First-time downloads (App Analytics)

Total Downloads in App Analytics is the sum of first-time downloads and redownloads. For growth, first-time downloads are the number that shows new people finding the app. Redownloads show returning users, for example after a device change.

You can break downloads out by territory, device and source, so you can see which traffic sources bring new people.

Two Apple features use this exact count as a display threshold:

• Custom product page metrics appear after the page receives at least five first-time downloads.
• Product page optimization results appear after five first-time downloads are associated with the test.

These thresholds decide when numbers are shown, not when they are reliable. Five downloads cannot tell you which variant wins.

A hypothetical habit tracker sees 400 total downloads in a week: 310 first-time and 90 redownloads. The 310 are new people. Its conversion rate divides all 400 by unique impressions, because Apple includes both kinds. If the team wants the rate for new people only, it has to compute it separately from the first-time number.

• Reporting total downloads as new users.
• Judging a test the day it shows five first-time downloads.
• Ignoring that first-time downloads differ by country; check storefronts one by one.

Open App Analytics and compare first-time downloads before and after your next metadata update.