Most "how to get more app installs" posts say the same five things: fix your screenshots, get reviews, do some ASO, run ads, offer an incentive. None of that is wrong. It's just vague enough to be useless on its own. Below is the more specific version, the stuff that actually moves the number, not just the checklist.
1. Your store listing is probably doing less than you think
Open your own listing on a phone and scroll through it like someone who's never heard of your app. Does the name tell them anything? Does the first screenshot answer "what is this, and why would I want it" in under two seconds? If you have to squint to figure out what the app does, everyone else will too.
Fix the first three screenshots before you touch anything else, most people never scroll past them. A short preview video helps only if it shows the app actually working, not a montage set to music. If the store gives you listing-test tools, use them, and judge by conversion rate, not by what looks nicest in a meeting.
2. Reviews come from a good product, not from asking nicely
You can't review-prompt your way out of a buggy onboarding flow. People leave good reviews when something genuinely worked for them, usually right after a moment when the app did its job well, not on first launch or mid-task. Time the prompt for that moment instead of firing it on a schedule.
The 1- and 2-star reviews are more useful than they feel. If three different people complain about the same confusing screen, that's a free bug report. Fixing it will do more for your install rate long-term than another round of review requests, and don't ever tie a reward to a review it'll get your app pulled.
3. ASO is about matching words, not stuffing them
App store optimization means using the words your actual audience searches for in the fields the store lets you use. That's it. The mistake isn't skipping ASO, it's cramming keywords into a description until it reads like spam. Pick the phrases that match intent, use them where they fit naturally, and stop.
If you're live in more than one country, translating the text is the easy 20%. The screenshots, the example use cases, even the pricing framing often need to change too. And check which keywords bring installs versus which just bring visitors, the highest-traffic term isn't always the one worth chasing.
4. Pick one channel, one audience, and measure it honestly
Paid search, social ads, creator partnerships, how-to content, they all work, for different apps and different audiences. What doesn't work is running the same generic ad everywhere and hoping volume covers poor targeting. Match the channel to where your actual users already spend time, and write the message for that specific group.
Before you spend anything, decide what you're measuring besides installs, sign-ups, first purchase, week-one retention. A campaign that produces cheap installs and no active users isn't a win, it's a leak. Fix the targeting or the message before you put more money behind it.
5. Give people a reason to open the app a second time
A free trial, a useful feature unlocked early, a referral bonus, these lower the barrier to trying something new, but only if the offer still makes sense after the install. An incentive that looks good in the ad but falls flat once someone's in the app will only inflate your uninstall rate. Keep referral terms simple, and check the store's current rules before promising rewards.
What happens in the first two minutes after install matters more than the incentive that got someone there. A fast, clear path to the app's actual value is what turns a download into someone who sticks around.
None of this works in isolation
Fix the listing first, it's the cheapest lever and it touches everyone, including the people you're about to pay to reach. Then test one acquisition channel at a time instead of three at once, so you actually know what's working. Reviews and retention will tell you where the product itself needs work, which is usually a better use of a week than another ad variant.
If you're weighing which of these to tackle first, or want a hand with the acquisition side specifically, take a look at what we offer and see what fits your app and the store policies you're working under.