Launching an app is more than just hitting “publish.” For a successful full-scale launch, many developers choose to do a soft launch—releasing their app or new features to a limited audience first. This “test run” enables developers to gather real-world feedback, refine performance, and optimize user experience before a wider release. In this post, we’ll explain what a soft launch is, how to execute one on the App Store and Google Play, and how to use it as a powerful tool for growth and product experimentation.
What is a Soft Launch? Soft Launch vs. Hard Launch Explained
A soft launch is a strategic approach to launching an app by making it available only to a small, select audience. By contrast, a hard launch is the full release, where the app is made available to everyone at once. Here’s how they compare:
- Hard Launch: Your app is released across all target regions, available to anyone who wants to download it. It’s the “big reveal.”
- Soft Launch: The app is released only to specific markets (often smaller or similar to key markets) to test its performance, gather feedback, and make improvements before a full-scale release. For example, you might release your app in Australia to get insights before expanding to the US.
A soft launch allows you to test and optimize your app in real-world conditions with a smaller, less risky audience. By gathering feedback and refining your app based on actual user behavior, you can greatly increase the chances of a successful hard launch.
Three Ways App Developers Use Soft Launches
Soft launches serve multiple strategic purposes, and app developers often use them to:
- Conduct Testing in a Real-World Environment
- Even after extensive testing, unexpected issues can arise once your app is live. A soft launch offers a controlled way to test your app with actual users, allowing you to identify and fix any issues before a full release.
- Soft launches often start with a small group of loyal users or beta testers who can provide feedback on new features. Then, as you iron out the bugs, you can expand to a larger test audience.
- Perform Market Research
- Soft launches are ideal for gathering insights into user behavior, preferences, and demographics. By launching in smaller markets like New Zealand or Canada, you can gather data that’s representative of larger markets like the US but with lower risk.
- Through a soft launch, you can validate your assumptions about your target audience, understand how users interact with your app, and see whether your app resonates with the market you plan to target.
- Evaluate Marketing Strategies
- A soft launch lets you test different marketing strategies on a smaller scale. By trying out various messages, ad placements, and promotional techniques, you can identify which approaches drive the best results.
- You can also experiment with different versions of your app’s listing page to see which ones convert better. This way, you know which listing performs best by the time you fully launch.
How to Do a Soft Launch on the App Store
The App Store offers several ways to conduct a soft launch:
TestFlight
TestFlight is Apple’s platform for beta testing. You can invite up to 10,000 users to test your app before its public release.
- Upload a Beta Build: First, upload a beta build of your app to App Store Connect. You can create multiple builds for different testing purposes.
- Invite Testers: Add up to 100 internal testers (team members) or up to 10,000 external testers through an email invitation or a public link.
- Gather Feedback: Testers download the TestFlight app, access your app, and can provide feedback directly through the app or via email. All feedback is available on your TestFlight page.
Geo-Targeting
The App Store allows geo-targeting, meaning you can release your app only in specific countries or regions.
- Select Regions: Choose countries where you want your app available. You can update availability anytime as you prepare for a wider release.
- Preorders: The App Store also offers a preorder option for both free and paid apps, allowing users to preorder and download automatically on release day. This approach lets you build interest even before the full release.
Phased Releases
Phased releases let you gradually roll out app updates to users over a seven-day period. You don’t control the exact schedule, but you can pause the rollout if issues arise, giving you time to fix any problems.
How to Do a Soft Launch on Google Play
Google Play also provides several flexible testing options:
Internal Testing
Internal testing lets you share your app with up to 100 internal testers for early-stage feedback. There’s no Google Play review required, so it’s a quick way to get insights before broader testing.
Closed Testing
Closed testing allows you to open your app to a select group, with up to 2,000 users per list. You can have multiple closed testing tracks to test different features or functionalities. Closed testing provides focused feedback for specific app areas and is ideal for targeted testing of new features.
Open Testing
Open testing is accessible to a broader audience and is useful for validating your app with a larger sample size. With open testing, anyone with a link to your app can access it, which can help you test performance at scale. Open testing is often used when the app is nearly ready for its full release.
Geo-Targeting
Like the App Store, Google Play lets you select specific countries for your soft launch, which is useful for market research or testing in regions similar to your primary market.
Staged Rollouts
Google Play’s staged rollouts allow you to gradually release an app update to a small percentage of users and expand over time. Unlike the App Store, Google Play lets you control the percentage of users who receive the update, and you can target specific countries.
Adding Growth Experimentation to Soft Launches
Incorporating growth experiments into your soft launch can enhance insights and prepare your app for a more successful full release.
- App Store Optimization (ASO)
- During a soft launch, you can experiment with different versions of your app listing—changing icons, screenshots, and descriptions. This A/B testing helps identify the most effective presentation for maximizing conversions, allowing you to launch with a fully optimized listing.
- Paywall/Revenue Experiments
- Soft launches are a perfect time to experiment with your app’s monetization strategy, especially if it includes in-app purchases or subscriptions. You can test different price points, messaging, and designs on your paywall to see what drives the most conversions.
- Tools like Adapty let you run paywall A/B tests during the soft launch, helping you identify the best pricing strategies before going live.
- Product Experiments
- Try testing different in-app purchase options or placing certain features behind a paywall to see how these decisions impact conversions. By experimenting with various models, you can refine your product offerings and launch with an optimized monetization strategy.
Wrapping It Up: Why a Soft Launch is Key to App Success
Soft launches are essential for gathering user feedback, testing in real-world conditions, and refining your app based on data-driven insights. By implementing a soft launch on the App Store or Google Play, you can improve your app’s stability, optimize its marketing, and validate its monetization strategy—all before your full-scale release.
A well-executed soft launch ensures that your app not only attracts users but also delivers a polished experience that maximizes retention and revenue. So before you dive into a full launch, consider starting with a soft launch and lay the groundwork for long-term success.
