How can I create a journey or trigger an action for users who have just installed and opened my app for the first time?

To target users who launched your app for the very first time, use the PW_DeviceRegistered default event.

Why PW_DeviceRegistered?

• Fires only once per device — it is triggered on the first app launch, when the Pushwoosh SDK initializes and registers the device.
• Ideal for onboarding — welcome messages, onboarding tutorials, or any campaign that must reach brand-new users exactly once.

Why not PW_ApplicationOpen?

PW_ApplicationOpen fires every time the app is opened. It is useful for engagement tracking but would re-trigger an onboarding journey for the same user again and again.

How to implement it

1. Activate the default event first. Default events are not enabled automatically. Go to Audience → Events, click Create Event, choose Default Event from the drop-down, select PW_DeviceRegistered and click Activate. Until you do this, the event will not appear in the Customer Journey drop-downs.
2. In Customer Journey, add a Trigger-based entry at the start of your journey.
3. Configure the entry to listen for PW_DeviceRegistered.

Only devices that have just installed and launched your app will enter the journey.

Default events require an up-to-date Pushwoosh SDK (available from SDK 5.2.2 onwards).