I just finished building an app and I’m struggling to get clear, unbiased feedback from real users. I’m trying to figure out what works, what’s confusing, and what I should fix before launching. Can you review my app, point out any issues, and suggest improvements so I can make it more user-friendly and ready for release?
Drop a link or some screenshots and people here will give better feedback. Until then, here is a simple checklist you can run through yourself and with a few testers.
- Onboarding
- Time the first run. If someone cannot reach the main value in under 60 seconds, trim steps.
- Watch 3 people use it without helping them. Note where they pause or ask “what now”.
- Remove 1 field or 1 step from signup. Most apps see higher completion when forms stay under 3 fields.
- Navigation
- Every main action should be reachable in 2 taps from home. If anything needs 4 taps, rethink the structure.
- Labels over icons. If you rely only on icons, ask 5 people what each icon does. Rename or relayout anything over 20 percent wrong guesses.
- Copy and wording
- Replace vague labels like “Continue” or “Submit” with specific ones like “Save note” or “Send report”.
- Short tooltips beat long help screens. One line, under 80 chars, near the thing it explains.
- Run your key screens through a spelling check. One typo kills trust for a lot of users.
- Performance and bugs
- Target under 2 seconds for screen loads on a mid range phone and average wifi.
- Test low connectivity. Turn on airplane mode, then back off, see what breaks.
- Crash once and many users churn. Add a simple “Report problem” button that pre fills device info.
- Visuals and layout
- Check tap targets. At least 44x44 points. If your thumb misses often, they are too small.
- Use one primary color for actions. If multiple colors shout for attention, nothing feels important.
- Test light vs dark background. Many users leave fast if contrast hurts their eyes.
- Value and retention
- Ask users after 3 sessions: “What did you use it for last time”. If they cannot answer, your core value is unclear.
- Add a simple “Recent activity” or “Continue where you left off” on the home screen. Makes repeat use easier.
- Track one metric, not ten. For example, “number of users who complete X task in week one”.
- Getting unbiased feedback
- Do 5 short calls with strangers, not friends. Offer a small gift card.
- Tell them “You will not hurt my feelings. I need brutal feedback.”
- Ask them to speak out loud. Write down exact words they say like “confusing”, “slow”, “nice”, “ugly”. Those words guide fixes.
Post:
- A short video of someone using your app for the first time.
- 3 key screens.
- A one sentence goal. “This app helps X do Y.”
People here will rip it apart in a useful way.
Drop the link and I’ll happily roast it, but until then here’s how I’d structure a pre launch review that complements what @chasseurdetoiles said without just repeating the checklist.
They focused a lot on UX basics. I’d zoom out a bit more into product reality check:
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Start with a one line pitch
Literally write:
“This app helps [who] do [what] so they can [why it matters].”
If you can’t get testers to repeat that back in their own words after 2 minutes in the app, something’s off. I’d fix that before polishing animations or color palettes. -
Test “would you care if this vanished”
After a user has tried the app for 2 or 3 days, ask one question:- “If this app disappeared tomorrow, what would you use instead?”
If their answer is “idk, I just wouldn’t do it” you might have something.
If they instantly name 3 competitors, you’re probably just a slightly different UI on an existing workflow.
- “If this app disappeared tomorrow, what would you use instead?”
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Find the “confusing” moments by watching faces, not flows
Everyone says “run usability tests,” but here’s a simple twist:- Record a screen share and their face (Zoom, Loom, whatever).
- Whenever their eyebrows crunch or they lean back from the phone, pause and write down exactly what they were looking at.
That “micro cringe” is usually more honest than whatever they say later like “yeah it was fine.”
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Check if your features are secretly vanity features
Go through every screen and ask:- Did a real user ask for this, or did I think it was cool?
- If I remove this feature, does the core promise of the app still work?
Anything that survives removal is core. Everything else is a distraction till after launch.
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Don’t over optimize onboarding yet
This is where I slightly disagree with @chasseurdetoiles. Hitting 60 seconds to value is nice, but if your product is inherently complex (finance, creative tools, pro utilities), shaving 10 seconds off onboarding won’t save you if the mental model is wrong.
Early on, I’d rather have:- A slightly longer onboarding that clearly sets expectations
than - A super fast one that leads to “wait, what does this thing actually do?”
- A slightly longer onboarding that clearly sets expectations
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Do one “rage test”
Ask a tester to:- Perform a key task
- Then repeat it 5 times in slightly different ways
You’re looking for where they rage tap, spam back, or just sigh. If they get annoyed, that exact flow will be 10x worse with real traffic.
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Pricing & value perception
If you plan to charge at some point, test this now:- Show them your main value screen
- Ask: “If this cost $X/month, would you: pay, think it’s expensive, or uninstall?”
The actual number is less important than the reactions. Watch if they hesitate, laugh, or shrug. That tells you if you’re solving a “meh” problem or a painful one.
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How to get more honest feedback from strangers
Friends lie by being nice. Strangers lie by being lazy. To avoid both:- Never ask “What do you think?”
- Ask:
- “Tell me about the last time you tried to do [problem] without this app.”
- “What’s the most annoying part of using my app right now?”
- “If you were forced to delete one screen from this app, which one and why?”
That last one surfaces bloat fast.
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If you want feedback here specifically
When you post your app for review, include:- The one sentence pitch
- Platform (iOS / Android / web)
- 2 or 3 specific questions like:
- “Is the home screen obvious?”
- “Does the settings menu make sense?”
- “Where did you get stuck?”
Open ended “feedback please” threads usually die. Precise questions get real answers.
Drop a link + 2 or 3 screenshots and your 1 line goal and I’ll go through it and tell you what feels broken, confusing, or pointless. Expect some bluntness, but that’s kinda the point before launch, right?