{"id":229,"count":0,"description":"","link":"https:\/\/tenjin.com\/ja\/glossary\/daily-active-user-dau\/","name":"Daily Active User (DAU)","slug":"daily-active-user-dau","taxonomy":"glossaries","parent":0,"meta":{"status":["1"],"order":["0"],"glossary_term_description":["
\r\n\r\nDefinition:<\/b>\r\n\r\nDAU (Daily Active Users) is the total number of unique users who interact with your app within a 24-hour period. It is one of the most widely used engagement metrics in mobile, giving you a real-time read on how many people are actively showing up for your app on any given day.<\/span>\r\n\r\nFormula:\u00a0<\/b>\r\n
DAU <\/span>=<\/span> Number <\/span>of<\/span> unique<\/span> users who were active <\/span>within<\/span> the app <\/span>in<\/span> a <\/span>24<\/span>-<\/span>hour<\/span> period\r\n\r\n<\/span><\/pre>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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What is a Daily Active User?<\/strong><\/h2>\r\nA daily active user is typically any user whose device registers a session event within the app on a given day. Users who clicked an ad but did not open the app, or who are installed but inactive, do not count.<\/span>\r\n\r\nThe definition of \"active\" can vary by app type. For most apps, opening the app is enough. For others, a more specific action may be required. A music streaming app might only count a user as active if they played a song. A fitness app might require a workout to be logged.<\/span>\r\n\r\nWhat matters is that you define \"active\" consistently and in a way that reflects genuine engagement with your product. A DAU count based on a meaningful action tells you much more than one based on a passive app open.<\/span>\r\n\r\nTenjin calculates DAU by counting the number of unique device IDs that register a session event on a given day. No estimates, no approximations.<\/span>\r\n
How to Calculate DAU<\/b><\/h2>\r\nDAU is a count, not a formula in the traditional sense. For any given day:<\/span>\r\n
DAU <\/span>=<\/span> Number <\/span>of<\/span> unique<\/span> users who were active <\/span>within<\/span> the app <\/span>in<\/span> a <\/span>24<\/span>-<\/span>hour<\/span> period\r\n\r\n<\/span><\/pre>\r\nWhere it becomes more analytical is when you track DAU over time, compare it against other metrics, or use it as an input into ratios like DAU\/MAU.<\/span>\r\n
DAU and MAU: Understanding the Ratio<\/b><\/h2>\r\nMAU<\/b> stands for Monthly Active Users, which is the number of unique users active within a 30-day period. Together, DAU and MAU form one of the most useful engagement ratios in mobile:<\/span>\r\n
DAU\/MAU Ratio = DAU \u00f7 MAU\r\n\r\n<\/span><\/pre>\r\nThis ratio, sometimes called the stickiness ratio, tells you what proportion of your monthly active users are coming back on a daily basis. A higher ratio indicates stronger habitual engagement.<\/span>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
DAU\/MAU Ratio<\/b><\/td>\r\nWhat It Suggests<\/b><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Below 10%<\/span><\/td>\r\nLow daily engagement relative to monthly reach<\/span><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
10% to 20%<\/span><\/td>\r\nModerate stickiness<\/span><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
20% to 40%<\/span><\/td>\r\nStrong daily engagement<\/span><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Above 40%<\/span><\/td>\r\nExceptionally high stickiness<\/span><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\nThese are directional benchmarks. What counts as strong stickiness varies by app category. For example, a daily utility app will naturally have a higher DAU\/MAU ratio than a travel booking app used a few times a year.<\/span>\r\n
Why DAU Matters<\/strong><\/h2>\r\nDAU is more than a vanity metric. When read in context, it tells you a great deal about the health of your app and the quality of your user base.<\/span>\r\n
Engagement Signal<\/strong><\/h4>\r\nA growing DAU is a sign that users are finding consistent value in your app. It reflects genuine, recurring engagement rather than one-time installs that go cold.<\/span>\r\n
User Quality Indicator<\/strong><\/h4>\r\nIf your DAU is growing faster than your install rate, it suggests that the users you are acquiring are high-quality ones who actually stick around and return. If installs are climbing but DAU is not keeping pace, that is a signal that your acquisition targeting may need attention, you are bringing in users who are not finding enough value to come back.<\/span>\r\n
Retention Proxy\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\r\nDAU and retention are closely linked. A healthy dataset will show DAU, retention rate, and LTV moving in the same direction. If DAU is rising while retention is falling, something in your engagement or onboarding experience deserves a closer look.<\/span>\r\n
Revenue Foundation\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\r\nMany monetization metrics including ARPDAU use DAU as their denominator. The accuracy and health of your DAU directly affects how meaningful those downstream metrics are.<\/span>\r\n
How to Increase Daily Active Users<\/strong><\/h2>\r\nGrowing DAU comes down to two things: bringing in users who are likely to return, and giving existing users a reason to keep coming back.<\/span>\r\n\r\nImprove Onboarding<\/b>\r\n\r\nThe first session is where most churn begins. An onboarding experience that gets users to a moment of genuine value quickly has a direct impact on Day 1 and Day 7 retention, which feeds directly into sustained DAU growth.<\/span>\r\n
Focus UA on Quality, Not Just Volume<\/strong><\/h4>\r\nMore installs do not automatically mean more daily active users. Targeting acquisition campaigns toward audiences with strong engagement signals produces a user base that actually returns.<\/span>\r\n
Use Custom Events to Identify Engagement Drivers<\/strong><\/h4>\r\n
Tracking the in-app actions that correlate with return visits helps you understand what keeps users coming back. Once you know which behaviors predict retention, you can design your app experience to encourage them.<\/span><\/h4>\r\n
Re-engage Lapsed Users<\/strong><\/h4>\r\nUsers who were once active but have gone quiet are not necessarily lost. Push notifications, in-app messaging, and re-engagement campaigns can bring a meaningful portion of them back, contributing to DAU without requiring new acquisition spend.<\/span>\r\n
Monitor DAU by Cohort and Channel<\/strong><\/h4>\r\nOverall DAU can mask significant variation underneath. Cohort-level analysis helps you see which acquisition sources and time periods are producing users who stay active, so you can double down on what is working.<\/span>\r\n
DAU in Tenjin<\/strong><\/h2>\r\nTenjin calculates DAU by counting unique device IDs that register a session event on each day. You can track DAU over any date range, and Tenjin also surfaces unique user counts across arbitrary date ranges, giving you flexibility in how you slice and analyze your active user data.<\/span>\r\n\r\nWhen you combine DAU data with Tenjin's attribution reporting, you can connect active user trends back to specific campaigns, channels, and creatives. That connection is what turns a headline number into an actionable insight.<\/span>\r\n\r\n
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Related Terms<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n