MAU

Monthly Active Users (MAU) is a fundamental metric for measuring app engagement and growth, counting the number of unique users who open or interact with an application at least once during a 30-day period. Unlike total downloads, MAU provides insight into actual user retention and ongoing app value, making it essential for evaluating product health and user engagement strategies. Investors and stakeholders closely monitor MAU trends to assess app viability and market traction.

The definition of “active” varies by app type and business model. For social media apps, an active user might be someone who views content or posts, while gaming apps might require completing a level or session. Tracking MAU alongside Daily Active Users (DAU) creates the DAU/MAU ratio, often called “stickiness,” which measures how frequently users return to the app. A ratio above 20% typically indicates strong user engagement.

Growing and maintaining healthy MAU numbers requires strategic user acquisition, effective onboarding experiences, regular feature updates, and push notification campaigns. Analyzing MAU cohorts helps identify retention patterns, seasonal trends, and the impact of product changes on user behavior, enabling data-driven decisions to improve app performance and user satisfaction.