Re-engagement push after first exit: +140% paid user activation
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsBeach Bum Games saw a 140% rise in paid user activation within 10 days of moving its re-engagement messages into automated journeys, led by a push sent within two minutes of a new player's first exit.
The post-exit push got a 12% click-through rate in the Gin Rummy game.
This was a before-and-after comparison, not a split test, published on the RevenueCat blog in a roundup of OneSignal case studies.
- Paid user activation: +140% within 10 days of launch, measured before versus after, not against a holdout group.
- Post-exit push click-through rate: 12% in Gin Rummy.
- Bonus-collection reminders: 6.5% conversion rate back into the app.
- Session-length targeted messages: 20% click-through rate, in the Backgammon and Domino games, not Gin Rummy.
Control
New Gin Rummy players got no follow-up after they first left the app. Many churned soon after download.
Variant
An automated push went out within two minutes of a player's first exit. Alongside it, the studio added reminders to collect bonuses after daily missions and messages aimed at players with short sessions.
Why it likely won
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- Two minutes after exit, the phone is often still in the player's hand, so the message lands while interest is fresh.
- The first days after install decide whether a player sticks, so a nudge then has more room to change behavior.
- Bonus reminders give a concrete reason to come back, not just a generic prompt.
- Several campaigns launched together, so the 140% reflects the whole set, not the post-exit push alone.
Caveats: Before-and-after result with several campaigns shipped at once, so the gain can't be credited to the post-exit push alone. Published on the RevenueCat blog about OneSignal, an integration partner, with no sample size or significance shared.
Who ran it
Beach Bum Games ran this test. Source: RevenueCat blog (OneSignal case roundup). The numbers are theirs; the summary and commentary on this page are ours.
How to run this test on your app
- Hypothesis
- If we send a push within minutes of a new user's first exit, then more new users will return and convert to paid because the reminder arrives while the app is still top of mind.
- Primary metric
- Paid user activation within 10 days of install
- Guardrails
- Push opt-out and uninstall rate
- Day-7 retention
- Notification permission grant rate
- Who should test it
- Casual games and other apps with high early churn and a reason to return soon after first use. Keep a holdout group so you can measure the real lift. It may annoy users in apps meant for occasional use, where a fast push feels pushy.
Questions
How soon after exit should the first push go out?
Beach Bum Games sent it within two minutes.
Test a few delays against a holdout group, since the best timing depends on how your users play.
Why run a holdout instead of comparing before and after?
Seasonality, ad spend and app updates can all move activation.
A holdout that gets no push shows how much of the change the messages caused.
Will fast pushes raise opt-outs?
They can. Watch opt-out and uninstall rates alongside clicks, and cap how many messages a new user gets in the first days.