Understanding devices, sessions and performance overview
In a nutshell
Devices and Sessions are core KPIs that help you understand how many users are accessing your rebranded mobile app and how actively they are engaging with it. Devices indicates the number of unique devices that have accessed your app, giving you visibility into overall user adoption. Sessions represents the number of times users actively interact with the app, helping you measure engagement frequency. Together, these metrics provide a reliable overview of your app’s usage trends and user activity at a glance.
- Learn more about the Mobile Metrics dashboard.
- To find out how to get the usage statistics across web applications, check out our Metrics documentation.
Availability
Metrics for rebranded mobile apps is available:
- As part of the rebranded mobile apps add-on for Portals or on the Enterprise plan (which contains rebranded mobile apps by default)
- Only in the Creator 6 version of Zoho Creator.
- Only super admins can enable this feature in the System Integrations page. Once enabled, both super admins and admins can enable app metrics during code signing and view the collected metrics data.
1. Overview
The Devices (new and active) and Sessions KPIs capture essential app usage data for monitoring mobile app adoption and engagement. These KPIs are displayed as summary cards on the Mobile Metrics dashboard, showing the current count along with a comparison against the previous period. This visual representation helps you quickly track trends, identify spikes or drops in usage, and assess the impact of recent app updates.
This comprehensive dashboard provides usage statistics for the chosen mobile application based on the rebranded mobile apps' user access and activity. You can also track performance metrics across devices and platforms over various time periods and leverage these insights to optimize your apps and enhance productivity.
In the Performance Overview line chart, the percentage difference in each marker point denotes the comparison with the previous marker point. You can also switch between All, New, Active, Sessions tabs to view the respective trends of device count (new or active) and session count over time.
Note:
- The platform and date filter you apply in this dashboard will be applied to the Performance Overview line chart as well. To know more about date filters, refer this page.
- The percentage difference will be shown for the first three cards: New Devices, Active Devices, and Sessions per app. This will be a comparison between the previous time period of the one selected in the date filter. For example, assume you are in April 2024, and you have selected the past 3 months filter. All the metrics inside the dashboard will be for the period of January to March 2024. The percentage difference will be calculated by comparing Jan to March 2024 with Oct to Dec 2023.
Assume an organization called Zylker uses a Creator mobile application called Online Food Orders to display their menu and accept orders from customers in their locality as well as manage their orders. Let's get a glimpse of all the information the admins can track with this dashboard.
1.1. KPIs to track devices
Metric | Description | Snapshot | Example |
New Devices | The total number of devices in which the app has been downloaded and installed. Note:
Click on the card to get the list of new devices accessed across platforms and devices. | If this app has been downloaded on 20 devices, then the new device count will be 20. | |
Active Devices | The total number of unique devices in which at least one active session has happened in the past 30 days. Note: If the same device is used for more than one day in the selected date range, it will still be counted as one. For example:
Click on the card to view a list of active devices drilled down by platform and device type. | Out of the 20 devices on which this app has been downloaded, if 8 devices have had at least one active session in the past 30 days, then the device count will be 8. | |
Performance overview | Line chart highlighting the trends of device count (new or active) and session count over time. This chart helps to view changes (like spikes or anomalies) in the usage of downloaded mobile apps. | If you notice a sudden spike in active device count and session count on a particular day, it could indicate increased user engagement after a new feature release or marketing campaign. Conversely, a drop might suggest performance issues or reduced user activity. | |
Usage by devices | Donut chart that lets you instantly know the usage distribution (percentage) across different device types (mobile, tablet, and others) and is based on unique active device count for the chosen time period. | This chart might show that 70% of customers place orders via mobile, 20% via tablets, and 10% via other devices. This indicates that most customers prefer using their phones to browse menus and place orders. | |
Usage by platform | Donut chart that lets you instantly find out the usage distribution (percentage) across different platforms - iOS, Android or Windows and is based on total active devices captured through OS. | This chart might show that 65% of users access the app from Android devices, 30% from iOS, and 5% from Windows. This helps you understand which platform your customers most commonly use to browse menus and place orders. |
1.2 KPIs to track sessions
| Metric | Description | Snapshot | Example |
Sessions | Represents a single, continuous period of user interaction with your app. A session starts when a user opens the app and brings it to the foreground. It ends when the app is sent to the background or closed after user interaction. If the user minimizes the app and later reopens it, this is also counted as a new session. Click on the card to get an overview list of sessions. | ||
Total Sessions | Total number of interactions a user has with your app over a specific period i.e the number of times a user opens and closes the app. Know how to view app usage for a specific time period. | ||
Unique active devices | Total number of distinct devices that recorded at least one active session in your app during the selected time period. | ||
Total session duration | Refers to the cumulative amount of time that all users collectively spend in an app during a specified period. It is calculated by summing up the duration of all sessions across all users. | ||
Average session duration | The average amount of time a user spends in the app during a single session. |
2. New Devices
The New Devices KPI helps you track first-time devices that start using your rebranded mobile app and understand adoption trends across platforms and device types. Clicking on the New Devices card will open the New Devices - Overview page that provides a list of new devices as bar and line charts categorized by platforms and device types, respectively.
