How Long Should My App Pre-Launch Phase Actually Be?

A farming equipment manufacturer decided to launch their crop monitoring app in January—right when their target users were in their slowest season and barely thinking about agricultural planning. They'd spent six months building a solid product but rushed the pre-launch phase into just three weeks because they wanted to "get it out there". The app launched to basically no downloads. No buzz. No traction. They hadn't given themselves enough time to build awareness in the farming community, and worse still, their timing was completely off for when farmers actually needed the solution. It's a bit mad really, how a great product can fail simply because the launch planning schedule didn't align with reality.

Here's the thing—there's no magic number for how long your pre-launch phase should be. I wish there was! It would make my job so much easier. But the truth is, it depends on several factors: your app's complexity, your target market, whether you've got an existing audience or you're starting from scratch, and honestly, how much you're willing to invest in proper marketing lead time.

The apps that succeed aren't necessarily the best ones—they're the ones that gave themselves enough runway to build momentum before takeoff.

What I can tell you from years of doing this is that most people get their app release timing completely wrong. They either rush to market because they're excited (or running out of money), or they spend forever "perfecting" things that don't actually matter to users yet. Both approaches cost you dearly. Throughout this guide, we'll look at what actually needs to happen during your app launch preparation, how long each phase really takes, and how to avoid the expensive mistakes I see teams make over and over again. Because getting your pre-launch timeline right isn't just about picking a date—its about understanding what needs to happen before that date arrives.

Why Most Apps Launch Too Early or Too Late

I've watched dozens of apps fail because they got their timing completely wrong—and its usually one of two extremes. Either they rush to market with something half-baked, or they spend so long perfecting every tiny detail that by the time they launch, the market has moved on or their budget has run dry. Neither approach works, but here's the thing—both mistakes come from the same place: not understanding what "ready" actually means for a mobile app.

The early launchers are usually driven by excitement or pressure. They think they can fix things later, release updates, iterate as they go. And sure, that's technically possible. But you only get one chance at a first impression? Users who download a buggy app or one that doesn't deliver on its promise won't give you a second chance; they'll delete it and probably leave a one-star review on their way out. I've seen apps that could have been successful completely tank because they launched before the core experience was actually working properly.

On the flip side, the perfectionists keep adding features, tweaking designs, and second-guessing every decision. They want everything to be perfect before anyone sees it. The problem is that perfection doesn't exist in app development—and even if it did, you wouldn't know what perfect looks like until real users start interacting with your product. I mean, you can spend months building features that users won't even care about.

Common Launch Timing Mistakes

• Launching without proper testing across different devices and OS versions
• Starting marketing activities after the app is already built (way too late)
• Releasing without a clear understanding of your core user's needs
• Waiting for every possible feature before going to market
• Not allowing time for App Store approval delays and rejections
• Skipping the beta testing phase to save time

The sweet spot for launching is when your app solves one problem really well, has been tested by real users outside your team, and you've got a solid plan for how people will actually discover it. Not perfect—just good enough to deliver value whilst being stable enough not to frustrate people. Getting that balance right is what separates successful launches from expensive failures.

The Three Critical Phases of Pre-Launch

Right, so here's where most people get it wrong—they think pre-launch is just one big block of time before you hit that publish button. But actually, its three distinct phases that need different amounts of time and different approaches. Miss one of these and you're basically launching with one hand tied behind your back.

The first phase is what I call Foundation Building; this is where you're sorting out your product-market fit, getting your MVP built properly (and no, that doesn't mean building half an app), and actually talking to real users about what they need. This phase takes anywhere from 8-12 weeks minimum, sometimes longer if you're in a complex space like fintech or healthcare. You cannot rush this bit. I mean, you can try, but I've seen what happens when people do and its not pretty.

Phase two is Market Preparation—usually 6-8 weeks before launch. This is when you start warming up your audience, building your social presence if you haven't already, reaching out to press contacts, and creating all the content you'll need. Landing pages, app store screenshots, demo videos, press kits. It all needs doing here. And here's the thing: if you wait until two weeks before launch to start this stuff, you've already lost.

The final phase is Technical Polish and Pre-Launch Marketing, which runs about 3-4 weeks before your target date. Beta testing happens here, you submit to the app stores (Apple can take up to two weeks for review, sometimes longer), and you're ramping up your marketing activities. Launch day doesn't just happen—it's the result of proper planning across all three phases.

Start your marketing prep at least 6 weeks out, not 6 days. The apps that succeed on launch day are the ones that built anticipation properly.

Building Your Minimum Viable Product Takes Longer Than You Think

Here's something I wish every client understood from day one—building an MVP is not about building a stripped-down version of your app quickly. Its about building the smallest version that actually solves the core problem your users have, and that takes time to get right. I mean, you can throw together an app in a few weeks if you really want to, but it won't be an MVP worth launching. It'll be a half-baked prototype that crashes, confuses users, and damages your brand before you've even got started.

