Understanding feature stickiness

Feature stickiness refers to the quality of a product or service that keeps users coming back regularly. Sticky features create habits, fulfill ongoing needs, or provide continuous value that users find hard to give up. These features often leverage psychological principles such as the need for completion, social validation, or fear of missing out (FOMO) to encourage repeated use.

Duolingo shows this perfectly with its streak counter, which tracks how many days in a row users practice. By showing users their daily progress with checkmarks and a growing streak number, the app motivates them to come back every day to keep their streak alive. This turns daily practice from a "should do" into a "must do.”

Understanding what makes features sticky is crucial for reducing churn, as users are less likely to abandon a product that has become an integral part of their routine or workflow.^[1]