How to get your first 100 users for a new iOS app

The first 100 users of an app aren't a scale problem — they're a discovery problem. Nobody finds a brand-new app through organic App Store search; there's no review count, no ranking history, nothing for the algorithm to work with yet. Those first users have to come from somewhere you actively put the app in front of them.

Why the first 100 matter more than the next 10,000

At this stage you're not optimizing for volume, you're optimizing for signal: real usage patterns, honest reviews, and the handful of bug reports that only show up once actual humans (not you) are using the app. Chasing scale before you have that feedback loop just means scaling whatever's broken.

Channels that actually work with zero budget

• Free-app giveaway sites. Generating a batch of App Store offer codes and listing them somewhere people are actively browsing for new apps — like FreeAppDrop — puts your app in front of people already in a "try something new" mindset, which converts far better than cold outreach.
• Relevant subreddits and indie communities. r/iOSProgramming, r/apple, and Indie Hackers all have audiences who specifically want to see and try new indie apps — post the story of what you built and why, not just a link.
• Product Hunt. A single well-prepared launch day (good screenshots, a real description, you personally responding to every comment) reliably outperforms a passive listing.
• Your existing personal network. Unglamorous, but the people who already trust you are the cheapest, highest-conversion first users you'll ever get — and the most likely to give you honest, unfiltered feedback.

What to actually ask for

Downloads alone don't tell you much this early. Ask directly for two things: a written review (even a short one — review count and velocity both feed into how the App Store surfaces your app later) and specific feedback on where they got confused or stopped using it. A five-minute conversation with a real early user is worth more than a week of guessing.

The mistake most first-time developers make

Spreading a launch thin across a dozen channels at once, instead of concentrating effort on one or two where the audience genuinely fits the app. A tight, well-targeted push in one place produces both more users and more usable feedback than the same effort scattered everywhere.

Before you push any traffic at all, make sure the listing itself is pulling its weight — see our ASO checklist for the handful of things worth double-checking first.