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Your first iOS customers will not come from the App Store on their own. They come from you finding the specific people with the problem your app solves and talking to them directly. Here is where to look and what to say.

All guidesFor founders of an iOS app

1. Write down exactly who has the problem

Skip "iPhone users" and name a situation. For example: "freelance photographers who lose track of client invoices" or "parents tracking a toddler's sleep at 3am." Every channel below works better when you can name the person and the moment they would open your app.

2. Find them on Reddit and answer real questions

Search Reddit for the pain, not your app category. Try searches like "app for tracking" + your niche, or "is there an app that" on subreddits such as r/iphone, r/apple, r/productivity, r/ADHD, r/running or whatever fits your user. Answer the question helpfully first, then mention you built something for it and offer a free TestFlight invite. Read each subreddit's self-promotion rules before posting.

3. Use TestFlight to recruit early users

A TestFlight link lowers the ask from "buy my app" to "help me test this." Post it in r/TestFlight and r/AppHookup's feedback threads, and in niche communities where your users gather. Example message: "I built an iOS app for [situation]. Looking for 20 people to try it free on TestFlight and tell me what is confusing. Want a link?"

4. Go where your niche already talks

Most iOS apps serve a specific group, and that group has a Discord, Slack, Facebook group or forum. A fitness app belongs in running club Facebook groups. A tool for teachers belongs in teacher subreddits and Facebook groups. Join, contribute for a few days, then ask for feedback rather than downloads.

5. Message people one by one

Search X, LinkedIn or Threads for people complaining about the problem, for example "wish there was an app" + your keyword. If your app is for professionals, look up job titles like "real estate agent," "personal trainer" or "nurse" on LinkedIn. Send a short, personal note: "Saw your post about [problem]. I made an iPhone app that does [one thing]. Happy to give you free access if you will tell me what is missing."

6. Fix your App Store page before you send traffic

Search the App Store for the terms your users would type and see what ranks. Put your main keyword in the app name or subtitle, use the keyword field fully, and make the first two screenshots show the result, not the menu. Ask your first happy users directly for a rating, since a page with zero reviews converts poorly.

7. Turn free users into paying ones

Once 10 to 20 people use the app regularly, ask them to pay. Offer a founding member price in a personal message: "You have used the app for three weeks. I am launching paid plans. Want to lock in [price] for life?" Their yes or no tells you more than any download number.

8. Repeat every day

Spend one focused hour daily finding conversations, replying and following up with testers. Keep a simple sheet of who you contacted and what they said. Hulby, an AI cofounder, can find these conversations and draft outreach for you each day so you spend the hour talking to users.

Mistakes to skip

  • Launching on the App Store and waiting for search traffic to arrive.
  • Posting the same promo link in many subreddits and getting banned.
  • Describing features instead of the problem the app solves.
  • Collecting free testers for months without ever asking anyone to pay.

Want this done for your iOS app, every day?

Hulby finds the people asking for what you built, writes every reply and email, and keeps you on it until they pay. Free to start.

Find my first customers

Questions

Should I launch on Product Hunt?

It can bring a spike of visitors, but rarely your target user. Do it after you have a few real users and reviews, not as your first channel.

How many users do I need before charging?

Start asking once a handful of people use the app without being reminded. Ten engaged users who pay beat a thousand who don't.

Is App Store Optimization worth it at the start?

Do the basics in an afternoon: keyword in the title, subtitle, clear screenshots. Then focus on direct outreach, which works faster early on.

What if my niche has no online community?

Go offline or direct. Message professionals by job title on LinkedIn, or visit the places your users already are, like gyms, clinics or schools.