# Which empty-state and activation patterns are most common in mobile apps?

Source: Lazyweb Research
Published: 2026-07-07
Sample size: n=809
Tags: onboarding, ux-patterns, mobile, saas, landing-page
HTML: https://www.lazyweb.com/research/empty-state-patterns-prevalence-mobile-apps
Markdown: https://www.lazyweb.com/research/empty-state-patterns-prevalence-mobile-apps.md

**Answer.** Across 809 tracked apps, the plain empty state ("nothing here yet" / "no items") is the most widespread activation pattern, appearing in 373 apps (46%) [1]. Sample or demo content shows up in 100 apps and social seeding (suggested follows / find friends) in 64, while a dedicated setup checklist appears in 107 apps (13%) [2]. These are tag-match lower bounds, so treat each figure as a floor rather than a ceiling.

> 373 of 809 tracked apps (46%) ship a plain empty state, the single most common activation pattern — Lazyweb Research, July 2026.

## The pattern ranking

Deduped by company across the 809-app mobile corpus, the activation patterns rank as follows [1][2]:

| Pattern | Apps | Screenshots |
|---|---|---|
| Plain empty state | 373 | 2,770 |
| Setup checklist (strict) | 107 | 374 |
| Sample / demo content | 100 | 1,331 |
| Illustration in empty view | 69 | 150 |
| Social seeding | 64 | 230 |
| Guided first action | 15 | 17 |

The plain empty state dominates: it is nearly 3.5x more common than any single "filled" alternative like sample content or social seeding. That is the headline for anyone deciding where to invest — most apps still just tell users a surface is empty rather than pre-filling it or guiding the first action.

## How to apply it

If you are choosing between patterns, the data says the empty state is table stakes and the more effortful patterns (sample content, social seeding, checklists) are how you differentiate. Guided first action — a single explicit "create your first X" prompt — is rare (15 apps) [1], which makes it either an under-exploited opportunity or a pattern most teams have found not worth the build. Pair a plain empty state with one deliberate next step rather than leaving a dead end.

## Caveats

All counts come from matching 15-25 LLM-generated synonym tags per screenshot against ILIKE patterns (`%empty state%`, `%checklist%`, `%sample%`, etc.), so every number is a lower bound — apps whose screens were not captured or not tagged are missed [1]. Guided first action (N=15) is too small for percentages; use its absolute count only. The setup-checklist figure uses the strict `%checklist%` matcher, not the broad "get started" matcher that inflates to 413 apps with welcome-screen CTAs.

## The numbers

| Stat | Computed from |
| --- | --- |
| 373 apps / 46% empty state, 100 sample content, 69 illustration, 64 social seeding, 15 guided first action | pattern_prevalence_by_company: empty_state=373 companies (2770 shots), sample_content=100 (1331), illustration=69 (150), social_seeding=64 (230), guided_first_action=15 (17); denominator 809 |
| 107 apps / 13% setup checklist (strict), 374 screenshots | setup_checklist_strict: 107 companies, 374 screenshots; setup_checklist_strict_pct 0.132 of 809 |

## Methodology

Universe is 809 mobile apps with 44,873 tagged screenshots (July 2026); pattern prevalence computed by matching LLM synonym tags against ILIKE patterns and deduping by company. Counts are lower bounds because untagged or uncaptured screens are missed.

## Sources & citations

- [1] Lazyweb Research analysis of 809 tracked apps (mobile-app screenshot corpus), July 2026. Pattern prevalence deduped by company via tag-match ILIKE across 44,873 tagged screenshots.
- [2] Lazyweb Research analysis of 809 tracked apps (mobile-app screenshot corpus), July 2026. Strict checklist matcher: tags containing 'checklist'; 107 of 809 apps.

## Related questions

- [What percent of apps use a setup checklist after signup?](https://www.lazyweb.com/research/what-percent-of-apps-use-setup-checklist)
- [Sample content vs social seeding: which empty-state fill pattern is more common?](https://www.lazyweb.com/research/sample-content-vs-social-seeding-empty-state)
- [How common is a dedicated cold-start (first-run) screen, and which apps use one?](https://www.lazyweb.com/research/cold-start-first-run-screen-prevalence)