# Which screens do almost every mobile app have, and which are actually rare?

Source: Lazyweb Research
Published: 2026-07-07
Sample size: n=809
Tags: mobile, ux-patterns, design, onboarding, saas
HTML: https://www.lazyweb.com/research/most-common-mobile-app-screens-census
Markdown: https://www.lazyweb.com/research/most-common-mobile-app-screens-census.md

**Answer.** Across 809 tracked apps (median 41 captured screens each), the most universal non-home screen is settings, in 71% (578 of 809) of apps.[1] After that, prevalence drops fast: profile 58% (469), search 56% (450), then most 'expected' patterns like paywalls (38%), checkout (33%), and referral (25%) are minorities.[2] Only a handful of screens are near-universal — most patterns you assume 'everyone has' are actually present in fewer than half of apps.

> Settings is the most universal non-home screen: 578 of 809 tracked apps (71%) have one — July 2026.

## The prevalence ladder

Ranked by share of the ~800 tracked apps with a captured screen of each type:

| Screen pattern | Apps | % of 809 |
|---|---|---|
| Settings | 578 | 71% |
| Profile / account | 469 | 58% |
| Search | 450 | 56% |
| In-flow upsell (broad) | 374 | 46% |
| Empty state | 370 | 46% |
| Social login | 329 | 41% |
| Notification primer | 323 | 40% |
| Paywall | 305 | 38% |
| Checkout / cart | 270 | 33% |
| Referral / invite | 205 | 25% |

Settings, profile, and search are the only patterns above 50%.[1][2] Everything associated with monetization or growth is a minority pattern.[2]

## How to apply this

Use this as a de-biasing check before you build. If a stakeholder says 'every app has X,' the honest answer for most X is 'fewer than half do.' Settings and profile are table-stakes; a paywall, referral, or checkout screen is a deliberate choice made by a minority, not a default you're missing.[2] Prioritize the near-universal screens for polish (they touch every user) and treat the long tail as bets tied to your business model, not obligations.

## Caveats

These are lower bounds. Prevalence reflects only screens Lazyweb captured (median 41 per app), so an app may have a screen we never captured.[3] Read every figure as 'N of ~800 tracked apps have a captured X screen,' not 'only N apps have X.' Tag matches are LLM synonym phrases deduped by company.[3]

## The numbers

| Stat | Computed from |
| --- | --- |
| 578 of 809 apps (71.4%) have a settings screen | prevalence_settings_screen |
| profile 469 (58.0%), search 450 (55.6%), in-flow upsell 374 (46.2%), empty state 370 (45.7%), social login 329 (40.7%), notification primer 323 (39.9%), paywall 305 (37.7%), checkout 270 (33.4%), referral 205 (25.3%) | prevalence_profile_screen, prevalence_search_screen, prevalence_checkout_upsell, prevalence_empty_state, prevalence_social_login, prevalence_notification_primer, prevalence_paywall_screen, prevalence_checkout_cart, prevalence_referral_invite |
| Universe: 809 apps with >=1 screenshot, median 41 captured screens per app; tags deduped by company | universe_denominators |

## Methodology

Universe: 809 mobile apps with at least one captured screenshot (median 41 screens/app). Method: per-pattern tag match deduped by COUNT(DISTINCT company_name) across 44,873 tagged screenshots, July 2026. Caveat: prevalence is a lower bound on true product prevalence.

## Sources & citations

- [1] Lazyweb Research analysis of 809 mobile apps (apps with >=1 captured screenshot), July 2026. Prevalence = COUNT(DISTINCT company_name) with a tag match, over an 809-app base.
- [2] Lazyweb Research analysis of 809 mobile apps (apps with >=1 captured screenshot), July 2026. Per-pattern tag matches deduped by company across 44,873 tagged screenshots.
- [3] Lazyweb Research analysis of 809 mobile apps (apps with >=1 captured screenshot), July 2026. Prevalence is a lower bound: median 41 screens captured per app; 751 apps have tag data, reported over 809 for a conservative base.

## Related questions

- [What percentage of mobile apps have a settings screen?](https://www.lazyweb.com/research/percent-apps-settings-screen)
- [What percentage of mobile apps have a paywall screen?](https://www.lazyweb.com/research/percent-apps-paywall-screen)