What is Screen View?
A Screen View is an analytics event that records when a user sees a specific screen inside a mobile or TV app (or any app-like environment). Think of it as the in-app counterpart to a web Pageview. Each screen view helps you understand navigation patterns, content engagement, and funnels that lead to a Conversion.
How Screen View works
In most analytics stacks, a screen view is sent as an App Event whenever:
- a user opens the app,
- navigates to a new screen, or
- the visible screen changes (e.g., tab switch, modal, route change).
Typical properties captured include screen_name (human-readable title) and screen_class or route (technical identifier). These let you build User Flow reports and calculate paths, drop-offs, and next-best actions.
Cross-platform note
Modern tools often unify web and app views. For example, dashboards may show a single “Views” metric that aggregates page_view (web) and screen_view (app). Segments can still split by Device Category or platform.
Why it matters
- Navigation analysis: Identify most/least visited screens to inform IA and UX fixes.
- Funnel depth: Combine screen views with Session and event data to diagnose where users abandon key flows.
- Attribution: Tie screen exposures to Campaign performance, Source, or Referral for journey analysis.
- Engagement quality: Pair with Engagement Time to distinguish short peeks from meaningful attention.
Implementation tips
- Name screens consistently. Keep
screen_namestable; change only on true context changes. - SPA/Hybrid apps: Trigger screen view on route changes even without full page reloads.
- Privacy & identity: If you use Client ID (or its app equivalent), ensure resets on logout and respect consent.
- Alternative tools: In Matomo and similar SDK-based systems, “screenviews” are first-class for apps. Privacy-focused web tools (e.g., Plausible, Simple Analytics) primarily track pageviews; app screen tracking typically requires SDKs or bridge events.
Quick comparison
| Aspect | Pageview | Screen View |
|---|---|---|
| Context | Website | Mobile/TV/Embedded app |
| Trigger | Page load/route change | Screen shown/route change |
| Key fields | URL, title | screen_name, screen_class |
| Typical use | Content & SEO | UX flows & funnels |