Mini Apps: What They Are and Why Businesses Should Take Notice

However, having separate applications may affect user retention in the main app. The user may leave it to complete a task elsewhere and not come back. To avoid it, the company can provide new features without asking customers to install a new program.

One way to achieve this is to make a mini app within the existing one. A mini app, also known as a mini program or an applet, is a small program that runs inside a larger application. Mini apps look and work like regular applications, but don't need to be installed separately.

Large apps with many in-app services inside them are often called super apps because they let users complete multiple tasks in a single interface. Popular examples include Uber, Klarna, WeChat, Yandex Go, Alipay, AirAsia, and more.

The hosting super app gives the mini app access to device APIs, including Bluetooth, GPS, calendar, phonebook, camera, barcode scanning, and device memory information. It means that despite their small size—usually less than 10 MB—mini apps can be just as powerful as regular ones.

Before a mini app is published, the super app provider reviews it to ensure its security and prevent any unjustified access to the user’s data. For example, a mini app developer needs to explain why their program needs access to the user’s camera.

The way mini apps are built gives them an advantage over the native ones. Here’s how they compare.

This method is helpful for non-critical features, like in the Walmart example above. The retailer has added a link to their website instead of including its custom cakes service in the shopping app. This works best if the app owner is okay with users leaving the app. Otherwise, if they stay in the browser, it will lower the app retention rate.

One of the main issues of the web view is that it takes some time to load, which can be frustrating for users. Additionally, the page in the web view requires users to sign in again. This creates unnecessary friction and leads to lower engagement.

App Clips are sometimes referred to as mini apps, but that's not correct since they are created and used differently. Unlike mini apps, App Clips can’t be found in the App Store, a browser, or a super app. Instead, users discover them on the go, either through Safari, Maps, and Messages or by scanning App Clip codes in the real world. Therefore, it’s hard to imagine that businesses could use them to add new services to their portfolio.

This might mean that third-party mini apps may not be a good fit for companies that operate social media platforms. In the absence of official comments, one can guess that mini apps may have distracted users from the main content feed or chats with their friends—not a desired outcome for a social media app.

This approach is beneficial because it helps a company:

• Simplify the app development and management—mini apps can be updated more quickly.
• Get additional income from commissions on transactions inside mini apps, or from mini app ads.
• Keep users in the app for longer, increasing retention and LTV.
• Start ancillary services with less investment.