7 Onboarding Mistakes That Are Killing Your App's Success

A promising new fitness app launches with great fanfare, backed by solid funding and months of development. Within the first week, it sees 50,000 downloads. Sounds brilliant, right? But here's the thing—by week four, only 800 users are still actively using the app. What happened? The onboarding process was so confusing and demanding that users gave up before they even understood what the app could do for them.

This scenario plays out thousands of times across app stores every single day. Developers spend months perfecting features, polishing interfaces, and fixing bugs, only to watch their mobile app fail because they got the first five minutes wrong. Those opening moments when someone first opens your app? They're make-or-break time.

Users form their opinion about your app within 90 seconds of opening it for the first time

The brutal truth is that most apps lose 80% of their users within the first three days. That's not because the core product is bad—it's often because the onboarding experience kills user interest before people get to see the good stuff. Poor user experience during those opening moments doesn't just hurt downloads; it destroys the entire foundation your app is built on. Getting onboarding wrong is one of the fastest routes to app failure, but the good news is that most of these mistakes are completely avoidable once you know what to look for.

The First Impression Problem—Why Your Welcome Screen Matters More Than You Think

Your app's welcome screen is doing one of two things: convincing people to stick around or giving them a reason to delete your app within the first thirty seconds. There's no middle ground here, and the statistics aren't pretty—most users will abandon an app if they can't figure out what it does or why they should care within those first few moments.

I've watched countless app launches where teams spent months perfecting features but threw together their welcome screen at the last minute. Big mistake. This screen is your app's first handshake with users, and you only get one chance to make it count. People are impatient; they've got dozens of other apps competing for their attention, and if yours doesn't immediately show its value, they're gone.

What Makes a Welcome Screen Work

The best welcome screens do three things well: they're clear about what the app does, they show the main benefit quickly, and they don't waste time with unnecessary steps. Skip the fancy animations that take forever to load—nobody has time for that. Instead, use simple language that explains your app's purpose in one sentence that makes sense to anyone.

Common Welcome Screen Mistakes

The biggest error I see is trying to explain everything at once. Your welcome screen isn't meant to be a complete user manual; it's meant to get people interested enough to explore further. Another common problem is using vague language like "revolutionise your experience" instead of saying something specific like "track your daily expenses in under 10 seconds." Be direct, be honest, and most importantly—be quick about it.

Information Overload—When Too Much Guidance Becomes Overwhelming

Here's the thing about onboarding—more isn't always better. I see this mistake constantly when reviewing mobile app designs, and it's one of those issues that seems counterintuitive at first. Surely helping users understand every single feature is good for user experience, right? Wrong. When you bombard new users with endless tooltips, popup hints, and step-by-step walkthroughs, you're actually creating a barrier to engagement rather than removing one.

Think about it from the user's perspective. They've just downloaded your app because they have a specific problem to solve or goal to achieve. They want to get started quickly, but instead they're faced with screen after screen of instructions. Each additional piece of guidance adds friction to their journey and increases the likelihood of app failure through abandonment.

Focus on teaching users the three most important actions they need to take in their first session. Everything else can wait until later.

What Happens When Users Feel Overwhelmed

Information overload during onboarding triggers a few predictable user behaviours. Some users will skip through everything without reading, missing the genuinely useful guidance. Others will feel frustrated and close the app entirely. The few who do persevere often forget most of what they've learned by the time they reach the main interface.

The best approach is progressive disclosure—revealing information when users actually need it rather than all at once. This creates a more natural learning curve and respects the user's time and cognitive load.

Signs You're Providing Too Much Guidance

Here are the warning signs that your onboarding has crossed the line:

• Your tutorial takes longer than 60 seconds to complete
• Users regularly skip through multiple screens without engaging
• You're explaining features users won't need in their first few sessions
• The guidance covers more than five different interface elements
• Users are asking support questions about basic features you covered in onboarding

Permission Requests Gone Wrong—Asking for Everything Before Building Trust

There's something deeply annoying about downloading a new app and being bombarded with permission requests before you've even had a chance to see what it actually does. Location access, camera access, microphone access, push notifications—the list goes on. It's like meeting someone for the first time and they immediately ask to borrow your car keys.

