Imagine being in a relationship where only one person talks and the other has to listen, no matter what. It doesn't seem like a good relationship. Does it?

Now, also imagine continuously sending messages and notifications to your users without really asking or understanding what they want. Truly a gateway to user dissatisfaction!

The only way to understand your users' needs and foster a two-way relationship is by making an effort to interact with them and learn what brings them to you. In simple words, by just asking them what they want. And that is when in-app surveys come in handy!

This blog will discuss what an in-app survey is, the top five use cases, types of surveys, and tips for creating an engaging survey.

What is an In-app Survey?

An In-app survey is a short questionnaire that appears contextually on a user's mobile screen when they interact with key elements of a product.

In-app surveys enable you to interact with your users and gather feedback at every stage of the customer journey. It is a sure-shot way to gain their trust and develop a strong relationship with them.

According to a study, 68% of mobile app users are more likely to stay loyal to brands that solicit and act on their feedback in real-time.

Well, you know how important trust is in any relationship!

So let's take the example of Uber Eats.

Scenario 1: A user orders food, enjoys the experience, and is asked, "How was your delivery experience today?" Depending on their mood, they'll quickly respond and move on.

Scenario 2: Another user has a poor delivery experience. When the same survey appears, they won't hesitate to express their frustration, leave a low rating, or write a detailed complaint.

Although happy customers may not leave reviews or rate your product five stars, they will always return to your product for more, eventually becoming your brand advocates.

However, when your customer is dissatisfied with your product, they have the right to voice their opinion, and you have the responsibility to listen to them and understand their concerns to improve your product. And what better than a set of short and contextual questions, also known as an in-app survey, to listen to their concerns and needs?

Data only tells you so much, but In-app surveys give customers the power to be heard and give you, as a product owner, the scope to improve at every phase from all touchpoints.

Download for Free: The Ultimate Guide to Customer Feedback Survey

Top 5 Use Cases of In-App Surveys

1. Product rating and user feedback

In 2025, 81% of product teams use in-app surveys as their primary tool for collecting qualitative user feedback.

Want to know what your users think about your new features or UI changes? In-app surveys help you ask right when the experience is fresh.

You can identify friction points, collect real-time feedback, and understand how different segments are receiving updates. In 2025, AI-driven survey targeting makes this even smarter, so the right user sees the right question at the right moment.

In-app survey product rating and user feedback

2. Deliver better product experiences

You're marketing to thousands, but you're speaking to one person at a time. That's why, in 2025, personalized product experiences will no longer be optional.

According to Segment's 2025 report, 71% of consumers expect personalized app experiences, and over half say they'll switch apps if the experience isn't relevant.

Use surveys to ask:

"What are you hoping to achieve today?"
"Do you need help using [feature name]?"

Tailored questions lead to better personalization, which in turn leads to improved retention.

3. Drive app store reviews

Surveys can prompt happy users to leave app store reviews, improving your ratings and visibility. At the same time, frustrated users can be routed to feedback forms, preventing negative reviews from reaching the app store.

App store visibility is a serious growth lever in 2025. According to a survey, apps with ratings above 4.3 receive, on average, 27% more installs than those rated lower.

With new app store algorithms in 2025 placing more weight on fresh, relevant reviews, this strategy is even more critical.

4. Understand your users better

The surefire way to increase your app engagement and deliver the best user experience is by understanding your users as profoundly as possible.

Surveys can help you gather answers to questions such as what users want from your app, what problem they are trying to solve, and where they are from.

These answers will help you segment users and personalize their experience at every step of their journey.

McKinsey's 2025 CX Benchmarking Report found that companies that actively collect and act on behavioral feedback see 30% higher engagement rates.

5. Analyse post-purchase behavior

Once a user makes a purchase or completes a transaction, that's a critical moment to understand how they feel. A 2025 report by Baymard Institute shows 68% of cart abandonments are related to unclear or frustrating experiences during checkout.

Use surveys to ask:

"Was it easy to complete your order?"
"Is there anything we could have done better?"

These insights power continuous improvement across your sales funnel, especially in commerce, fintech, and food delivery.

