Why do mobile apps often gets version updates

Amirrtha Kesavan
6 min readAug 31, 2021

Conditional users today don’t have to “process” updates as they did a few years ago. Many apps update silently in the background by default. This has improved everything in many ways. Most users only notice when the app asks the user to install a new version from the store. This raises the question “why”. If your company is considering releasing a digital product, or is simply interested in it, ask yourself what is going on and how it affects the policies of the product, the user and the company.

Credits: Humble bits

Updates are the reason for your app’s performance

Applications need to be constantly updated, or at least, due to the speed of technological change. Under the hood, any kind of “vulnerability” starts to occur when a user has a problem with software and its integration, the operating system it runs on, and the infrastructure that connects them all.

Furthermore, there is the difficult fact that some people, such as hackers, can try to exploit their weaknesses to their advantage.

See why updates are an important part of a healthy app ecosystem.

User feedbacks should be prioritized

No matter how much time and effort you put into testing and focusing on your app, real app users will provide the most valuable feedback on how to improve your app.

If your application is working well, you can get feedback. Customers tell us what they like and what they don’t like. And if you are wise, you will listen to them!

It is important to solicit these comments because there is always room for improvement. There are many tools you can use in your business to collect the opinions of app users.

Show your concern for quality by collecting feedback and making any changes you want. This will increase engagement and create more loyal users.

Meaningful quarterly updates should be planned based on user analysis and feedback. However, be aware that some companies may choose to update more frequently, especially if they take a phased approach to app development.

Stay ahead of Bugs

User feedback usually indicates a bug in your mobile app. We’re sorry, no matter how much you try the app, you may find bugs in your system.

All applications have some flaws. There are just too many variables involved to avoid all the problems. The most important thing for users is how quickly developers can fix problems.

Retain users if you are considered a company that solves application problems quickly. If you ignore the problem and crash your app, users will abandon the majority of your app. If the company behind it is seen as indifferent, no one will support the app.

The great thing about errors is that you can find and fix them with ready-to-use tools. Invest in automated solutions like Crashlytics to investigate, analyze, detect, and fix bugs through real-time crash reporting, analysis, and aggregation.

Make twitches to your UX

Just like the lead singer of “The Voice”, you need to twitch the “settings” of the app and respond well to comments from judges (users) to keep them fresh and relevant. However, these changes don’t need to be big enough for users to notice.

These changes may affect only temporary instability and minor annoyances, as opposed to major bugs that can render the application unusable. For example, loading a particular section may take a long time, or images may appear in different sizes and shapes.

Most application developers can dive in and make a few small changes without anyone noticing. Many users don’t know how often their apps are updated, especially if the automatic update setting is on.

Avoid making significant changes to the app experience without justification. Deviating from the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality can lead to confusion and annoyance for users. It’s not a bug, it only addresses small things that can improve the user experience.

Keep up with relevant technology

Two reasons to regularly update your application are to keep abreast of software and hardware advancements. Whenever your device’s operating system is updated, you will likely need to update your mobile app. This type of emergency update may be required for the operating system and The update will cause serious issues with the functionality and appearance of the app.

You should also pay attention to updates to utilities and other applications with which the interface interacts. These changes may require updates by the user to maintain application compatibility. For example, if your app connects to Apple Wallet / Google Pay or Google Maps / Apple Maps, you should keep updates on those platforms to keep your apps fully integrated.

A general rule of thumb is to predict major OS updates at least 23 times a year.

Most mobile device manufacturers are trying to update their hardware as their operating system advances. This includes everything from new device types and generations to new technologies such as 5G connectivity. You can update your application as innovative technologies are released.

General maintenance and security updates

The purpose of an update may be to fix bugs, but new features and fixes may be released together. The usual way is to pay more attention to updates to make your application more stable. Fixes are updated more often in large apps with large user bases. These traditional applications are often used to improve and stabilize the user experience. App updates that usually happen once a week or every two weeks are mostly bug fixes.

Latest features or substantial modifications

New features allow you to add new features to your app with each major release of your mobile operating system. Whenever Android and iOS come up with new features, they often need to update their apps to catch up. This update gives applications access to a new set of software and hardware features introduced by the manufacturer. Not long ago, two tech giants spoke to mobile app owners. They are trying to make all applications compatible with the latest versions of the operating system and available hardware. It focuses on building a modern API that will ensure a high level of reliability and better performance.

Force update

In some cases, developers force users to update or install a completely new version. There are a number of reasons for this, but mostly because of user interest. For example, if you disavow certain parts of your application, there’s no reason for users to gain access to the wreckage of a discontinued service. It is also useful when data compliance is an issue and security vulnerabilities are updated. Here, only the latest version is configured to connect and run to prevent abuse.

Another good example can be found in games, especially online multiplayer components. Popular games are usually updated daily early in their life cycle so that competitive players can seamlessly sync between servers and keep things fair. Teams tend to closely monitor the damage done by a particular audience, both through analysis and feedback gathered from the gaming community, both within and as part of the game. game. Updates are often forced to apply new settings that “enhance or weaken some multiplayer settings can give players an unfair edge.

Simply put, if the previous version had significant risks or flaws, a required update may be appropriate to protect users and the platform.

Successful application development and maintenance takes so long that anyone who wants to bring digital products to the world can face decisions and challenges related to maintaining and updating the application. Realize that this is an ongoing process that is never perfect, even for the best teams! Helps manage expectations, minimizes stress on the team, and even prevents issues like technical debt from becoming an issue.

Develop apps to grow with your business and users

Updates are only part of the game. Fortunately, companies that bring digital products to major app stores don’t have to show up to users’ doors every time a small update is released. Are you in need of maintenance for your app or you are about to develop a mobile app? Our team of analysts and developers at ApproLabs arise to such occasions with much dexterity. We have a highly skilled team that covers a full product development methodology from research and planning to regular updates and maintenance. Consult us today today to kick start your app development and maintenance.

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