Why is it Essential to Include Offline Capabilities in Your Mobile App?

Mobile users are on the move, and expecting them to be constantly connected to the internet is a long-shot. However, most developers ignore this fact and design apps, expecting users to be always online. The result? Frustration hits users when an action they were performing gets interrupted due to poor connectivity and the app just refuses to work. That’s why you need to embrace offline capabilities, allowing app users to run the application, regardless of whether or not they’re connected.

Building offline mobile apps is a smart move. Here are five tips that can help you add this feature to your app:

#1 Caching

Caching data can allow data retrieval even when the user is not connected. It should often be refreshed to load up with the most recent data. For instance, data that is subject to change such as news can frequently be updated when compared to images, locations or other information.

#2: Local Storage

For apps to function in offline environments, they must be enabled with access to the local storage, so that the information can be retrieved locally instead of waiting for the online connection to establish. However, make sure only required files are stored to prevent taking up too much space.

#3 Data Synchronization

When the connection in live, the updates must be synchronized with data stored in the back-end. This is made possible as soon as the signal is available, upon launching the application, or at predefined intervals.

#4: API Support

To avail the total benefit of caching, your mobile application developer can employ server-side caching support. The servers can indicate which information to cache, the duration as well as control the amount of data transfer. Networking libraries usually have inbuilt support for this.

#5: Queuing Operations

When the app receives no connectivity, any newly added operations are collected in a queue and processed when the app goes online. The user continues to see the unprocessed information and can use the app normally.

Getting your application to work under offline mode involves a lot of technical complexity. To achieve superior results, it’s better to hire mobile application developers in NewYork who know how to work with various instruments and technologies to build a robust mobile app that can function without an active internet connection.