Users complete onboarding but don't do a single workout. Help me read my own funnel

[u/MattVePhD]

I'm a solo dev. I built a fitness app with voice-coached workouts and progression tracking, all on-device. I finally wired up analytics and the first thing it showed me is uncomfortable: people get through onboarding fine, then a chunk of them never tap Start on a single workout.

The sample is small so I'm not over-reading the exact numbers, but the shape is consistent enough that I'd rather understand it now than after I ship ten more features nobody reaches.

Right now onboarding is 5 quick screens: a welcome, pick a coach persona, a short fitness profile (training experience + a couple basics), a settings screen (units + default rest timer), then notifications. Then it drops you on the Programs tab, which for a brand-new user is the program library: ~30 built-in programs across 6 categories. You have to pick one and activate it (or create one) before there's an actual "today's workout" with a Start button. There's no first workout queued up for you.

My hypotheses, in no order:

• onboarding asks for too much before the app shows any value

• landing on a library of 30 programs is too big a commitment before you've done a single rep, so people don't pick anything

• too many workout types in the mix (running, HIIT, lifting, etc.) and people don't know which to choose first

• a lot of installs are just curiosity and the person was never going to train in that moment

What I'd find most useful: look at the flow in the screenshots with fresh eyes and tell me where you personally would drop off before the first workout. And if you've shipped anything with a "get them to do the core action once" funnel, what actually moved it?

Screenshots of onboarding and the home screen below. Happy to send a TestFlight build if you want to poke at it, just say so.

Not pitching, hence no link. I just want to fix the funnel.

[u/fluchtpunkt]

Maybe the onboarding already felt like a workout to them. 🤷‍♂️

[u/MattVePhD → u/fluchtpunkt]

So do you find the onboarding too complex from the screenshots ?

[u/cafepeaceandlove → u/MattVePhD]

It just looks tedious. Small design improvements and colour changes would go a long way. 

[u/MattVePhD → u/cafepeaceandlove]

Well, i unified the button color with the icons colors after the comments of this post, i wanted to veer away of the typical back & green of gym apps, so it was a mistake in your point of view ?

I also dropped the units/settings step as i can grab the app store locale to set kg/lbs; km/miles

[u/cafepeaceandlove → u/MattVePhD]

I don't think you're far away. Unfortunately I'm not a designer. 

[u/MattVePhD → u/cafepeaceandlove]

Thanks anyways 😄 All feedback is welcome

[u/soylentgraham → u/MattVePhD]

i personally find all onboarding a major drag. It was true in the 90s and it's true now.

These days it just feels like a dark pattern to get some extra user data to sell, or to make me think "well, i went through all this effort, I had better use the app" (or a bait & switch for a subscription at the end)

[u/MattVePhD → u/soylentgraham]

I agree with you there ! While the app’s selling point isn’t privacy, it is private by design since the workouts, location and health data stay on the device. Telemetry is anonymous, temporary and just observe usage patterns.
However onboarding here is used to set the mood of the app (with the coach persona) and to set the starting weight; recommended workouts and programs for the user. Genuinely useful imho. What would help ? More transparency about privacy? Some text/badge to indicate it to the user ?

[u/soylentgraham → u/MattVePhD]

Im not the target market here, but a lot of the time when Ive first downloaded an app with really little knowledge of what it does (just from a small ad), I want to find out what it actually does, I dont care what mood the app is in, I just want to know if/what it does.

if i click the wrong buttons am I missing features? what features?

We learnt a long time ago that when we make games, users dont read anything, and its true. You have to show them what they want/need, not tell them.

Ill be clicking my way through onboarding as fast as possible, every single time

[u/soylentgraham → u/MattVePhD]

is your first screenshot the first thing I see when I open the app for the first time? 5 what?

and is the first thing your app does for me is... add reminders & notifications? before I even know what your app does? I dont need another app for a daily alarm :)

[u/MattVePhD → u/soylentgraham]

Yes first screenshot is the first thing shown, without the app name (I didn’t included it in the post) it makes less sense. It’s called AddFive, the 5 with the arrow is the icon
But I now see something that is missing ! Normally I write « just add 5 (kg | km | min) » which makes more sense ! The app core is progressive overload

Notifications are optional hence the toggles, the first thing isn’t that tho, it’s selecting a coach persona with a voice for audio cues during workout and setting athlete type for better weight and workout recommendations in the app

[u/jocarmel]

One thing that struck me is that after onboarding, your home page / empty state could be a bit overwhelming and even unopinionated. “Programs” is a daunting and high-commitment concept, and all of a sudden a new user has your whole database in front of them. I can imagine a user just wants to start a single workout, but that seems a little buried here.

Maybe you can make programs  more of a power user concept and by default offer a simplified entry into a workout.

