Glossary/Mobile & App Marketing/User Acquisition (UA)
Mobile & App Marketing
User Acquisition (UA)
Paid and organic efforts to drive new users to install an app, managed against CPI, ROAS, and LTV targets.
By Brandon Mina·CEO, BrandPilot AI·Updated November 2026
Short answer
User acquisition (UA) is the set of paid and organic efforts that drive new users to install an app. Paid UA runs across ad networks, social platforms, and search, while organic UA includes app store optimization. Teams manage campaigns against targets such as cost per install, return on ad spend, and lifetime value.