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Monthly Active Users (MAU) Defined

MAU, or monthly active users, is a KPI that represents the number of unique users that engage with your app over a one-month period. While there is no standardized definition of what constitutes an “active user,” typical active user engagements include opening your app, logging in, or otherwise utilizing your app’s content/features in a meaningful way. MAU is often used as a benchmark metric for determining mobile app growth, performance, and ongoing popularity.

Measuring your MAU allows you to gauge several engagement metrics, including app retention, marketing campaign success, churn rate, and growth rate (current and potential).

How to Use it in a Sentence

MAU is useful when combined with other metrics, such as LTV (user lifetime value) but also serves as an indicator of general app health.

Common MAU FAQs

MAU measures active users on a monthly basis, and DAU (daily active users) measures active users on a daily basis. MAU and DAU can be studied together to paint a more holistic picture of user engagement. By dividing your DAU by your MAU, you can more accurately forecast your revenue potential over time, and by extension, the overall value of your product. This is known as the DAU:MAU ratio.

Although MAU does give you insight into app usage in the broader sense, it’s important to be wary of leaning too heavily on this metric, especially if you are a brand-new app. New apps, spurred on by launch ads and social campaigns, can often inflate MAU numbers and be an inaccurate reflection of steady growth.

The best way to increase your MAU is to establish a frequent and personal relationship with your users through omnichannel messaging. By leveraging push notifications, SMS updates, email campaigns, and contextual in-app messaging, you can address the needs of your user base and increase retention.

However, be wary of flooding your users’ devices with unwanted notifications. Your goal is to give your users relevant information that improves their experience, not 1,001 reasons to uninstall. For more information on how to find the right cadence and content for your messaging strategy, check out these easy solutions to mitigate the risks of over-messaging.