2.1 New devices by platform
The below bar chart shows the number of new devices added to your app over time, grouped by platform.
- The stacked bar chart represents the total number of new devices added for each day in the selected time period.
- Each bar is split by platform, allowing you to compare iOS and Android device additions at a glance.
- Use the All, iOS, and Android filters to view the newly added devices in each platform.
- Hovering over a bar displays the exact device count and percentage change compared to the previous period.
- This view helps you understand which platform is driving new user adoption and how platform-wise growth changes over time.
Example insights
- A consistent increase in Android devices over multiple days may indicate stronger adoption on Android compared to iOS.
- A sudden spike on a specific day could be linked to a marketing campaign, app update, or new app rollout.
- If iOS growth remains flat while Android increases, it may signal the need to review iOS app visibility or onboarding experience.
2.2 New devices by device type
The below line chart highlights how new devices are distributed across different device types.
- The line chart represents trends in new devices added for each device type (for example, phone, tablet, or TV).
- Each line shows how the count of new devices across the selected time period.
- Hovering over a data point reveals the device count and percentage change for that specific date.
- This view helps you identify which device types are most commonly used to access your app and detect shifts in user preferences.
Example insights
- A steady rise in phone devices suggests that most users are accessing your app on mobile phones.
- An increase in tablet or TV devices could indicate usage in workspaces, shared environments, or large-screen use cases.
- A drop in a specific device type after an update may highlight compatibility or performance issues on that device category.
2.3 Date filter
The date filter lets you change the time range for both charts. Based on the selected period, the charts automatically update, enabling you to:
- Analyze short-term spikes or drops
- Compare week-over-week or month-over-month trends
- Drill down into specific dates for detailed insights. Read more
Example insights
- Switching from a weekly to a daily view can help pinpoint the exact date when a change in adoption occurred.
- Comparing two different time ranges can reveal whether growth trends are improving or declining.
Note: Changing the platform here will not affect the data displayed in the Mobile metrics monitoring dashboard.
3. Active Devices
The Active Devices KPI helps you understand how many distinct devices are actively engaging with your app during a selected time period. An active device is counted when it records at least one session in the chosen date range. Clicking on the Active Device card will open the Active Devices - Overview page that provides a list of active devices as bar and line charts categorized by platforms and device types, respectively. This view is useful for measuring actual app usage, not just installs or first-time access.
3.1 Active devices by platform
The below chart shows the number of active devices over time, broken down by platform.It helps you track how consistently users return to your app across platforms.
- The stacked bar chart represents the total active devices for each day in the selected period.
- Each bar is divided by platform (iOS and Android), allowing easy comparison of platform-wise engagement.
- Use the All, iOS, and Android filters to focus on a specific platform.
- Hover over a bar to view the exact device count and the percentage change compared to the previous period.
Example insights
- If Android active devices remain consistently higher than iOS, it indicates stronger day-to-day engagement on Android.
- A sudden drop in active devices on a particular day could signal app outages, crashes, or backend issues.
- If new devices are increasing but active devices remain flat, it may indicate low user retention after the first use.
3.2 Active devices by device type
The below chart shows how active devices are distributed across different device types over time. This view helps you understand where your app is being actively used and prioritize device-specific optimizations.
- The line chart represents trends for each device type, such as phones, tablets, or TVs.
- Each line shows how the number of active devices for that device type changes throughout the selected period.
- Hovering over a data point displays the active device count and the percentage change.
Example insights
- A consistently high phone device count indicates that most users actively engage through mobile phones.
- Rising activity on tablet or TV devices may suggest usage in shared or large-screen environments.
- A decline in activity for a specific device type could indicate performance issues, UI problems, or compatibility concerns for that device category.
3.3 Date filter
The date filter allows you to change the time range for analysis. Based on the selected period, both charts update automatically, enabling deeper exploration of engagement trends. You can use this filter to:
- Compare active usage across different weeks or months
- Identify peak engagement days
- Investigate drops or spikes in activity more precisely
- Drill down into specific dates for detailed insights. Read more
Example insights
- Switching to a daily view can help identify the exact day when user activity declined.
- Comparing two time periods can help assess the impact of releases, promotions, or feature changes.