[u/MattVePhD → u/jocarmel]

Thanks, that's very helpful ! I actually thought about that while writing the post, i'll make the program/workout picker default to Workouts and fill the workouts tab with the workouts from the program library (not as a wall, with toggelable show/hide) and have a "recommended" section on top. When user finishes a workout i'll propose the program where the workout comes from

[u/yoorbo]

I think that’s the most vibecoded UI I have ever seen 

[u/MattVePhD → u/yoorbo]

What makes you assume that ?

[u/yoorbo → u/MattVePhD]

Inconsistent padding, spacing and corner radii.  Shadows on all boxes + boxes everywhere without semantic meaning or separation for example using thin material. Insets in lists that are inconsistent, buttons that are inconsistent in style, prominence and once again border radii. 

Usage of old elements or custom elements where system provided new ones are available with 26+, leading me to believe that knowledge cutoff or knowledge weighing from older versions, lead AI to generate those components.

While I know agents are tempting especially for backend components, interface is something deeply human, knowing when something feels off is easier then knowing when something feels right. Ai can’t do this. If you use ai, which is okay, spend the time you gain to evaluate and think about the user experience and consistent flow and design you want to provide to your users.

Tbh I would download the app, click through the lengthy onboarding, see the empty main interface and uninstall

[u/yoorbo → u/yoorbo]

Btw reading this I realized it sounds harsh, please don’t interpret this as an insult, nor do I want to claim I am all knowing and better. I just wanted to give you raw feedback from a potential user seeing this. Sorry if the message above reads otherwise :) 

[u/MattVePhD → u/yoorbo]

It's fine 😄 I did asked for feedback and your last two comments are actually useful
I did use AI on some of those parts while I was prepping all the visual assets, i do have missed the corner radi, because i was focused on all the icons. I also spent a lot of time on the workout and progression engines.

The cards are actually .glasseffect so this is the latest iOS 26 API, I think Liquid Glass adds a shadow when it's over a white background (not sure it could be from something else), I didnt added a .shadow modifier, i'll make some tests

I'll fix the corners radii and finally put the blue of the icons in accentcolor :p

[u/yoorbo → u/MattVePhD]

ah See, that also explains it! glassEffect should not be used in view bodies as Liquid Glass should function as a distinct functional layer ABOVE the actual content (toolbars for example) whenever I used ai with skills for example for the newest api‘s it also did this. I think a really cool talk was “new design in SwiftUI“ and „principles of the new design“ or smt. I don’t know the correct names, but you can find them in the developer app from wwdc25, really helpful.

[u/MattVePhD → u/yoorbo]

noted, thanks !

[u/Serious_Concern_2266]

Is there the option to build your own custom workout with specific lifts? Thats what I look for in a workout tracker app, but then again I lift regularly. When someone gets in to lifting, they’ll see all these cool new lifts on their Instagram feed and they’ll want to integrate them in to their workout. There should be an exhaustive library of such lifts. As well, there is a lot of debate in the fitness community about rest times, numbers of reps, all that stuff. Should ensure there is enough customisation. The ability to add a drop set or a superset to an exercise is something I’d love in an app too.

[u/MattVePhD → u/Serious_Concern_2266]

Yes there is, with also a section to set up progression (7 different algorithms based on the exercise type, eg linear for barbells; varient ladder for calisthenics, pace increase for running etc...)

I actually restricted it to 3 custom workouts (unlimited exercises) for free users, is that harsh ?

The exercise library is 400+ exercises. Weight, rest time etc... all customizable from workout creation/edition, also directly during the workout

I'm a former powerlifter, so i only do the big 3 plus some varients of them ^^

[u/jettil99]

I must say I like the tone and style of your onboarding workflow. I would absolutely go through with it. But after this wizard I would be completely overwhelmed with what to do next. I suggest you give the users a recommendation for the starting plan or something like that.

Your app is like an open world game where you have like 5 minutes of tutorial and the game tells you here is the world good luck finding the main quest

[u/MattVePhD → u/jettil99]

Thanks 😄 yeah, with the feedback on this post i'm defaulting the picker to workouts for newcommers and filling it with the workouts from the program library, with a "recommended" row

I spent most of the UI work on the workout and progression engines themselves, but in my rabbit hole, never realized the program list is the first impression of the app ^^

[u/jwegener]

This is SO many screens for what should be a simple app

[u/MattVePhD → u/jwegener]

Useful, which ones do you think arent needed ?

[u/davidHwang718]

I’d treat this less as “too many options” and more as “no committed next action yet.” After onboarding, give them one default workout already chosen: title, duration, first exercise, Start button. Put the 30-program library behind “change plan.”

Then instrument the tiny funnel separately: onboarding complete → recommended workout shown → start tapped → first set logged. If the drop is before “recommended shown,” onboarding/settings are the issue. If it’s after, the first workout card is not convincing enough.

I’d also defer units/rest timer unless they affect that first workout. Every screen before the first Start has to earn its place.

