Verizon AR Pro
Client
Verizon
Industry
Sports & Entertainment
Verizon AR Pro was a mobile app that brought pro athletes into your space for interactive training. Users could, for instance, practice a free kick with Megan Rapinoe, creating an immersive way to train alongside the pros.
In this case study, I focused on improving the onboarding experience by redesigning the permissions flow for both iOS and Android. The original experience didn’t follow platform best practices, creating unnecessary friction and contributing to early user drop-off. I audited the flow, proposed improvements, and delivered redesigned screens that aligned with Verizon’s brand guidelines. After the updated flow launched in early 2022, early churn dropped significantly and first run completion rates increased across both platforms, illustrating how small UX improvements can have a measurable impact on user retention.
Crafted at TriggerXR
Problem
Because users were being asked for permissions too early, before understanding the context or purpose, many hesitated or abandoned onboarding altogether.
Key issues:
In-app pop-ups were used where native prompts should’ve been shown.
Photo library permissions were required up front, even if not needed.
No “safety net” to support push notification opt-ins.
Visual design didn’t follow Verizon brand standards, leading to a disconnected experience.
Process
Audit & Research
Reviewed the existing first-run flow for both Android and iOS
Documented inconsistencies with platform best practices (e.g., double prompting, premature photo access, in-app instead of native prompts)
Evaluated how each permission was being requested and why users might drop off
Referenced Apple Human Interface Guidelines, Android documentation, and Material Design patterns to inform a best-practice redesign
Identified key friction points where users were likely to abandon onboarding
Design
Created redesigned flows for iOS and Android with clear, platform-appropriate logic
Replaced unnecessary in-app popups with native permission prompts or delayed modals
Styled all screens according to Verizon’s brand system for consistency
Collaboration
Worked closely with developers to confirm feasibility of the redesigned flow
Adjusted placement of content behind native Android prompts to ensure readability
Made small iterative changes based on feedback during handoff and QA
Documentation
Delivered clearly annotated flows for both platforms
Included reasoning for each permission request’s placement and trigger timing
Flagged any platform-specific limitations or behavior nuances (like Android’s auto opt-in to push notifications)
Screens below show the original and updated onboarding flows as documented during the project. Redesign focused on minimizing friction, aligning with platform best practices, and improving user clarity at permission gates
Key Decisions
Platform-Specific Alignment
On iOS: only used native prompts, with modals for denied permissions
On Android: layered contextual info behind native prompts
Conditional Requests
Moved photo library requests out of the first-run and into relevant user flows (e.g., when trying to save a photo)
Push Notification Strategy
Added a full-screen push “safety net” modal at the end of onboarding
Helped boost opt-ins without forcing the prompt too early
Visual & Brand Consistency
Updated all screens to follow Verizon’s brand system, tone, and layout guidelines
Improved legibility and pacing of the first-run experience
Outcome
Early Churn
After the redesign, early churn dropped by nearly 3x
Churn dropped from 26% → 7%
Completion jumped from 74% → 93%
First Run Completion Rate by Platform
Both platforms saw a significant lift in first run completion, with Android improving by nearly 30 percentage points and iOS by over 21 points.
iOS: 58% → 80% (+22 pts)
Android: 47% → 77% (+30 pts)
Push Notification Opt-In Rate
By adding a push “safety net” screen for push notifications, opt-in rates rose from 38% to 55% across platforms.
Push notification opt-ins became more consistent across platforms due to added education screens
Session engagement aligned with the full length of a Pro module (around 12–13 minutes)
Retention improved with clearer onboarding and reduced permission friction