Types of In-app Surveys

1. Net Promoter Score (NPS)

Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a customer satisfaction metric that measures how likely your customers are to recommend your product to their family and friends on a scale of 1-10. It indicates a customer's satisfaction and loyalty to your brand.

Here, based on the NPS score, customers are segmented into three categories: promoters, passives, and detractors.

Promoters are a company's most loyal consumers, scoring 9 or 10 on the scale.

Passives are less likely to advocate for a brand, scoring 7-8 actively.

Detractors are unlikely to promote your business or product to others, scoring 0-6.

Net Promoter Score Formula = %Promoters – %Detractors

2. Customer Satisfaction (CSAT)

CSAT surveys remain crucial for immediate feedback. Gartner reports that 63% of consumers expect businesses to resolve issues during the same session. CSAT helps you know if you met those expectations.

Ask your users to rate their satisfaction after a specific experience or interaction.

Popular in 2025 for use cases like:

Post-chat surveys
Support ticket closure
After onboarding

Formula: (Satisfied users / Total responses) × 100

Customer Satisfaction = (Number of satisfied customers / Total number of survey responses) x 100

3. Customer Effort Score (CES)

The Customer Effort Score metric measures the level of effort customers expend in achieving their goals while interacting with your product.

It provides a quantitative measurement of what customers perceive when doing business with you and how difficult or easy they think it is.

Customer Effort Score = Addition of all Scores ÷ Total number of Respondents

4. Star/Smiley Rating System

A star/smiley rating system is a method of collecting feedback or opinions from users by presenting a set of stars or smileys that represent a numerical or qualitative rating scale.

Also read: How To Measure Customer Loyalty: 5 Important Metrics

How to Craft Engaging In-app Surveys

If you want your surveys to be the most effective and meet customer expectations, then you must be mindful of when, what, and who!

When to Conduct a Survey?

The content of the survey is essential, agreed. However, the timing is everything!

No user wants to be interrupted while trying to figure out how your app works or when they are exploring new features. In such cases, you can leverage the power of data. Track their demographic, transactional, and behavioral data, along with where they spend the most time and where they tend to get stuck.

Tracking this data will help you tailor their experience and schedule a survey at the right time.

Also read: 6 powerful behavioral segmentation methods to understand your customers

What to Ask in a Survey?

Keep it concise, clear, and impactful. Nobody has time for 10-question forms anymore.

According to a company's 2025 feedback benchmark, surveys with three questions or fewer have an average response rate of 45%, while those with six or more questions drop below 18%.

Use personalization: "Hey Priya, was this new dashboard useful?" works better than "Did you like the update?"

Who to Ask?

Take a moment to reflect on why you're conducting this survey and who is your intended audience.

To ensure the questions you're asking are relevant, it's essential to segment your users effectively.

For example, if the survey focuses on a new feature, segment your audience to ensure that those surveyed have actually used or seen the feature before.

This way, you can gather valuable feedback specific to the feature in question and make data-driven decisions that benefit your users.

Make Sense of the Survey

If you are just collecting feedback and not acting on it, then it won't make any difference.

It takes constant effort and a lot of work to be the best. Ensure you are doing the following.

Do a quick review of the user satisfaction survey results
Use patterns to form quick conclusions
Look at the results across various customer segments
Empower your employees with user insight

Companies that analyze feedback within 72 hours report 26% higher resolution speed on key product issues.

Conclusion

In a world where users are bombarded with content, what sets you apart is the ability to listen, learn, and adapt.

In-app surveys are your best tool for building genuine connections, improving your product, and supporting your users where it matters most.

With the right questions, at the right time, for the right people, you're not just collecting feedback; you're gathering insights. You're starting conversations that matter.

The Upshot.ai Advantage

Upshot.ai is an omnichannel platform that enhances user engagement and gamification, helping digital product owners and marketers improve product adoption and conversions.

With Upshot.ai, banks, Insurance, and FinTech firms can enhance their digital experiences with pre-built gamification features. It can provide personalized insights, actionable recommendations, and contextual nudges designed to deepen its relationship with its users.

Book a demo of the most comprehensive user engagement and gamification platform to achieve your digital product goals. Join our communities for more insights, guides, and best practices that keep you updated with proven strategies and tips to supercharge your campaigns.

In-App Survey Tips & Tricks in 2025

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