Choosing Session Windows for Mobile Apps

Default session timeouts borrow from web analytics. Mobile behavior is different: users glance, switch apps, and resume. A rigid thirty-minute cut can split one continuous task into multiple sessions.

Start by sampling resume gaps from a week of raw activity. If most returns happen within five minutes, a shorter timeout may better reflect true task boundaries for productivity apps.

Games and media apps often need longer windows. Finance apps may need shorter ones for security-aligned reporting. Align with product and compliance before locking the value.

Once chosen, publish the definition in your analytics handbook and use the same window in every dashboard. Mixed definitions quietly destroy retention charts.