How to Make Users Trust Your App Before They Use It

Hi app founders, designers, and marketers,

The Outsiders is a fitness tracker made for endurance athletes and a 2026 Apple Design Award finalist.

Its onboarding has a few smart touches that make asking for sensitive data and permissions feel natural.

Make the transition feel smooth

After you enter your name, The Outsiders uses a Shared Element transition to move into the permission screen.

The animation gives the whole flow a calm, deliberate feel, even though the next screen is simply asking for access.

Give users a reason

Before asking for health data, The Outsiders says “we respect your privacy” and asks users to bring their history on board.

That little bit of context matters.

Users already understand what they're giving access to and why.

Turn notifications into a benefit

The app talks about “staying on track” and reminders when asking for notification access.

It never uses the word “notifications” in its own messaging.

That framing makes the permission useful in the user's mind before iOS asks them to tap Allow.

Keep the homepage simple

The Outsiders keeps its homepage clean, with the user's data taking up most of the screen and a small Upgrade to Premium section sitting underneath.

That makes the app easy to understand, although a simpler homepage can also leave fewer opportunities to show users what else they could unlock with premium.

Tip #9: Make every permission feel useful. Show users what the feature gives them before asking for access.

Would you test it on your app? Reply and let us know, we read every e-mail.

Watch the full The Outsiders breakdown:

See you next week,

The App Store Tracker Team