Mobile App UX Audit
A mobile app UX audit from Science of Apps is a 2–4 week behavioral psychology review of your iOS or Android app's key journeys. We find where and why users hesitate, drop off or churn, and hand you prioritised, evidence-based fixes. It suits product and growth teams from pre-Series A to mid-market, from ₹85,000 in India and $2,900 in the US.
Problems this audit solves
- “Installs are healthy but most users never come back after day one.”
- “People start sign-up and abandon it halfway.”
- “App store reviews say the app is 'confusing' but nobody can say exactly why.”
- “A redesign looked better but conversion did not move.”
- “Key features exist but hardly anyone finds or uses them.”
What we evaluate
Thumb-zone and touch targets
Placement and size of primary actions on real phone sizes, using Fitts's Law and platform guidelines (44 pt on iOS, 48 dp on Android).
Decision load per screen
How many choices, fields and messages each screen asks people to process, using Hick's Law, cognitive load and choice overload.
Platform conventions
Whether navigation, gestures and system patterns match what iOS and Android users already expect (Jakob's Law).
Feedback and speed
Perceived responsiveness, loading states and feedback against the Doherty Threshold and the labor illusion.
Reviews and sentiment
App store reviews and social posts mined for the psychological causes behind complaints, not just the complaints.
How it works
Week 1 — setup and observation: we agree scope and goals, get product access and walk the journeys with clean eyes.
Weeks 1–3 — evaluation: user interviews, app store and social review mining, competitor benchmarks and analysis against the principles below.
Weeks 2–4 — synthesis: a structured report where every finding states what is happening, why, the impact and what to do next, ranked by priority, plus a live findings session. See the full method.
What it costs
Most teams book this audit at the Starter tier: — pre-series a · single product flow or onboarding. It can also be scoped at Growth () or Enterprise (). Compare tiers.
Principles we evaluate
Interaction & speedFitts's Law
The time it takes to reach a target depends on its distance and size: bigger, closer targets are faster and easier to hit.
Decision-makingHick's Law
The time it takes to make a decision increases with the number and complexity of the choices available.
Interaction & speedJakob's Law
Users spend most of their time in other products, so they expect yours to work the same way as the apps and sites they already know.
Memory & attentionCognitive Load
Cognitive load is the amount of mental effort needed to understand and use an interface; when it exceeds what people can handle, they slow down, make mistakes or give up.
Interaction & speedDoherty Threshold
Productivity and engagement rise sharply when a system responds in under about 400 milliseconds, so neither the user nor the computer is left waiting on the other.
Interaction & speedAffordances & Signifiers
An affordance is what an object lets you do; a signifier is the cue that shows you how. Clear signifiers tell users what is interactive and how to use it.
Decision-makingChoice Overload
When people face too many options, deciding becomes harder and less satisfying — and they are more likely to choose nothing at all.
Product strategyProgressive Disclosure
Show only the most important options first and reveal advanced or rarely used features when users need them, making interfaces easier to learn and use.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a mobile app UX audit cost?
Fixed-scope audits cost ₹85,000 in India and $2,900 in the US for one flow or onboarding, ₹1,95,000 in India and $6,650 in the US for full product flows plus a funnel audit, and from ₹4,50,000 in India and $15,350 in the US for multi-product work.
How long does a mobile app UX audit take?
Most audits take 2 to 4 weeks from kickoff to the findings session, depending on how many journeys and user segments are in scope.
Do you audit both iOS and Android apps?
Yes. We review the platform your users use most, and both when behaviour differs between them, including platform-specific conventions on each.
What do you need from us to start?
Access to a test build or production account, any analytics or funnel data you can share, and a short call to agree the journeys and goals in scope.
Will you sign an NDA?
Yes. We are happy to sign your NDA before we see your product, data or roadmap.
Do you interview our users?
Yes. Every tier includes user interviews — 5 in Starter, 12 in Growth and 20–25 in Enterprise — mixing your existing users with fresh recruits.
How is this different from a usability test?
A usability test shows where people struggle. A behavioral UX audit also explains why, using established psychology, and ranks the fixes by expected impact.
Other audits
SaaS UX Audit
A behavioral UX audit for SaaS products: trial-to-paid conversion, activation, feature adoption and pricing pages. 2–4 weeks, from ₹85,000 in India and $2,900 in the US.
Onboarding & Activation Audit
An onboarding and activation audit for apps and SaaS: find why new users drop off after sign-up and get them to first value faster. From ₹85,000 in India and $2,900 in the US.
Retention & Churn Audit
A behavioral retention audit: why users stop coming back or cancel, and which product changes reduce churn. For apps and SaaS, from ₹85,000 in India and $2,900 in the US.
Book your Mobile app audit.
Share your product and goals; we will confirm scope, tier and timeline.