Note:
- By default, the bar chart will stack the top 5 devices added for each platform. If needed, you can use the multi-select filter and view other .
- Changing the platform here will not affect the data displayed in the Mobile metrics dashboard.
4. Sessions
The Sessions - Overview page can be accessed by clicking the Sessions card. A list of all the sessions that have occurred will be available in the sessions dashboard. This list will provide details such as the platform in which the session happened, the total session count, the total session duration, and the average session duration for the selected date range.
You can also click on the individual tabs to get a detailed view of the session based on various attributes such as brand, platform, bundle ID, app and OS version, device type and model, and country.
5. Usage by platform
You can get an analysis of how users interact with your app based on their device's operating system using the All platforms filter at the top right of the Mobile metrics dashboard. It provides insights into the distribution of app usage across both iOS and Android platforms and is based on the active devices count.
This analysis can help you:
- Get an idea of the number of users on iOS versus Android devices
- Identify whether the app performs better on one platform
- Guide marketing or feature rollout strategies specific to iOS or Android users
For example, if 60 percent (active devices) of your app usage comes from Android and 40 percent from iOS, you can focus on prioritizing updates, testing, or marketing efforts on Android while ensuring iOS users remain engaged.
iOS (ref screenshot)
Android (ref screenshot)
Important points to remember when working with the Dashboard
6. Navigation guide
You can view the new devices, active devices, and sessions metrics by navigating to the Mobile module under the DEPLOY section on the left-side pane once you sign in to your Creator account. You can then click on any code-signed app, hover over it, and click the View Metrics button. This'll take you to the Mobile metrics dashboard, where the metrics will be displayed in individual cards. Learn more about working with rebranded app metrics
7. Use cases
Let's consider that your organization has built a rebranded Financial Literacy mobile app for kids and young adults to help them understand the basics of money management at an early age and get them started on their personal finance journey. The key features include live learning and engaging sessions through projects, tasks and assignments. This app also provides a gamified experience through leader-boards and rewards. Let's now look at how the usage statistics captured for devices and sessions can be useful.
(i) Tracking app adoption across platforms via new devices KPI
After launching the financial literacy app, your product team wants to understand how effectively the app is being adopted across different platforms. They need insights into which platform - Android or iOS, is attracting more users, and how adoption trends change over time. Without this visibility, it’s challenging to measure the impact of school campaigns and online promotions.
The New devices metric can help the team effectively track adoption patterns, optimize user acquisition strategies across both platforms, and achieve a targeted increase in new device additions.
Using the New devices - Overview screen, the team analyzes bar and line charts that display newly added devices by platform and device type. By applying various date filters, they can see how many new installations occur during key campaign periods or seasonal promotions.
For instance, during the school enrollment season, they observe a spike in Android installations, while the iOS adoption increases during social media-driven promotions.
With these insights, the team:
- Focuses more on Android campaigns for school-based programs
- Launches referral incentives for iOS users to encourage organic adoption
(ii) Measuring user retention and engagement via active devices KPI
As the user base grows, your development team now wants to determine how many users remain active over time and how often they return to participate in live sessions or learning activities. They need to identify differences in engagement between platforms to refine their retention strategies.
The Active devices metric can help the team monitor engagement health, understand retention behavior, and drive data-backed decisions to maintain user activity and satisfaction.
Using the Active Devices - Overview screen, the team tracks the number of devices accessing the app over time. The bar and line charts display activity segmented by platform and device type, allowing the team to see engagement trends by day, week, and month. The data reveals that Android users log in more frequently but for shorter durations, while iOS users engage less frequently but for longer sessions.
To address this, the team:
- Sends personalized reminder notifications to Android users to sustain longer engagement
- Introduces progress-tracking summaries for iOS users to encourage consistent usage
Overtime, this leads to a 15% increase in weekly active users and improved retention rates across both platforms.
(iii) Analyzing learning behavior and session duration via sessions KPI
The product management team wants to know how much time students spend per learning session, how frequently they access lessons, and whether app interactions are meaningful. Without this data, it’s difficult to measure engagement levels or identify areas to enhance learning experiences.
The team can use the "Sessions" matric to gain a deeper understanding of user behavior, engagement frequency, and learning flow, enabling a more engaging, community-driven learning experience.
Using the Sessions - Overview page in Zoho Apptics, the team studies data such as session count, average session duration, and time spent per screen.They find that most students spend shorter intervals in the app but return frequently throughout the day—suggesting consistent, bite-sized learning habits.
Based on these insights, the team:
- Introduces a peer messaging feature within the app to promote interaction and collaboration
- Adds streak rewards for users who maintain daily learning activity
8. Related topics
- Understand Apptics dashboard
- Understand screen analysis
- Understand funnel analysis
- Work with mobile Apptics
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