Post on 19-Jan-2017
We’re delighted you could join us!
We’ve started digging into apps to review their growth
Telegram is a big messaging app, so we’ll start there
If you like this, email teardown@yesgraph.com
Who finds the app this way? If you heard from a friend or a
press hit.
Let’s find Telegram in the app store.
Normally Apple search is low quality. Telegram is big
enough to show up.
Normally Apple search is low quality. Telegram is big
enough to show up.
O_o
The right app is at the top.
4.5 stars, looks good.
110 reviews seems low for their scale, but that’s just
for this version.
The start screen, “the world’s fastest messaging app. It is free and secure” with a “Start Messaging”
clear call to action.
2nd: to the full list of contacts, which is more colorful than my native
messaging app.
2nd: to the full list of contacts, which is more colorful than my native
messaging app.
BOOOOORRING
How big is the app? This is really important for
international. Check for yourself in Settings >
General > Storage
28MB download is small
Compare: WhatsApp 64MB SnapChat 72MB
FB Messenger 77MB
Small means downloads faster and uses less of a
data plan
Clear call to action
Welcome screen, repeated messaging from
the app install page.
Welcome screen, repeated messaging from
the app install page.
One of these scrolling intros, but you can skip it
anytime.
Welcome screen, repeated messaging from
the app install page.
One of these scrolling intros, but you can skip it
anytime.
My guess: 70% of users click “Start Messaging”
right away
Nice animation and swipe action.
Again, focus on value and not technical jargon or
numbers.
Free, no ads, or subscription fees.
As a user, I’m worried about their business, but most humans love free
too much to think.
Related to Whatsapp going free? I wonder if their metrics showed
Telegram catching up?
Again, no jargon or numbers. Just focus on
the positive value for the user
Secure: No jargon or explanation, just fear of
Hackers
Secure: No jargon or explanation, just fear of
Hackers
Other apps say “Bank level” or “military grade”
security
bullshit, but effective
Cloud: Jargon! And the pedant in me makes me think this is at odds with
“secure”
Cloud: Jargon! And the pedant in me makes me think this is at odds with
“secure”
Problem here: this is the last slide, and you can’t
swipe right.
Cloud: Jargon! And the pedant in me makes me think this is at odds with
“secure”
Problem here: this is the last slide, and you can’t
swipe right.
Why not just execute the call to action if the user
does swipe right?
Phone based auth. This flow should be getting
familiar to users.
Phone based auth. This flow should be getting
familiar to users.
Why not make it Apple ID email and phone
number?
Hey Apple, it’s crazy iOS has no permissions to tell
the app who I am securely.
Phone based auth. This flow should be getting
familiar to users.
Hey Apple, it’s crazy iOS has no permissions to tell
the app who I am securely.
Why not make it Apple ID email and phone
number?
because apple chokes on services
Waiting for the phone code
Got it, type it in
What about this “call you”. I’m not sure, maybe a way
of helping people that miss this?
You want to be able to type in the code while the notification is still visible
Otherwise, user needs to toggle apps, which is advanced for people
Your Info: Lots missing here. Typing is a schlep.
Facebook connect could help, but that might not fit
their audience
“Add photo” is a call to action, but it doesn’t look like a button. Flat design means such actions lack
“affordances”.
Translation: “fuck the users”
Later, seeing a friend’s profile pic makes this
correctable. Maybe better to not unburden this flow
Later, seeing a friend’s profile pic makes this
correctable. Maybe better to not unburden this flow
I actually found a bug here: clicking the add photo didn’t trigger
opening the camera roll
¯\_( )_/¯
Insta-request at this point. No priming before the
request.
Insta-request at this point. No priming before the
request.
Just asking might be the best conversion rate
I’m not sure, test it and see.™
Another insta-request, but for contacts. For a
messaging app, it might be more reasonable
Another insta-request, but for contacts. For a
messaging app, it might be more reasonable
Test combining value with request
“Want to get messages fast? Turn on push”
“Send a message to friends? Tell us your
friends.”
So I just land here to crickets?
So I just land here to crickets?
If I have no chats yet, why am I looking at my chats?
So I just land here to crickets?
If I have no chats yet, why am I looking at my chats?
The text even tells me to GTFO
Clicked “edit”, also can’t do a thing
Try New Message
Now we’re getting somewhere. Lots of
interesting actions to take here
“Secret Chat” seems too complicated for a new
user. “New Channel” too
What about the rest?
Here are friends but only people already on the app
sorry
Let’s try to find all our friends
Let’s try to find all our friends
Looking good, scrolling…
Let’s try to find all our friends
Looking good, scrolling…
Here they are!
Let’s try to find all our friends
Looking good, scrolling…
Here they are!
