Skip to content
Log inGet started

Empty states and activation patterns

9 data-backed questions on Empty states and activation patterns, from Lazyweb Research — each answer cites proprietary analysis of real, in-market app screens.

Questions
9
With charts
8
With real screens
9
  • By Ali Abouelatta
  • Data as of July 2026
Read as Markdown
All research categories35

9 questions

Every question in this category

  1. Q 01

    Which empty-state and activation patterns are most common in mobile apps?

    Across 809 tracked apps, the plain empty state ("nothing here yet" / "no items") is the most widespread activation pattern, appearing in 373 apps (46%). Sample or demo content shows up in 100 apps an…    Calendly Onboarding screen — real in-market example tracked by Lazyweb Research
  2. Q 02

    What percent of apps use a setup checklist after signup?

    About 13% of tracked apps — 107 of 809 — ship a checklist-tagged activation screen. That is a strict lower bound from tag matching; a broad "get started" matcher inflates to 413 apps (51%), but most…    Testflight home screen — real in-market example tracked by Lazyweb Research
  3. Q 03

    How common is a dedicated cold-start (first-run) screen, and which apps use one?

    A dedicated cold-start screen category — the purpose-built first-run/empty screen a brand-new user hits — spans 58 canonical screens across 107 apps, from 374 raw screenshots. That makes it the small…    Camlist home screen — real in-market example tracked by Lazyweb Research
  4. Q 04

    Sample content vs social seeding: which empty-state fill pattern is more common?

    Sample or demo content is the more common way to fill an empty product: 100 apps use it (1,331 screenshots) versus 64 apps for social seeding (230 screenshots). Sample content leads in editor and cre…    Reminders home screen — real in-market example tracked by Lazyweb Research
  5. Q 05

    What do top apps show a brand-new user on an empty home screen?

    The most common answer is a plain empty state — 373 of 809 apps (46%) label the surface "nothing here yet" rather than pre-filling it. The home surface itself is well-represented: 430 canonical home…    Tiktok Account Setup screen — real in-market example tracked by Lazyweb Research
  6. Q 06

    How do apps get a new user to their first meaningful action?

    The evidence points to three main levers: a setup checklist (107 apps, 13%), pre-seeded sample content that gives users something to act on (100 apps), and social seeding that fills a feed (64 apps).…    Poshmark home screen — real in-market example tracked by Lazyweb Research
  7. Q 07

    Which app categories are most likely to use a setup checklist?

    Among the 107 apps with a checklist-tagged screen, Health & Fitness leads with 19 apps, followed by News (10) and Productivity (8). Only these three categories clear N>=8, so per-category rates below…    Beli Account Setup screen — real in-market example tracked by Lazyweb Research
  8. Q 08

    Which app categories invest most in a dedicated cold-start screen?

    Cold-start screenshots concentrate in Education (23) and Health & Fitness (17) — the only two categories that clear N>=8. Everything else (Magazines & Newspapers 6, Weather 5, News 5, and lower) is a…    Fashionphile home screen — real in-market example tracked by Lazyweb Research
  9. Q 09

    On web/SaaS products, which in-product surfaces host empty states and first-run guidance?

    Across 11,753 labeled desktop product screens, the in-product surfaces where empty states and first-run guidance live are, in order: editor (2,119), feed (1,252), dashboard (1,088), and onboarding (9…    Spotify home screen — real in-market example tracked by Lazyweb Research