Modernizing legacy content

Redesigned the content for preloaded app install experiences on Android for Instagram and WhatsApp. Shipped to over a billion devices, unblocking major OEM partnerships and establishing scalable quality standards.

Context

Meta partners with device manufacturers to preload apps on Android devices worldwide. When someone buys a new phone, they see a placeholder app called a "stub," a lightweight placeholder app that prompts users to install the full experience without redirecting them to Google Play.

Challenges

The content on these screens was written for the Facebook app almost a decade ago and copy-pasted across other app experiences with no adaptation besides the app name. The branding didn't match, the content assumed users already knew the app they landed on, and people who didn't choose to have it on their phone were seeing confusing, outdated screens. There had been no dedicated Content Designer on the team. Shipping stubs is a months-long process as each update must be approved by device manufacturers, loaded onto every device and only months later reaches buyers. This meant that every content decision needed to be right.

Objective

Create dedicated, product-specific content for Instagram and WhatsApp that communicates value and meets people where they are.

Approach

I collaborated with content designers from the WhatsApp and Instagram teams for voice and tone, a product designer to ensure design and content consistency, engineers and localization. I explored different content directions, then created a quality framework for these stubs and presented it to leadership as the standard for all present and future stubs across the team and company.

Consistency: Align brand and UI for each app so it feels trustworthy for first-time users.
Clarity: Contextual messaging that acknowledges where users are: new phone, app they didn't choose to have loaded on it.
Value: Communicate what the app offers for people who don't already know.

How I used AI in this project

I used AI to generate and stress-test content variants across multiple voice and tone directions before narrowing down. I ran localization readiness checks to flag strings that wouldn't translate well globally.

Impact

Shipped dedicated IG and WA stubs for the first time, reaching millions of devices (including the first WA stub in the US).
Showed a statistically significant lift in daily active users, higher install success rates, and fewer cancellations.
The updated content helped unblock a major OEM partnership and secured all open contracts.

Note: Specific internal metrics and proprietary data have been omitted or generalized to comply with NDA and legal agreements.