# 30 hooks for app ads

> Thirty hooks for app install ads, grouped by pattern: show the screen, name the annoyance, before and after, and free offers. We wrote them; test them on your app.
- **Author**: Marxx
- **Published**: 2026-10-29
- **Category**: Hooks
- **URL**: https://marxx.ai/library-templates/hooks-for-app-ads

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A hook for an app ad shows the app doing its one job in the first three seconds. These 30 hooks are grouped by pattern. We wrote them. They are not from real apps and have not been tested, so swap in your app's job, then test.

## Show the screen

1. "Watch me [do the job] in [N] seconds."
2. "This is the whole app. Three taps."
3. "Open it. Do [job]. Done. Nothing else to learn."
4. "Here is what you see the first time you open it."
5. "No sign-up wall. Watch."

## Name the daily annoyance

6. "Still doing [annoying task] by hand?"
7. "Your [thing] is spread across five apps."
8. "Forgot to [task] again? The app remembers."
9. "That moment when [relatable problem] happens."
10. "Why does [task] take so long?"

## Before and after

11. "Before: [messy way]. After: one screen."
12. "Same task. Old way: [time]. In the app: [time]."
13. "My [screen] on day 1 and on day 30." Use only real screens.
14. "Here is my month before and after I started tracking."

## Free and easy

15. "Free to start. Takes two minutes."
16. "No card needed. Try it today."
17. "Your first [lesson / workout / plan] is on us."
18. "Pick your goal. We build the plan."

## Curiosity

19. "I deleted three apps after finding this one."
20. "The setting inside [App] that nobody uses."
21. "I tried it for a week as a test."
22. "What happens when you [do the job] every day for 10 days?"

## Social proof (real only)

23. "[X] lakh people use this to [job]."
24. "Rated [4.x] by [N] users. Here is a one-star review."
25. "Recommended by [a source you can name]."

## Time and season

26. "Before the [festival] rush, set this up."
27. "New [month / semester]? Start fresh."
28. "Salary day tomorrow. Plan it first."
29. "Exams in [N] days. Make a plan in two minutes."
30. "Match tonight? Book your slot now."

Proof hooks (23 to 25) need real numbers and real reviews. Never invent them.

## A worked example

Say you test three hooks on the same 20-second screen recording. Each ad spends INR 9,000 and gets 50,000 impressions. [Hook rate](/glossary/hook-rate) is 3-second plays divided by impressions.

| Hook | 3-second plays | Hook rate | Installs | Cost per install |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Watch me split a INR 2,400 bill in 10 seconds." | 15,000 | 30% | 300 | INR 30 |
| "I deleted three apps after finding this one." | 19,000 | 38% | 270 | INR 33 |
| "Still splitting bills in a group chat?" | 13,000 | 26% | 360 | INR 25 |

The curiosity hook holds the most people. The group chat hook brings the cheapest installs: INR 9,000 / 360 = INR 25. Pick on the cost of the step you care about, such as a [CPA](/glossary/cpa), not on hook rate alone.

## How to choose

- Name one job. An app that does five things needs five ads.
- Film the real app. A screen recording with your own voice is enough.
- Change only the first three seconds. Keep the rest of the ad the same.
- Write the body copy with the [app install ad copy examples](/templates/app-install-ad-copy-examples).
- For more patterns, see the [ad hook examples](/templates/ad-hook-examples) and [how to write ad hooks](/guides/how-to-write-ad-hooks).

Marxx tracks competitor ads on Meta and Google, with keyword tracking and an AI search over 100M+ ads back to 2022. Use it to see which hooks other apps in your category have run. See [competitor tracking](/features/competitor-tracking).

## FAQ

### Do these hooks work for static app ads?

The idea carries over. In a static ad, the hook is the headline or the first line on the image, and you compare click-through rate instead of hook rate.

### Should I show a person or the screen?

Test both. The screen shows what the app does. A person adds a reaction. Change one at a time so you can tell which one helped.

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