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User interview questions for your app (copy and use)

20 open questions grouped by goal, with follow-ups and notes on bias.

updated ·2 min read

In this guide

Pick one goal group per interview and use 5-8 questions from it. Ask about the past ("last time"), not the future ("would you"). After every answer, use a follow-up: "Can you give me an example?" or "What happened next?" How to run the session is in user interviews for mobile apps.

Goal 1: Understand the context

  1. Tell me about the last time you needed an app for this.
  2. What were you doing right before you opened it?
  3. What did you use before? What made you stop?
  4. Where were you, and how much time did you have?

Bias note: people tidy their story. Ask for the concrete moment, not a general habit.

Goal 2: First use and onboarding

  1. What do you remember about opening the app the first time?
  2. What did you expect to happen? What happened?
  3. Was there a point where you were unsure what to tap?
  4. When did you decide to keep or drop it?

Bias note: do not explain screens while they talk. Silence is data.

Goal 3: Core task

  1. Show me how you do [main task] today.
  2. Which step took longest? Why?
  3. What did you do when something did not work?
  4. What would you have done without the app?

Bias note: watching beats describing. Ask them to show it when you can.

Goal 4: Value and return

  1. When did you last open it, and why?
  2. What would you miss if it disappeared tomorrow?
  3. Who else have you told about it, and what did you say?

Bias note: "Would you pay?" is not on this list on purpose. Stated willingness is a weak signal; ask what they currently spend time or money on instead.

Goal 5: Frustration and gaps

  1. What was the most annoying moment?
  2. What did you try that did not exist?
  3. What did you work around?

Closing

  1. What should I have asked but did not?
  2. Who else should I talk to?

Adapting the list

  • Replace [main task] with your app's one core action.
  • Cut anything you would not act on.
  • Write the exact wording in your notes; paraphrase later.
  • Example (marked as example): for a habit app, Q9 becomes "Show me how you log a habit today."

Answers become useful when sorted: see how to prioritize app feedback.

Related: usability testing with five people, moderated vs unmoderated testing, feedback guide hub.

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