Rethinking ‘Inactive’—Why Your Quiet Users Might Still Be Valuable

As marketers, we spend a lot of time worrying about our most active users, and for good reason. They drive the bulk of our revenue, engage with campaigns, and give us the cleanest feedback loops to optimize around. But while we’re busy doubling down on our power users, we might be overlooking someone else:

• The traveler who only opens the app ahead of a big trip
• The investor who checks in monthly to rebalance their portfolio
• The shopper who browses seasonally but always spends big when they do

These users might be quiet, but they’re far from gone, and with the right strategy, they could be some of your most valuable re-engagement opportunities.

Just because a user is quiet doesn't mean they're gone!

Too many mobile teams rely on overly simplistic definitions of "inactive," treating silence as a permanent exit rather than a natural rhythm of user behavior. And that means they're leaving value on the table.

It's time to rethink what churn really means (and how low-touch users could still be playing a long game with your app.)

Churn isn’t always what you think it is…

The most common approach to defining churn is some variation of: “This user hasn’t done X in Y days, therefore, they’re gone.” It’s a simple model, and in some industries (like high-frequency games or social platforms), it can be relatively accurate.

But in many verticals, like fintech, food delivery, education, health, travel, or seasonal commerce, that black-and-white definition often doesn’t hold up.

Users often interact with these apps in irregular cycles:

• A grocery app user who only orders during busy holiday weeks
• A finance app user who logs in around payday or at month-end
• A language learner who ghosts for weeks, then binge-studies over a long weekend

If you define these users as “churned” just because they don’t show up daily or weekly, you may miss out on reactivation opportunities and miscalculate long-term value.

The hidden behaviors behind “inactive” users

Silence in your product doesn’t mean disinterest. It might mean:

• They're reading push notifications without opening your app
• They're watching your email campaigns but not clicking… yet
• They still have push enabled (a signal of intent), but haven’t needed to use your app recently

These behaviors, what we’d call passive engagement, indicate that the user relationship is dormant, not dead.

Looking to up your email reactivation game?
This guide to email re-engagement strategies shows you exactly which segmentation & personalization tactics are proven winback tactics for the inbox.

How to spot “quiet but qualified” users

To unlock the hidden value in low-touch users, you need more than just a last-active date. “Quiet but Qualified” users are those who appear inactive on the surface, but show subtle signals of potential beneath the noise. Here’s how to find and segment them:

🔎 Push or email token is still active
If a user still has push notifications enabled or is opening emails, even if they’re not launching the app, they’re reachable. Create a segment for users who haven’t opened the app in 30+ days but still have a valid push/email token. These users are prime for reactivation campaigns.

🔎 Opened or clicked a message without opening the app
If someone clicks your push or email but doesn’t follow through with an in-app action, it’s a sign of interest without urgency. Use this signal to create a “soft responders” segment for low-friction follow-ups like reminders, utility nudges, or personalized CTAs.

🔎 Returned after a long absence (and might do it again)
Look at users who’ve disappeared for 60+ days in the past, then reactivated on their own. This pattern suggests cyclical behavior. Tag these users as “likely to return” and set up proactive nudges aligned with that timeline.

🔎 One-channel loyalists
Some users are invisible in your app metrics but engaged elsewhere. For example, they regularly click on SMS but never open push. Segment by channel responsiveness and personalize outreach accordingly.

🔎 High intent sessions, even if rare
A user who only opens the app once every few months, but immediately makes a purchase, books a trip, or completes a transaction is not low value. Segment by recency/frequency of meaningful actions, not just sessions.

🔎 Installed, but not active (yet)
Users who installed your app but never completed onboarding, or who bounced after a single session, shouldn’t be ignored. Create a segment for “quiet new users” and send educational or onboarding-focused re-engagement flows.

🔎 Product-fit outliers
Look for users in verticals where low-frequency use is normal (e.g., tax software, event booking, health check-ins.) These users might not behave like your daily active cohort, but they still convert when the timing is right.

Check out our Mobile Re-Engagement Toolkit for a custom collection of tools, videos, and resources all geared towards winning users back.

Once you've built your “Quiet but Qualified” segments, test targeted reactivation flows that respect their usage patterns instead of assuming they’ve checked out. These users may not be shouting for attention—but they're still listening.

Reactivation strategies that don’t feel desperate

Most winback campaigns feel like a panic move. Subject lines like “We miss you!” or “Come back for 20% off!” That might work for some, but it often feels tone-deaf for users who haven’t yet emotionally checked out.

Instead, try more personalized, non-intrusive messaging strategies:

Behaviorally timed nudges: Trigger a message around the moment they usually return (e.g., paydays, Friday nights, start of a new fitness goal).

Utility-driven reminders: Like, “Your weekly spending summary is ready” or “We’ve got your refill alert.” Functional, not fluffy.

Personalized recaps or progress markers: “You’ve saved $X this year,” “Here’s what’s new since you last visited.”

Seasonal or limited-time hooks: “Fall travel deals are live,” or “New features launched this week.”

Using a tool like OneSignal Journeys, you can automate these types of reactivation flows across channels (push, SMS, in-app, email), with the right timing and tone… no manual lift required.

Rethinking metrics: What success looks like with quiet users

Once you’ve engaged your “Quiet but Qualified” segment, make sure you’re not measuring success solely by immediate conversions. Quiet users often need a slower ramp back into the app.

Track these signals instead:

• Re-engagement velocity: Time between message sent and app open.
• Time between sessions: Are the gaps shrinking?
• Channel responsiveness: Are they more likely to respond to push vs. email?
• Post-return behavior: Once they’re back, are they doing meaningful actions (not just bouncing in and out)?

Silence is just a strategy waiting to happen

Quiet users aren’t just churned. Many are just waiting for the right message, moment, or motivation.

By rethinking how you define inactivity, and leaning into messaging strategies that reflect real human rhythms, you’ll open up a whole new dimension of user value that most teams overlook.

And if you're ready to spot, segment, and re-engage these users intelligently and automatically? OneSignal makes it easy to build smart, behavior-based Journeys across push, email, SMS, and more… all without code.