Most users will tap "Don't Allow" faster than you can say "user experience". And once they've denied those permissions, getting them to change their mind later is an uphill battle that most apps simply don't win.

The Trust Problem

Users need to understand why you're asking for their personal data before they'll hand it over. If your fitness app asks for location access on the first screen, people don't yet know that you use it to track their running routes. They just see an app they downloaded thirty seconds ago wanting to know where they are.

Smart apps wait. They let users explore the core features first, build some trust, and then ask for permissions when the context makes sense. When users are about to use the camera feature for the first time—that's when you ask for camera access.

Getting Permission Requests Right

The most successful apps follow a simple pattern that works every time:

• Let users experience your app's core value without permissions
• Ask for permissions only when users need that specific feature
• Explain clearly why you need each permission
• Make it easy for users to skip or delay permission requests
• Never ask for all permissions at once during onboarding

Permission requests aren't evil—they're just poorly timed most of the time. Show users what your app can do first, then ask for what you need to make their experience even better.

Generic Tutorials That Miss the Mark—One Size Doesn't Fit All Users

Here's the thing about generic tutorials—they're the equivalent of giving everyone the same sized shoes and expecting them to fit perfectly. I've watched countless mobile apps fail because they assumed every user would need the same walkthrough experience, and frankly, it's one of the most frustrating onboarding mistakes I see.

When you design a tutorial that treats your grandmother the same way as a tech-savvy teenager, you're already setting yourself up for problems. The grandmother might need more detailed explanations and slower pacing, while the teenager is probably tapping "Skip" before your first tooltip even appears. Generic tutorials ignore user experience principles by failing to recognise that different people have different comfort levels with technology.

The Problem with Cookie-Cutter Approaches

Most apps push users through the same rigid sequence of steps, regardless of their background or needs. A banking app might spend three screens explaining how to tap buttons to someone who's been using smartphones for years, whilst completely glossing over security features that genuinely matter to cautious users.

Users don't want to be treated like they're all the same person—they want an experience that feels like it was made for them

What Actually Works Better

Smart apps ask qualifying questions upfront or offer tutorial paths based on experience level. Some let users choose between "Show me everything" and "Just the basics" options. Others adapt dynamically—if someone's racing through steps, the app shortens future explanations. If they're taking their time, it provides more context. Understanding how tutorials fit into effective onboarding can significantly reduce app failure rates because users feel understood rather than patronised or abandoned.

Skipping the Value Proposition—Users Need to Know What's in It for Them

Here's something I see all the time: apps that launch straight into features without explaining why users should care. You download the app, open it up, and suddenly you're being shown how to tap this button and swipe that screen—but nobody's told you what problem this app actually solves for you.

Think about it from the user's perspective. They've just downloaded your app amongst hundreds of others on their phone. They don't know your brand story, they don't understand your unique features, and they certainly don't have time to figure out why your app matters. If you don't tell them within the first 30 seconds, they'll likely delete it and move on.

What Makes a Strong Value Proposition

Your value proposition needs to be crystal clear and benefit-focused. Instead of saying "Our app has advanced scheduling features," try "Never miss an important meeting again." See the difference? One describes what the app does, the other explains what the user gets.

The best value propositions address three key points:

• What specific problem does this solve for me?
• How will my life be better after using this app?
• Why should I choose this over similar apps?

Timing and Placement Matter

Don't bury your value proposition deep in your onboarding flow. Put it front and centre—ideally on your first screen after the splash page. Users need this context before you start explaining how everything works. Once they understand the "why," they'll be much more receptive to learning the "how."

Remember, people don't download apps for features; they download them for outcomes. Make those outcomes obvious from the very beginning, and your onboarding success rates will improve dramatically.

