What metric, beyond daily active users (DAU), offers the most insightful view of long-term app user engagement and satisfaction?

Beyond Daily Active Users (DAU), retention rate is the metric that offers the most insightful view of long-term app user engagement and satisfaction. Retention rate measures the percentage of users who continue to use the app over a defined period, such as 7 days, 30 days, or 90 days, after their initial install. Unlike DAU, which only provides a snapshot of daily usage, retention rate reveals how well the app keeps users engaged and coming back over time. A high retention rate indicates that users find the app valuable and continue to derive utility from it. For example, a 30-day retention rate of 40% suggests that 40% of users who installed the app a month ago are still actively using it. This is a strong indicator of long-term satisfaction. Analyzing retention cohorts (groups of users who installed the app during the same period) can further reveal patterns in user behavior and identify areas for improvement in the app's onboarding process, features, or user experience. Tracking retention alongside DAU provides a more complete picture of app health and long-term sustainability.