The biggest mistake? People think they can spec out their features, hand them to developers, and be ready to go in 6-8 weeks. Sure, you might get something that technically works in that timeframe, but you won't get something that people actually want to use. In my experience, a proper MVP takes 3-6 months minimum—and that's if you've done your homework beforehand and know exactly what problem you're solving. If you're still figuring things out as you build? Add another few months to that.

What actually takes the time isn't just the coding, though that can be complex enough on its own. It's the constant refinement. You build a feature, test it with real people, realise it doesn't work the way you thought it would, then rebuild it differently. That cycle happens over and over. And it should, because each iteration gets you closer to something people will genuinely want to download and use more than once. The user interface alone can take weeks to perfect—moving buttons around, adjusting colour schemes, making sure the flow makes sense to someone who's never seen your app before.

And heres the thing; technical debt starts accumulating from day one if you rush this phase. You'll end up with code that works but is so messy that adding new features later becomes a nightmare. I've taken over projects where the original team rushed the MVP, and we basically had to rebuild the whole thing from scratch because it was cheaper than trying to fix what they'd done. That's a painful conversation to have with a client who's already spent £50,000.

When to Start Your Marketing Activities

Right, this is where most people get it completely wrong—they think marketing starts when the app is ready to launch. Its not like that at all. I've seen so many good apps fail because the founders left marketing until the last minute, thinking "we'll just tell people about it when its done" and then wonder why nobody downloads it on launch day. The truth is a bit uncomfortable; you need to start building awareness at least 3 months before your planned launch date, maybe longer depending on your target audience.

Here's the thing—people need multiple touchpoints with your brand before they'll actually download your app. They need to see it, hear about it, maybe forget about it, then see it again before they take action. This doesn't happen overnight. I usually tell clients to start with simple things like setting up your website and social media presence about 12-16 weeks out. Nothing fancy, just somewhere people can sign up for updates and learn what problem you're solving. You want to collect emails from day one because those early subscribers become your launch army.

The biggest mistake I see is treating marketing as something that happens after development, when it should actually inform your development priorities from the start

Around 8-10 weeks before launch, you should ramp things up—start reaching out to app reviewers, building relationships with influencers in your space, creating content that addresses the problems your app solves. This feels early, I know. But reviewers and journalists need time to fit you into their schedule. They're not just sitting around waiting for your press release. At 4-6 weeks out, you want to have your app store page live (even if the app isn't available yet) so you can start collecting pre-orders on iOS or building up your "interested" list on Android. This early visibility helps with your launch day rankings because the app stores see genuine interest building over time rather than a sudden spike that looks suspicious.

Beta Testing and the Reality Check Period

Right, so you've got your MVP built and you're probably itching to launch—but here's where most app projects either save themselves or set themselves up for disaster. Beta testing isn't just about finding bugs (though that's obviously important). It's about discovering whether people actually want to use what you've built, and more importantly, whether they'll keep using it after the novelty wears off.

I always tell clients to budget at least three to four weeks for proper beta testing, though I've seen projects need six weeks or more depending on complexity. And look, I know that sounds like forever when you're excited to get your app out there, but trust me—every day you spend in beta is a day that could save you months of painful pivoting after launch.

What You're Actually Testing For

Beta testing reveals things you simply cannot predict in development. Sure, your app might work perfectly in your testing environment, but what happens when someone uses it on a three-year-old Android phone with a dodgy internet connection? What about users who don't speak English as their first language—do they understand your onboarding flow? These real-world scenarios are priceless.

You need to watch three main things during beta: crashes and technical issues (obviously), user behaviour patterns (are people using features the way you expected?), and retention rates. If beta testers aren't coming back after a few days, your real users wont either. Its that simple.

Getting the Right Beta Testers

Here's something people get wrong constantly—they only test with friends and family. Bad idea. Your mum will tell you its lovely even if the app crashes every five minutes! You need a mix of people who match your target audience and a few who don't, because unexpected users often find the most interesting problems.

Use TestFlight for iOS and Google Play's internal testing track for Android. Start with a small group (maybe 20-30 people) for the first week, then expand to 100+ if things are looking stable. This staged approach means you're not overwhelming yourself with feedback from hundreds of people whilst you're still fixing fundamental issues.

• Week 1: Internal team and close contacts who'll give honest feedback
• Week 2-3: Expand to target users who don't know you personally
• Week 3-4: Stress test with larger group and monitor metrics closely
• Week 4+: Final fixes and preparing for submission

Actually gathering useful feedback is harder than it sounds. Don't just ask "do you like it?"—that's useless. Ask specific questions about their experience: What were you trying to do when the app crashed? Which features did you use most? What made you close the app? The more specific your questions, the better the insights you'll get back.

App Store Approval and Technical Preparation

Right, let's talk about something that catches out nearly every first-time app launcher—the App Store approval process. Apple takes roughly 24-48 hours to review your app, but that's when everything goes smoothly. And here's the thing; it rarely goes smoothly on the first try. I've seen apps get rejected for the smallest things—missing privacy policy links, incorrect metadata, screenshots that don't match the actual app functionality. It's a bit mad really, but Apple is strict for a reason.

