Downloads tell you how many people install an app. They don't tell you how many keep using it. Monthly Active Users (MAU) estimates how many people used an app over the last month, so you can compare the real audience of your app and your competitors.
Use MAU to:
Measure the active audience of any app, not only its install volume
Benchmark engagement against competitors in the same market
Spot apps whose audience grows faster than their downloads
How we define MAU
MAU is a rolling value computed every day. It follows each store's own definition, so you can compare our estimates with your console data:
iOS: devices on which the app was opened at least once in the last 30 days
Android: users who opened the app at least once in the last 28 days
Within that window, each user (Android) or device (iOS) is counted once, however many times they open the app.
iOS: all active users, not only opted in users
App Store Connect only reports usage from users who agreed to share their data with developers. Our iOS MAU estimates all active devices, including users who didn't opt in. This is why our iOS MAU is usually higher than the number you see in App Store Connect.
Monthly values
When you look at MAU per month, we show the value of the last day of the month. Because MAU covers the previous 28 or 30 days, this value best represents the users active during that month.
How MAU is aggregated
One person can be active in several apps, categories or DNAs at the same time. Adding their MAU together would count that person more than once.
That's why we only add up MAU within a single app, across its countries and devices. This is the only assumption we make: one person rarely uses the same app on several devices or in several countries.
We never add up MAU across apps, publishers, categories or DNAs. As a result:
The All apps row in App Explorer stays empty for MAU
Publisher Explorer and Publisher Comparison don't show MAU
Market Overview shows MAU per app only
Charts that show a total across several apps aren't available for MAU
Unified apps are treated as separate apps, so their MAU isn't added up
MAU vs Avg. MAU
MAU is the value on the last day of the month. You'll see it in the App Explorer and Market Overview tables, and in monthly charts.
Avg. MAU is the average of the daily MAU values over a period. You'll find it in the Market Overview bar chart and in the table of the app performance page.
The two don't match for the same month. The first days of a month still include users who were active during the previous month, and Avg. MAU includes those days.
đĄ Expert tip: Use MAU for a snapshot of a month. Use Avg. MAU to compare two periods for the same app.
Where to find MAU in AppTweak
App Explorer: MAU filter and MAU column (last complete month)
Market Overview: dedicated MAU tab with the history of the top 10 apps since January 2024, plus an MAU column in the app table
App performance page: MAU chart by country or device, daily or monthly, plus Avg. MAU in the table
App Comparison and publisher page: MAU broken down by app
The MAU column in Market Overview and App Explorer doesn't follow the selected period. Like lifetime downloads, it shows the last complete month and is updated once a month.
Compare our estimates with your own data
If your app is in AppTweak, you can check our MAU against your store console.
Google Play Console
Go to Statistics â App statistics
Open the metric menu and select Engagement â Monthly Active Users (MAU)
Choose a Daily interval
â ď¸ Important tip: Pick Monthly Active Users, not Monthly active devices. Our Android MAU counts users.
App Store Connect
Go to your app's Analytics tab
Open the metric menu and select Usage â Active Last 30 Days
â ď¸ Important tip: App Store Connect only counts users who opted in to share their data. Expect our iOS MAU to be higher, since it covers all active devices.
Availability & Scope
Plan: MAU is available as an option on top of Market Intelligence Enterprise. On other plans, the MAU filter and columns are shown locked.
History: MAU data starts on 1 January 2024. A vertical line marks this date on charts.
Data delay: same as downloads and revenue, one month in Market Overview and 2 days in App and Publisher Comparison.
Granularity: daily or monthly.
Seasonality: Seasonality mode isn't available for MAU. MAU already covers 28 or 30 days, so daily patterns are smoothed out.
FAQ
Why is the All apps cell empty for MAU?
Because MAU can't be added up across apps. One person using two apps would be counted twice.
Why don't MAU and Avg. MAU match for the same month?
MAU is the value on the last day of the month. Avg. MAU averages every day of the month, including the first days, which still count users active at the end of the previous month.
Why is your iOS MAU higher than App Store Connect?
App Store Connect only counts users who opted in to share their data. We estimate all active devices.
Why do iOS and Android use different windows?
We follow each store's own definition: 30 days in App Store Connect, 28 days in Google Play Console. This makes our estimates directly comparable with your console data.
Can I see MAU before 2024?
No. MAU data starts on 1 January 2024.