browser, and nothing you type is stored or sent anywhere.