The Mobile App Business with Fexingo: iOS, Android, and Consumer App Companies

Episode 29 of The Mobile App Business. Lucas and Luna explore how top apps like Duolingo and Robinhood use iterative onboarding — not a one-time tutorial, but a continuous learning loop — to keep users engaged long after the first session. They break down the psychology of progressive disclosure, cite data from a 2025 study showing a 34% increase in day-30 retention, and discuss pitfalls like info...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into how mobile apps use Live Activities and dynamic notifications to keep users engaged without being annoying. Focusing on Apple's Live Activities feature introduced with iOS 16 and expanded in iOS 17 and 18, they explore how apps like Uber, Starbucks, and sports apps use real-time lock screen updates to drive repeated opens and increase session frequency. Lu...

Episode 27 of The Mobile App Business unpacks referral loops — the viral growth engine behind apps like Dropbox, Uber, and Robinhood. Lucas and Luna break down the mechanics of a successful referral program, from incentives that don't cannibalize revenue to the network effects that turn users into marketers. They dissect Dropbox's legendary 2008 launch strategy — 500 megabytes per referral up to 1...

In this episode of The Mobile App Business, Lucas and Luna explore how mobile apps are using time-based pricing—charging different prices at different hours or days—to boost revenue. They unpack the strategy behind surge pricing, happy hour discounts, and dynamic pricing tied to usage patterns, using examples from ride-hailing, food delivery, and entertainment apps. Lucas explains the psychology o...

Episode 25 of The Mobile App Business digs into dynamic pricing — how apps like Uber and Airbnb adjust prices in real time based on demand, supply, and user behavior. Lucas and Luna break down the mechanics: from surge pricing algorithms to A/B testing price points for subscriptions. They discuss the tension between revenue optimization and customer trust, citing examples like the 2024 Ticketmaste...

In this episode of The Mobile App Business, Lucas and Luna dive into how social logins — Sign in with Apple, Google, Facebook — have transformed mobile app onboarding and boosted conversion rates. They examine a specific case: a meditation app that saw a 23% lift in first-session completions after adding a one-tap social login option. Lucas explains the trade-offs around data privacy, the surprisi...

Episode 23 of The Mobile App Business podcast dives into the tricky transition from one-time purchase to subscription revenue. Lucas and Luna break down how meditation app Headspace moved from a $12.99 annual plan to a $69.99/year subscription model, retaining 78% of users through tiered features and a 30-day free trial. They also examine Duolingo's shift from ad-supported to Super Duolingo at $6....

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how mobile apps are leveraging in-app events—like live streams, limited-time challenges, and virtual meetups—to boost user engagement and retention. They break down the strategy behind apps like Duolingo's live leaderboard events and Nike's running club challenges, citing data showing a 30% lift in daily active users during event periods. They discuss the te...

Lucas and Luna explore the surprisingly effective strategy of 'reactivation campaigns' — the targeted offers, emails, and in-app nudges that apps like Duolingo and Headspace use to bring lapsed users back. They break down the specific timing triggers and message types, citing data on how win-back rates compare to new user acquisition costs. The episode includes a case study of a meditation app tha...

Episode 20 dives into deep linking — the unsung infrastructure that makes app experiences feel seamless. Lucas and Luna break down how apps like Airbnb and Spotify use deep links to re-engage users, reduce friction, and boost retention. They explain the difference between basic and deferred deep linking, unpack real metrics from a 2025 Branch study showing a 40% increase in retention for apps usin...

In this episode of The Mobile App Business, Lucas and Luna explore how mobile apps are using personalization beyond just recommending products. They dive into the case of Spotify's Discover Weekly, which increased user engagement by 30% within its first year, and how Duolingo uses adaptive learning paths to keep users coming back. They also discuss the privacy trade-offs and the rise of on-device...

Episode 18 of The Mobile App Business podcast dives into the mechanics of gamification beyond points and badges. Lucas and Luna examine how Duolingo reduced churn by 30% using streak freezes and leaderboards, and how fitness apps like Strava leverage social competition. They discuss the psychology of variable rewards, the dopamine loop, and the ethical line between engaging and exploitative. The e...