You need to factor in at least two weeks for the App Store approval process, maybe more if you're launching something complex or in a regulated industry like healthcare or finance. Google Play is usually faster—often approving within a few hours to a couple of days—but they can still reject your app if something doesn't meet their guidelines. The worst part? Each time you get rejected and need to resubmit, you're adding another review cycle to your timeline.

Common Technical Issues That Delay Launch

Beyond store approvals, there's the technical prep work that people always underestimate. Your app needs to be properly configured with analytics, crash reporting tools, and whatever backend services you're using. I mean, launching without proper error tracking is like flying blind—you won't know what's breaking until users start complaining. And by then its too late to make a good first impression.

Submit your app for review at least 3 weeks before your planned launch date; this gives you buffer time for rejections, technical issues, and the ability to choose your exact release date once approved.

Technical Checklist Before Submission

Here's what actually needs to be ready before you hit that submit button:

• All API integrations tested and working in production environment
• Privacy policy and terms of service pages live and accessible
• App metadata written (descriptions, keywords, screenshots)
• Analytics and crash reporting tools configured properly
• Push notification certificates set up and tested
• Payment processing fully tested if you're selling anything
• Beta testing feedback addressed and bugs fixed

Don't rush this phase. I've seen teams scramble to fix critical bugs after approval because they didn't test thoroughly enough—then you're stuck deciding whether to delay your launch or release something that's not quite ready. Neither option is great, honestly.

Creating Your Launch Day Strategy

Right, so you've done all the prep work and your app is ready to go—now what? Launch day isn't just about pressing a button and hoping for the best; its actually one of the most structured days in your entire timeline and honestly, it needs to be planned down to the hour.

Here's the thing—most people think launch day is when the work ends. It's not. Its when a different kind of work begins, and if you're not prepared for it you'll miss opportunities that wont come around again. First impressions matter ridiculously much in the app world, and you only get one shot at this.

Your Hour-by-Hour Launch Timeline

I always tell clients to create a launch day schedule that everyone on the team can follow. This isnt optional—it keeps everyone aligned and makes sure nothing falls through the cracks when things get hectic. And they will get hectic, trust me.

Start your day early (I mean really early) by checking that your app is live in all territories you're targeting. App Store approvals can be unpredictable, and sometimes theres a delay between when Apple says its live and when it actually appears. Check this yourself; don't rely on notifications alone.

What Needs to Happen in the First 24 Hours

The first day is about generating momentum quickly. You want downloads, reviews, and social proof piling up as fast as possible because this signals to the app stores that your app is worth promoting. Its a bit mad really, but the algorithms pay attention to velocity—how quickly things are happening—not just total numbers.

Here's your priority checklist for launch day itself:

• Send your announcement email to your pre-launch list first thing (they've been waiting for this)
• Post across all your social channels with direct download links
• Reach out to any press contacts or influencers you've lined up beforehand
• Monitor your app's performance metrics obsessively—crash rates, loading times, user feedback
• Respond to every single review and comment you get in the first 24 hours
• Have your support channels fully staffed and ready; you will get questions and bug reports
• Track where your installs are coming from so you know what's working

One mistake I see constantly is people launching and then just... waiting. They think the hard part is over. But launch day is actually when you need to be most active, most responsive, and most present. Your early users are your advocates if you treat them right, but they'll also be your harshest critics if things go wrong and you're nowhere to be found.

Also—and this is important—don't spend all day staring at download numbers. Yes, check them regularly, but focus more on user behaviour and feedback. Are people actually using the app? Are they completing the onboarding? Whats the retention looking like after the first session? These metrics tell you way more than raw install numbers ever will.

Conclusion

Look, theres no magic number that works for everyone when it comes to pre-launch timing—I wish there was, it would make my job a lot easier! But what I can tell you after building apps for nearly a decade is that most teams need between 3-6 months from the moment their MVP is ready until they actually launch. Some will need less. Some will need more. It genuinely depends on your specific situation.

The biggest mistake I see? Rushing because you're excited or because you've set an arbitrary date that someone pulled out of thin air. I mean, I get it—you've spent months building this thing and you want to get it out there. But launching before your marketing has had time to build momentum, before you've properly tested with real users, or before you've sorted your app store presence is just setting yourself up for disappointment. And probably a very expensive one at that.

Here's what actually matters: start your marketing activities at least 8-12 weeks before launch, give yourself a solid 4-6 weeks for beta testing (and actually listen to the feedback!), and factor in 1-2 weeks for app store approval—sometimes it takes longer if Apple finds issues. Your launch planning schedule should account for all of these phases running in parallel where possible; you don't need to finish one before starting another.

The apps that succeed are the ones where the team resists the urge to rush. They take the time needed to get their app release timing right, to build anticipation, to fix the bugs that matter, and to prepare their marketing properly. Its not about being slow—its about being smart with your timeline and your resources.