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Analytics & Retention

Install Base

Also known asCumulative InstallsInstalled User BaseDevice Footprint

The cumulative count of devices that currently have the app installed — the "device footprint" of the app, distinct from lifetime downloads.

MWM data

State of April 2026

Median install base

4.2K+

Cumulative US iOS devices that have ever installed the median measurable app

Top-10% install base

1.2M+

Where major consumer apps live — multi-million device reach

Top-1% install base

10M+

Mega-app tier — household names with tens of millions of devices

Top-10% install penetration

0.53%

Share of US iOS devices that currently have the app installed

Key takeaways

  1. 01Install base = devices with the app currently installed. Total downloads minus uninstalls (approximately).
  2. 02Different from MAU — install base counts INSTALLED users (active + dormant); MAU counts only ACTIVE users.
  3. 03Install penetration = install base ÷ country device population. The right metric for "how widespread is this app".
  4. 04Catalog reality: median US iOS app has 4K install base; the mainstream tier sits at 1M+ devices.

Install base is the cumulative count of devices that currently have the app installed — the "device footprint" of the app at a given point in time. Conceptually: lifetime downloads minus lifetime uninstalls. It's a stock metric, not a flow metric: it counts WHO HAS the app, not who got it recently.

The catalog distribution is heavily power-law. The median measurable US iOS app has roughly 4K devices in its install base — a tiny footprint compared to "mainstream app" expectations. Top-decile apps clear 1M devices; top-percentile reach 10M+ on US iOS alone.

Install base distribution — US iOS catalogCumulative install base (lifetime US iOS device count) across measurable apps. The distribution is power-law: most apps live in the 10K-1M range; only a few thousand reach 10M+ devices.05K10K15K20K<10K: 15,51610K-100K: 4,122100K-1M: 3,6211M-10M: 2,36510M-100M: 453100M+: 29Mainstream tier<10K10K-100K100K-1M1M-10M10M-100M100M+Install base
Install base distribution — US iOS catalog — US iOS apps with ≥500 d30 downloads and measurable install base (MWM), State of April 2026.

The distribution shape exposes how concentrated install bases are at the top. The 10M+ tier holds a few hundred apps; the bulk of catalog volume sits between 10K and 100K. Most apps that "feel mainstream" actually have surprisingly small device footprints.

Install base by category — US iOS, MWM

CategoryMedian install baseTop-10% install base
Game5.3K+1.1M+
Media & Entertainment4K+1.4M+
Education & Knowledge3.9K+800K+
Lifestyle & Well-being3.9K+1.7M+
Productivity & Tools3K+800K+
Social & Communication2.6K+1.3M+

The install-base → MAU gap is the dormant-user wedge. A 1M install base with 100K MAU means 90% of installers don't open the app in any given month — those are the dormant users that re-engagement campaigns target. Watch this ratio: a widening gap (install base grows faster than MAU) is a leading indicator of an aging audience.

Quick answers

What is install base in a mobile app?

**Install base** is the cumulative count of devices that currently have the app installed — a stock metric, not a flow. Conceptually: lifetime downloads minus lifetime uninstalls. Distinct from lifetime downloads (which counts gross installs) and from MAU (which only counts active users).

What is a good install base for a mobile app?

Category- and stage-dependent. Across MWM's measurable US iOS catalog: median app ~4K install base, top-10% threshold 1M+, top-1% threshold 10M+. Mainstream-app perception kicks in around 1M devices; "household name" tier is 10M+. Most apps that feel small actually are — install base is concentrated heavily at the top.

What is the difference between install base and MAU?

**Install base** = devices that have the app installed (active + dormant). **MAU** = unique users active in the last 30 days. Install base is always ≥ MAU; the gap is your dormant-user pool. Active share = MAU ÷ install base. For a healthy app, active share runs 30-60%; below 20% indicates a large dormant audience and a re-engagement opportunity.

How is install base measured?

Native platforms (iOS / Android) don't expose install base directly. Vendor tools like MWM estimate it by combining app store rank movement, daily install signal, and panel-based device data. Internally, you can approximate install base = cumulative installs minus cumulative uninstalls (where uninstall events are detectable — Android exposes them natively; iOS requires silent-push deliverability tracking).

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