Elevate · B2C · brain training app
Send reminders as local notifications that users can't switch off
Unknownnotifications
What they did
Around 2015, iOS let users disable push notifications but not local notifications, so apps (Elevate, and likely Duolingo) sent reminders as local notifications; also cheaper than building push. Apple later unified notification controls, closing the loophole.
- Stage
- 2015
In their words
Sub Club by RevenueCat · Why You Should Test Everything and How To Do It — Osman Mansur, Duolingo“So, like everybody, we were doing this at Elevate, and I know Duolingo was probably doing it, too. This is back in like 2015. You were using local notifications, because like, you couldn't turn them off, uh, right?”
Related topics
Get tactics like this every Monday
New tactics from the week's founder interviews, each linked to where it was said.
More from Elevate
All 5 Elevate tactics- Soft launch a rough version on Android and watch replays of every user~500 downloads a day; learned a lot without needing scale
- Email your previous app's users when you launch a new oneA small but meaningful early boost, per the cohost
- Make the free version thin so almost everyone has to start a trialBig jump in trial starts, but lower user affinity, per co-host
- Run sales and discount promotions once someone can own themCohost calls it a huge unlock; no numbers
More from this episode
- Duolingo: Ship every change as an A/B test, even back-end tweaksCredited for ~50% yearly DAU growth a decade after launch; no test-level numbers
- Duolingo: Never run two tests on the same screen; email the team before and after each testTeams rarely step on each other; no numbers
- Duolingo: Keep each test running 3-4 weeks, even if results look clear the next day
- Duolingo: After a big launch, keep 1-2% of users on the old version for 3-4 months
- Duolingo: Have every employee use the app and post feedback in one Slack channelA key source of test ideas; no numbers
- Duolingo: Let an algorithm pick from 250 reminder messages, and A/B test adding new onesNotifications called a top retention driver; no numbers shared
- Duolingo: Send a calm daily reminder, then an urgent 10 PM 'save your streak' messageGuest calls distinct purposes 'really important'; no numbers
- Duolingo: Mix cheerful and passive-aggressive reminders in the mascot's voice over 7 daysA quirky day-4 message can win back users who ignored the first three
- Duolingo: Keep reminders to about three words for newer users; say more to loyal onesThree-word messages 'worked really well'; no numbers shared
- Duolingo: Put an emoji at the start of the notification title, not in the bodyTitle-leading emoji beat emoji in the body in tests
- Duolingo: Tell users to 'tap here to start a quick lesson' in remindersUnderperformed; read as an ad rather than the mascot talking
- Duolingo: Let users skip a day without losing their streak, up to two days'Amazing for retention'; later tweaks kept adding retention gains
- Duolingo: Let users buy back a lost streak, or get it free with the subscription
- Duolingo: Add a home screen widget where the mascot looks more worried until you practiceBeat expectations as a retention lever; no numbers shared
- Duolingo: After a finished lesson, show a card asking users to add the widgetSurprisingly many installs; widget DAU went 'hockey stick'