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Mobile applications have become an integral part of people's daily lives and are yet to become an integral part of them. They are part of our routines, help us stay connected, manage tasks, and, on top of that, are a great source of entertainment. With the rise of daily usage applications, users have come to expect seamless experiences with their apps that they need to meet their demands quickly and efficiently.
However, even after the time and effort spent, bugs still slip through, frustrate users, present unexpected challenges for developers, and potentially cause financial losses to businesses.
Statistics show that approximately 70% of mobile app users would uninstall an app without hesitation if it made them wait too long. While there is no clear understanding or statistics on how many bugs the user would tolerate, the answer is likely "not many" because only 25% of mobile applications are used only once after downloading. To ensure that apps don't fall victim to these uninstall statistics, avoiding and fixing critical bugs that can disrupt the user experience is essential.
In this article, we'll explore the top five most troublesome app bugs that occur when developing mobile applications and offer you some solutions on how to avoid them.
1. Performance issues
Performance bugs or issues could significantly affect the user experience and destroy an app. Laggy interfaces, slow loading times, unresponsive features, and many performance deficiencies could result in user frustration and abandonment. The performance issues often come from inefficient coding practices, poor network optimization, or excessive memory consumption.
To prevent performance issues, developers should focus on the following strategies:
Performance testing
Conduct performance testing under various conditions to identify potential bottlenecks. Tools like Xcode's Instruments or Android’s Profiler can provide in-depth insights into performance issues such as memory leaks, CPU usage, and network latency.
Code optimization
Refactor the app’s code to improve efficiency. This includes optimizing loops, reducing unnecessary calculations, and streamlining the app’s architecture to ensure smooth execution.
Caching and data storage
Employ caching techniques to store frequently accessed data locally. This reduces the need to reload data from the network every time, improving response times and conserving bandwidth.
Analytics for continuous monitoring
Implement analytics tools to monitor app performance post-launch. Tools like Google Analytics or New Relic can help developers spot performance degradation early, so they can proactively optimize the app.
By maintaining a focus on optimizing performance, developers can ensure their apps load quickly and operate smoothly, providing a seamless experience for users.
You may be interested in: What is The Difference Between Manual and Automated Mobile App Testing?
2. UI/UX Glitches
The mobile app's user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) are core to its success. If users encounter glitchy or poorly designed interfaces, they are likely to become disappointed and abandon the app. UI/UX glitches include a variety pool of issues including overlapping UI elements, unresponsive buttons, and improper text wrapping. All of these types of bugs create confusion and are making the app harder to use.
To avoid UI/UX issues, developers should take the following steps:
Cross-device and cross-screen testing
Test the app on a variety of devices and screen sizes to ensure that all interface elements are properly aligned and functioning. Devices with different screen resolutions or aspect ratios may reveal UI issues that are otherwise missed during testing.
User feedback and usability testing
Regularly gather feedback from real users to identify areas where the app's interface or experience may be confusing or frustrating. Engage in usability testing to assess how users interact with your app and identify areas for improvement.
Design for different screen sizes
Ensure the app is designed to adapt to various screen sizes and orientations. This helps avoid UI issues like cropped titles, overflowing content, or buttons that are too small to click.
By focusing on improving UI/UX design and addressing potential glitches early in the development process, developers can create an app that is intuitive, easy to navigate, and pleasing to the eye.
3. Crash bugs
Crash bugs are one of the most frustrating issues for mobile app users. These bugs cause the app to shut down unexpectedly, preventing the users from accessing the features altogether. The impact of an app crashing is significant, whether a messaging app crashes during the user's multimedia file upload or an app for shopping when processing a payment. This results in a negative first interaction, very likely for users to abandon and eventually uninstall the app.
Crash bugs often occur due to a lack of compatibility checks across devices and operating systems or inadequate error handling. Developers should pay attention to the following steps to prevent these issues:
Thorough testing across devices
Test the app on a wide range of devices and operating system versions to ensure it works consistently. This includes testing under different network conditions and usage scenarios.
Robust error-handling
Implement error-handling mechanisms that can gracefully manage unexpected issues without causing the app to crash. This might involve checking for null data, catching exceptions, and ensuring the app can recover smoothly from minor errors.
Crash-reporting tools
Use crash-reporting tools such as Firebase Crashlytics or Sentry to track and resolve issues quickly. These tools provide insights into the exact moment an app crashes and help developers fix issues before they escalate.
Paying attention to the key areas above could help the developers reduce the likelihood of crashes and ensure users a smoother and more enjoyable experience with the app.
4. Network connectivity issues
The functionality of mobile apps often relies on stable network connections. Syncing data, delivering real-time updates, and processing transactions are just a part of some network-reliable features. Network connectivity can disrupt the app's operation and leave the users frustrated.
The most common network connectivity issues that developers come up with are:
- Slow or unreliable internet connections;
- Failed API requests;
- Incomplete data transfers;
- Disconnections from servers.
To mitigate these issues, developers should:
Test across various network conditions
Simulate different network environments (e.g., 3G, 4G, Wi-Fi) to ensure the app works effectively under a variety of conditions. This helps ensure that users can still interact with the app, even with less-than-ideal network speeds.
Error-handling and retry logic
Implement error-handling mechanisms that allow the app to gracefully manage network failures, such as retrying failed API requests or offering users the option to continue working offline.
Optimize API requests
Minimize the number of network requests by batching API calls when possible. Compressing data before sending it over the network also helps reduce the load on both the client and server.
Caching and offline mode
Implement caching to store critical data locally and reduce the app’s dependence on constant network connectivity. Offering offline modes for essential features ensures users can still access certain app functions even when they lose their internet connection.
By optimizing for various network conditions, developers can ensure that their apps deliver a smooth and reliable experience, even in areas with poor network coverage.
You may be interested in: 10-Step Mobile App Testing Strategy.
5. Mobile feature issues
Mobile feature issues are bugs that are affected by a specific functionality within the app. These types of issues impact the usability and engagement of the app. Common feature bugs are buttons that are hidden or do not work, push notifications that trigger improperly, camera or GPS issues, etc.
To avoid mobile feature bugs, developers should:
Thorough testing of core features
Ensure that all essential features—such as buttons, notifications, and integrations with device hardware (e.g., camera, GPS)—are fully functional. Test them across a variety of devices and OS versions to catch compatibility issues early.
Responsive design
Create a responsive design to ensure buttons and other interface elements are visible and easy to interact with across different screen sizes.
Push notification testing
Test push notifications thoroughly to ensure they are delivered correctly, opened, and function as expected. Incorrect push notifications can lead to user disengagement and frustration.
By focusing on the core functionality of mobile features, developers can ensure that users have a seamless, bug-free experience when using their apps.
The bottom line
In the world of mobile app development, bugs are an inevitable part of the process, but yet, they don’t have to become a major roadblock. By addressing the five most troublesome mobile app bugs: performance issues, UI/UX glitches, crash bugs, network connectivity issues, and mobile feature problems—developers can significantly improve the user experience and reduce the likelihood of app abandonment.
The key to building a successful app lies in a commitment to continuous testing, optimization, and responsiveness to user feedback. By focusing on these crucial aspects of mobile app development, we can ensure that our app not only avoids common pitfalls but also delivers a seamless and reliable experience that keeps our users coming back for more.
Ready to launch a bug-free mobile app? Reach out to learn more about our mobile app testing services and how we can help you launch apps your users will love.