🍕💑
This is where YesGraph can help.
🍕💑
What if your best friends were added here? Users would be more likely to invite close connections.
This is where YesGraph can help.
🍕💑
What if your best friends were added here? Users would be more likely to invite close connections.
This increases virality and increases the inviter’s
retention.
We recommend which users to invite using
machine learning
YesGraph’s SDK
Search for a contact, my wife.
Duplicates in my contacts (yesgraph helps here too)
Search for a contact, my wife.
Duplicates in my contacts (yesgraph helps here too)
And there is no profile pic.
Really highlights how unclickable these entries are. You need better in a
contact list.
By the way, how would your app compare? Email teardown@yesgraph.com to find out
how to grow faster.
TEAR DOWN THIS APP
Let’s compose a message
Hey Paul!
Reasonable empty state. says nothing here, but
clear action to take: start writing
Says “nothing here”, but clear action to take:
“start writing”
Reasonable empty state. says nothing here, but
clear action to take: start writing
Says “nothing here”, but clear action to take:
“start writing”
What does this do?
As expected, add a photo
Add a photo, love it.
Location & Contact aren’t as obvious from the 🖇
This is a general problem with mobile design:
how to surface powerful features without cluttering
a small interface
Some time later…
Some time later…
STICKERS!!!
Let’s find another contact to message.
Let’s find another contact to message.
Search “Martin”
Let’s find another contact to message.
Search “Martin”
Nothing
Let’s find another contact to message.
Search “Martin”
Nothing
search in “Contacts” search in “New Message”
This is weird. If I search in “My Contacts”, it’s fine
Now from here is now I can invite one of these contacts.
Click “Invite to Telegram”
Now I’m composing a new message.
Check out this invite link
Now I’m composing a new message.
Check out this invite link
They aren’t tracking anything
They aren’t tracking anything
They have no idea I invited
They aren’t tracking anything
They have no idea I invited
They don’t know the invite channel
They aren’t tracking anything
They have no idea I invited
They don’t know the invite channel
They don’t where in the app got me to invite
They aren’t tracking anything
They have no idea I invited
They don’t know the invite channel
They don’t where in the app got me to invite
They can’t customize the onboarding for the invitee
They aren’t tracking anything
They have no idea I invited
They don’t know the invite channel
They don’t where in the app got me to invite
They can’t customize the onboarding for the invitee
Their attribution metrics are far more challenging
I love the copy though!
Assumes there was a previous conversation.
“Let’s bounce, fuck iMessage”
Martin the invitee is sent straight to the app store.
But after Martin’s onboarding… nothing
But after Martin’s onboarding… nothing
What about the inviter?
I thought we’d “switch to Telegram”? When will that
promise deliver?
I get a message from Martin
Confusingly, the message is “Another message”
I get a message from Martin
Confusingly, the message is “Another message”
This push notification pulls me back into the app
Build a habit to return to Telegram as the basis of
messaging.
Let’s talk Growth Model
Messaging apps have a known pattern.
Messaging apps have a known pattern.
Message a User
User is re-engagedUser sends more messages
Acquisition == Reengagement
Message a User
Engagement
More messages
New User InviteExisting User
Acquisition
This is why the breaks in the flow matter
This is why the breaks in the flow matter
Weak prompts to send
This is why the breaks in the flow matter
Can’t find friends
Weak prompts to send
This is why the breaks in the flow matter
Can’t find friends
Weak prompts to send
Don’t track invites
This is why the breaks in the flow matter
Can’t find friends
Weak prompts to send
Don’t track invites
No customization
Back to the flow
Back to the flow
Now we’re happy together in the app.
What else is there?
The settings page
The settings page
“If you want to find where product teams had a fight, look in the settings page”
The settings page
“If you want to find where product teams had a fight, look in the settings page”
What’s up with my username? Missing?
Maybe they removed the need for one?
Luckily, my weird name is *always* available
Luckily, my weird name is *always* available
Some large networks like Twitter have had trouble because new users are
blocked on onboarding just because they can’t find a
username
But what does this link do?
That wasn’t obvious.
This is another opportunity for sharing, but this is weak.
Back to these mysterious options
What is a “New Channel”?
Broadcasting?
But who is it for? Companies? Celebs?
Join YesGraph on Telegram?
¯\_( )_/¯
Hard to model without some substantial examples.
Clicking the link, triggers this share sheet
Clicking the link, triggers this share sheet
So they have user SMS invites, copy-username on
click, and a native share sheet here.
They could all use the same sharing mechanism because they all involve sharing links.
Thanks for reading!
Want us to help your app grow with a tear-down? Email teardown@yesgraph.com
Find more teardowns on http://blog.yesgraph.com/