In this episode of The Mobile App Business, hosts Lucas and Luna explore how augmented reality is shifting from a gimmick to a practical sales tool inside mobile apps. They dive into IKEA Place as the defining case study — how the furniture retailer's AR feature lets users visualize products in their own homes, reducing returns and boosting conversion rates by an estimated 25 percent. Lucas breaks...

Episode 16 dissects the psychology of sunk cost in mobile app subscriptions. Lucas and Luna explore why users stay locked into apps they barely use, using real cases like a language-learning app with 47 percent 90-day retention and a fitness app that raised prices by 30 percent without losing subscribers. They break down the specific product tactics—front-loaded annual billing, progress bars, digi...

Lucas and Luna dive into the untapped opportunity of voice search for mobile apps. With 41% of US adults using voice search daily, most apps still rely on text-based SEO. They explore how companies like Domino's and Spotify optimized for voice queries early, why natural language processing changes app discovery, and three concrete strategies developers can implement today to appear in voice search...

Lucas and Luna dive into the science behind app store ratings and reviews — and how savvy developers use them to increase conversion rates without paying for more install ads. They break down a 2025 study from a major app analytics firm showing that a one-star increase in average rating can lift conversion by 15 to 25 percent. Luna shares how a meditation app she uses revamped its review request f...

Subscription churn is the silent killer of mobile app revenue. In this episode, Lucas and Luna examine how a new wave of AI-powered tools is helping app developers predict and prevent cancellations before they happen. They break down the specific data signals that machine learning models use—like session frequency, feature adoption, and payment method changes—and walk through a real case study of...

Episode 12 of The Mobile App Business with Fexingo explores how the first 60 seconds of an app experience determine long-term user retention. Lucas and Luna break down the data behind onboarding flows, using examples like Duolingo's gamified tutorials and Headspace's friction-free setup. They discuss the optimal number of steps, when to ask for permissions, and why the best onboarding feels like a...

Episode 11 of The Mobile App Business with Fexingo. Lucas and Luna examine the subtle art of trust signals on user profile pages—how Uber, Airbnb, and Depop use reviews, ratings, and badges to nudge new users past the cold-start problem. They break down a 2025 study showing that profiles with just three reviews convert at double the rate of blank profiles. Lucas argues that the smartest apps now e...

In this episode of The Mobile App Business, Lucas and Luna explore how mobile apps are using home screen widgets—not push notifications—to drive re-engagement. They break down the strategy behind widgets that are actually useful, not just clutter. The conversation centres on a specific case: a habit-tracking app that saw a 22 percent lift in daily active users after adding a glanceable widget. Luc...

Episode 9 of The Mobile App Business podcast explores how dark mode, once a simple visual preference, has become a strategic lever for user engagement and retention. Lucas and Luna examine specific data points from popular apps like Twitter (X), YouTube, and Reddit, which saw up to 12% increases in daily active usage after introducing dark mode. They discuss the psychology behind user preference,...

Lucas and Luna explore the controversial world of dark patterns in mobile apps — design tactics that nudge users into decisions they wouldn't otherwise make. They break down specific examples like preselected options in subscription flows, hidden cancellation buttons, and countdown timers that create false urgency. The conversation examines why companies like Booking.com and Amazon have faced scru...

Most app founders obsess over day-7 and day-30 retention, but the real revenue killer is month-three churn. In this episode, Lucas and Luna examine why subscription cancellations cluster between billing cycles 3 and 4, drawing on data from the leading mobile analytics firm RevenueCat and a case study of the meditation app Headspace. They walk through the three main drivers: the end of the introduc...

Every mobile app wants you to keep coming back. But the default strategy for most apps is aggressive push notifications, and users are tuning them out at record rates. In this episode, Lucas and Luna examine a counterintuitive approach: apps that build retention without relying on the notification center at all. They dig into the specific case of a meditation app that cut push notifications by 70...

Lucas and Luna dive into the ad-tech behind mobile app installs. Over $100 billion is spent annually on user acquisition, but most of it is wasted on low-quality users who churn within days. They explore the rise of predictive install measurement — a system that uses machine learning to score new users by predicted lifetime value before the ad is paid for. Lucas breaks down how companies like Lift...