App Store metric · Verified 2026-10-12
First-time downloads
Separate new acquisition from redownload behavior.
In brief
A first-time download is the first download of an app by an Apple Account. It is different from an installation count and from a redownload.
The platform definition
Apple reports First-Time Downloads separately from Redownloads and Total Downloads.
The common misread
A first-time download is not guaranteed to equal one new person, one completed onboarding, or one active device.
The decision it can support
Use the metric to follow new acquisition, then connect it to activation and retention in product analytics.
Read the number with territory, device, source, product version, and enough time context. A metric can describe an outcome without identifying its cause.
Primary sources
Rules and interfaces move. Recheck these sources before submission-sensitive work.