Complex Registration Processes—Making Sign-Up Harder Than It Should Be

Nothing kills user enthusiasm faster than a registration form that feels like filling out a mortgage application. I see this mistake all the time—apps that demand your entire life story before you've even had a chance to see what they actually do. Email, password, confirm password, full name, date of birth, phone number, address, favourite colour, childhood pet's name... you get the idea.

The harsh reality is that for every additional field you add to your sign-up process, you lose users. People are impatient, and they should be! Your mobile app needs to prove its worth before asking for personal information. Think about it—would you hand over your details to a stranger on the street before they'd explained what they wanted?

Start with just an email and password, or better yet, offer social login options. You can always collect additional information later when users are already engaged with your app.

The Psychology Behind User Abandonment

Users make snap decisions about whether to continue with registration within seconds. Long forms trigger a mental calculation: is this app worth the effort? Most of the time, the answer is no. The user experience suffers when people feel like they're doing homework instead of discovering something useful.

Smart Alternatives to Heavy Registration

Progressive profiling is your friend here. Start minimal and gradually request additional information as users engage more deeply with your mobile app. The debate around whether apps should require sign-up before exploration is crucial to consider. Here are the registration essentials that work:

• Social media login options (Google, Facebook, Apple)
• Email and password only for initial sign-up
• Optional profile completion with clear benefits
• Guest mode to let users explore before committing
• Clear privacy statements to build trust

Remember, every field you remove from your initial registration process is a barrier eliminated. Your goal isn't to collect data—it's to create an app experience so valuable that users want to share their information with you.

Forgetting About Different User Types—New vs Returning User Experiences

One of the biggest mistakes I see in app onboarding is treating every user the same way. Your mum downloading your app for the first time doesn't need the same experience as someone who's been using it for months but just got a new phone. Yet so many apps force everyone through the exact same journey—and that's where things go wrong.

New users need hand-holding. They don't know what your app does or how it works, so they need that step-by-step introduction. But returning users? They just want to get back to what they were doing. Making them sit through tutorials they've already seen is like making someone watch the safety video every single time they board a plane—it's annoying and they'll probably just skip it or, worse, delete your app.

Smart Detection Makes All the Difference

The solution is simpler than you might think. Your app should be able to detect whether someone is new or returning. This could be through their login details, device recognition, or even just asking them directly. Once you know who they are, you can tailor their experience accordingly.

New users get the full welcome treatment—value proposition, key features, tutorial screens. Returning users get a quick "Welcome back!" and straight into the app. Some apps even show returning users what's new since they last visited, which is actually quite helpful.

Don't Forget the In-Between Users

There's also a middle ground—users who downloaded your app ages ago but never really used it. They need something between the full onboarding and the returning user experience. Maybe a quick refresher or highlights of your best features. Creating an experience that helps make your app intuitive for first-time users while accommodating returning users can be the difference between someone becoming a regular user or deleting your app within the first few minutes.

Conclusion

Getting onboarding right isn't rocket science, but it does require thinking about your users first—not your business needs. I've worked on enough mobile app projects to know that the temptation is always there to cram everything into those first few screens. Show off every feature, ask for all the permissions, make users jump through registration hoops before they've even seen what your app can do.

But here's what I've learnt: users don't care about your app until you give them a reason to care. They won't hand over their personal information until you've earned their trust. They definitely won't sit through lengthy tutorials that don't relate to what they actually want to accomplish.

The seven mistakes we've covered—overwhelming welcome screens, information overload, premature permission requests, generic tutorials, missing value propositions, complex registration, and ignoring different user types—they're all symptoms of the same problem. They put the app first and the user second.

Good onboarding feels invisible. Users should be able to get to their "aha moment" as quickly as possible, whether they're complete beginners or returning power users. They should understand what's in it for them before you ask them to invest time or personal data. And they should never feel lost or confused about what to do next.

The mobile app market is competitive enough without shooting yourself in the foot during those critical first impressions. Fix these onboarding mistakes, and you'll give your app a fighting chance at success. Because no matter how brilliant your core functionality is, if users can't get past the front door smoothly, they'll never discover what you've built for them.