“my apps have gotten featured a ton by Apple over the years and getting featured is fantastic because it's totally free zero cost of install but guess what those cohorts convert really poorly so do I have a conversion problem”

Cheap or featured installs create a low-conversion fact, not a conversion problem

Low trial conversion often reflects low-intent traffic, not a broken onboarding or paywall. Apple featuring delivers zero-cost installs that convert poorly — that is a traffic-quality reality, not a product failure. Before grinding on conversion optimization, check whether your cheap-install channel is structurally responsible for the low rate.