2. Establishing A Habit

Now that you’ve aligned incentives in the core design of your app, it’s time to ensure that new users quickly establish a usage habit. Start by immediately introducing them to the core value loop. Then reduce the friction of moving through that loop, reinforce and reward successful completions of the loop, and add triggers to remind users to continue their habit.

Introduce the Core Value Loop Early

Users form habits when an app seamlessly integrates into their daily routines. The most effective way to drive repeat engagement is to establish the core value loop during onboarding. If users don't experience the core value quickly and repeatedly, they’re unlikely to build a long-term habit.

A well-crafted onboarding experience should:

• Guide users to the core action immediately – Minimize friction so users take the key action within the first session. For example, Duolingo’s onboarding takes users through their first lesson right away.
• Show an immediate reward – Reinforce the benefit of completing the core action (e.g., starting a streak, earning an achievement).
• Connect the immediate reward with user goals – Make it clear that the in-app reward leads to compounding value for the user (Duolingo tells users “you’ll be 9x more likely to complete the course” by earning a streak).
• Get the user to commit – Ask the user to commit to a regular usage habit (e.g. 1 lesson per day, 3 workouts per week). Commitment significantly increases user retention.

The goal of onboarding is not to introduce features but to get users into the core value loop from day one. The faster users experience this loop and see how behavior is both pleasantly rewarded and directly contributive to their goal, the more likely they are to be retained.

“One of the hardest things about language learning is that it’s slow. You don’t wake up one day and suddenly feel fluent. But a streak is really powerful because it lets users see progress even when language learning itself is slow.”

—Jackson Shuttleworth, Retention Team Lead at Duolingo

Reduce Friction

Once users understand the core value loop, the next step is to eliminate any obstacles that might prevent them from engaging regularly. Even minor inconveniences can disrupt habit formation, so product design should minimize effort at every step. The following guidelines will help you reduce friction as much as possible:

• Simplify the first steps – Ensure the first interaction requires minimal effort and cognitive load. 
• Use smart defaults – Make beneficial behaviors the default. For example, apps like MyFitnessPal automatically suggest food items based on past logs, reducing the effort needed to track meals.
• Eliminate unnecessary barriers – Any step that isn’t essential to the core value loop should be removed or deferred.
• Ensure seamless re-engagement – If users leave mid-session, make it easy to pick up where they left off.

Every step between a user’s first login and their first completion of the core value loop will come with some amount of drop-off. So minimize the number of steps and keep them as simple as possible to get as many users to the aha moment as possible.

Reinforce & Reward Habitual Use

Once users have completed the core value loop for the first time, the next step is to reinforce their behavior so that the habit is fully established. You can do this with proven gamification mechanics so long as they are always closely tied to real value for the user.

• Streaks & Commitment Devices – Streaks create a psychological commitment to maintaining consistency. Duolingo, Snapchat, and fitness apps use streaks to drive continued engagement, making users feel invested in not breaking their streak. Ensure that users are committing to their streak, and consider adding customization to allow different paths for different users.
• Variable Rewards – Unpredictability can drive engagement by creating a sense of anticipation. This method is commonly seen in gaming, where users receive unexpected rewards such as bonus points or surprise gifts. Make sure to balance variability with reliability so that rewards feel both exciting and fair.
• Progress Tracking – Showing users how far they’ve come reinforces motivation. Apps like Strava, Apple Fitness, and language learning platforms use visual progress indicators like rings, streak counters, and milestone achievements. Progress tracking should highlight long-term growth, making users feel that each session contributes to a larger goal.
• Social Reinforcement – External validation can be a powerful motivator. Leaderboards, friend challenges, and community recognition create accountability and motivation. For example, Peloton and Strava encourage engagement by notifying users when friends complete workouts, fostering a sense of competition and shared progress. Community-driven features make users feel like they are part of a collective journey rather than engaging in an isolated activity.

Rewards should always be tied to meaningful progress rather than feeling like a gimmick. If users see clear benefits to continued use, they are more likely to sustain the habit over time.

Use Triggers to Bring Users Back

Even with strong reinforcement, users will need (and thank you for) external prompts to keep their habit going. Well-timed triggers help users re-engage with the app and maintain their routine, especially during early habit formation. There are a couple of types of triggers:

• Push Notifications & Reminders – Thoughtfully designed notifications can bring users back at the right time. For example, Duolingo reminds users to complete their daily lesson just before they break a streak, reinforcing both urgency and habit consistency. Notifications should be timely, relevant, and avoid feeling spammy.
• Email & In-App Messaging – Personalized emails or in-app messages can re-engage users by reminding them of their progress, celebrating milestones, or nudging them when they’re at risk of churning. Fitness apps like Strava send congratulatory messages after a completed workout, reinforcing positive behavior.
• Social Triggers – Encouragement from friends or the community can be powerful. Features like shared challenges, friend activity feeds, and leaderboards create social pressure to stay engaged. Apps like Fitbit notify users when a friend logs a workout, subtly prompting them to do the same.

The key to effective triggers is ensuring they are helpful rather than annoying. When well-implemented, triggers keep users engaged without feeling intrusive, ultimately supporting long-term habit retention.

Once you've established the habit, you'll need to maintain engagement.