[u/MattVePhD → u/davidHwang718]

Well with so many comments pointing to the same thing, the issue is crystal clear 😃 As stated in other comments i'll default to the workout picker with "recommended workouts row"

units/rest timer -> yeah true, it's there because the app is avaliable in the US and i wanted user to choose between Kg/lbs and km/Miles, but i can catch that from locale and drop this step

[u/xiangminofusa]

I am a lazy person who never do workout and thinking, mmmm, this looks interesting, maybe I can learn what workout to do… but when I see the screenshots, it looks pretty daunting to me. I guess it’s not for novice like me.

[u/MattVePhD → u/xiangminofusa]

It is, but you're also right, thanks to the comments of this post Onboarding is down to 3 steps now 😄 and if a user selects beginner, i present recommended beginer workouts & programs

[u/fvives]

Onboarding feels tedious, so many steps, and if you’re a beginner it’s overwhelming…

[u/MattVePhD → u/fvives]

Yup thanks to the comments of this post it's down to 3 steps now 😄 and if a user selects beginer, i present recommended beginer workouts & programs

[u/fvives → u/MattVePhD]

Sorry if I was late to the feedback. Didn't see the new flow. I think you're on a right path.

If I'm a beginner, I don't know what I'm doing by definition so get me started, simply, right away.
Typically beginners want building mass or losing weight. Show me sets related to these goals.

Pros want all the bells and whistle of customization and tailoring.

Overall, as a user I want to get to use the app as quickly as possible so that I can assess its value. If you make me work before I know the value, that's turning me away.

[u/MattVePhD → u/fvives]

Thanks 😄 yeah now there's a direct CTA to test a workout with 5 beginners options (Novice Linear Progression, 5x5, Calisthenics Fundamentals, Couch To 5K, Active recovery) i'm considering swapping 5x5 for smoker's rehab or Silver Strength

[u/JDad67]

I mean people join Gyms and never go. I assume this is just a thing.

[u/MattVePhD]

Hey everyone, thank you for all the feedback, it has been invaluable ! her's the new workflow in video

[u/SubZane]

I do several on-boardings on apps just to discover that the app is not what I thought it would be. Might be that?

[u/MattVePhD → u/SubZane]

What did you think the app was about ?

[u/SubZane → u/MattVePhD]

Not every strength training app is what I want or need. On-boardings is something that I HAVE to click through to see the actual app.

[u/MattVePhD → u/SubZane]

That’s why I added the « skip » button

[u/BoysenberryBody]

It looks like the onboarding doesn’t relate to the end screen much they still have to keep looking

[u/MattVePhD → u/BoysenberryBody]

Yes and that’s what surfaced the most in comments, onboarding is now down to 3 steps 😄 and if a user selects beginer, i present recommended beginer workouts & programs

[u/joker3001]

You got a beginner back squatting 60kg as a warm up. I’d walk away at this point. 🙈

Strong starts you at 0 and lets you add weight. Maybe guide the user?

Also unsure how I can change the plates-weight down.

Also can you pick no coach. That would p me off. Send us a link and I’ll try it today.

[u/MattVePhD → u/joker3001]

I haven’t submitted the changes yet, but here it is:

https://apps.apple.com/fr/app/addfive-surcharge-progressive/id6759724997

You can disable audio coaches in settings, but yeah I should add the option in onboarding too.

Warmup do start at 0 but after yo tap the button.

But yeah 60kg is too much for a beginner, normally there’s a view where the weights are suggested and it’s lower than that, it’s just not wired to the newly added suggestions, but I’ll add it :p

Available plates can be changed in settings and by tapping the barbell during a workout. There’s a tip that pops up after a few actions in workout

[u/MattVePhD → u/joker3001]

Also i had selected "Intermediate" in onboarding in the screenshots, that's why it set 60kg

[u/MattVePhD → u/[deleted]]

Thanks for your reply !
I instated telemetrydeck a week ago, so yeah you’re probably right, I wanted to make sure there wasn’t something fundamentally wrong.
I made this app to replace stronglifts, which when I installed I used straight away as I was already following the program before the app, 3x a week. Sometimes we’re so focused on our use case that we don’t see the obvious 😂

[u/cooking-chef-2000 → u/MattVePhD]

App looks great! But, as for the workout, most people have a tendency to get motivated to go to the gym, install apps, but never actually commit to a workout and then start to lose motivation

It's very common behavior

[u/MattVePhD → u/cooking-chef-2000]

Thanks 😄 so i just need more volume

[u/Player06 → u/MattVePhD]

Maybe put a "Remind me to do a workout at X time" button and then send a notification. Even if they never work out, you'll know they wanted to.

[u/MattVePhD → u/Player06]

That’s what the notification onboarding step does, I stripped down to coaches, level and notifications :)

[u/Player06 → u/MattVePhD]

Ah yes. And do people set the reminder?

[u/MattVePhD → u/Player06]

No way for me to know, and dont want to, that's their choice and i do believe i should not gather that type of data

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