How to Maintain an Android App? Importance, Process & Tools

Do you have an Android app and want to maintain it?

Avoiding app maintenance can bring negative consequences not only on the brand image but also on user retention. It can even result in losing your app forever.

Relax, your app will never be among the ones to fail, only if you keep its maintenance a priority.

Now, the next question is “Why maintain Android and iOS apps differently?”

Well, don’t you notice different operating systems in Android and iOS apps or a difference in their interface?

The processes and functions of Android and iOS apps are different, and so are their maintenance process.

In this blog, we will discuss how to maintain an Android app, its relevancy, and the tools used to perform it.

Let’s begin this amazing journey with an Android app maintenance guide.

Why Maintain an Android App?

Are you stuck with whether to maintain your Android app or not?

Well, after android app development, another important area is its maintenance.

Kindly consider the following points “Why maintain an Android app?”

1. To Follow the Current Trends

Within this competitive era, it is essential to follow the current trends in order to sustain the competition and retain loyal users. Android app maintenance can help you in implementing the current updated technology such as AI, AR, or IoT that will boost its overall performance.

2. Increasing User Experience

In the app maintenance process, it is essential to monitor the app, fix bugs, and improve performance or updates. These steps will be effective in reducing errors that slow down the app’s performance which automatically increases the downloading speed and functions smoothly.

3. For Updating User Interface

It is essential to improve users’ interface as it is the first impression of your app. Thus, android app maintenance can assist you in upgrading the interface regularly and avoiding all the bugs successfully. Here you should understand the audience and then plan interface updates accordingly.

4. To Add New Features

Through app maintenance, new features can be added that will scale up the app’s performance. This can be performed only after monitoring the users’ performance continuously and then adding features that they actually require to use the app effectively.

5. For Complying with Regulations

Routine app maintenance can help you to recognize any kind of deficiencies, deviations, and malfunctions from the compliance standards. It is essential to identify the current and robust quality management practices through conducting regulatory audits.

6. To Ensure Long-Term Sustainability

When you want long-term sustainability and a practice that can increase the overall app’s competitive edge then its maintenance is the ultimate process. App maintenance is essential to introduce new features, reduce bugs, and for adapting the needs of the changing environment.

7. To Optimize App’s Performance

The Android app maintenance process will help you optimize the app’s size as well as resources. By conducting testing in all real networks and devices, you can analyze its actual performance. By evaluating its complete performance, it can become easy to optimize the app’s performance.

8. Improve App Security

App maintenance is the right step to undertake when you think cyber theft can become a major concern. Through using robust technology practices, app security can be strengthened. Continuous monitoring will help identify future risks that can increase security practices.

These were certain reasons that can motivate you to consider Android app maintenance.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Android App Maintenance

Now, as you know why go for the right app maintenance process, let’s take a step forward towards learning a step-by-step guide to maintain an Android app.

Here is the right process to maintain an Android app.

Step 1: Perform Regular Updates

You can identify any bugs or errors within the app only when you perform regular updates.

Here, you just need to monitor the app’s performance regularly along with the responsiveness of its features and functions.

Identifying issues is more important before addressing them and regular monitoring can help you to perform it effectively.

Step 2: Fix Bugs and Errors

After identifying prominent issues, you should take steps towards fixing bugs and errors by using relevant tools as well as techniques.

You can make use of debugging tools as well as testing methods or check users’ feedback on the app’s usage.

Android app maintenance can help you identify bugs as well as errors through regular monitoring activity.

Step 3: Perform Security Maintenance

Security is a prime activity when you undergo an app development process. Thus, ensuring that the app is safe to use is a prime step when you start the journey of app maintenance.

To check over app maintenance, you need to cross-check the battery levels, clean cameras, check for the test control panels, etc.

Later, check out the data security parameters along with the API integration system to secure users’ journey with the app. App Security is an important point for enhancing user interaction.

Step 4: Database Management

Another step within the Android app maintenance process is to manage data to increase user experience.

This system plays an important role in storing and managing a large amount of data which can further strengthen websites as well as applications.

You should ensure adequate optimization of resources by managing databases, checking their storage and security processes, etc.

Step 5: Update the User Interface

Now, the next step will be to update the user interface by checking out the current app design and upgrading it based on the recent trends.

A UI/UX design update is a change to the interface to enable the process easier to use, more intuitive as well as visually pleasing.

You can understand the audience, implement the responsive design, and ensure design consistency for streamlining user inputs.

Step 6: A Check on the Compliance

Android app maintenance helps in complying with legal practices, where you need to have a regular check over the regulations as well as policies related to the law.

It is important to ensure that the app is compliant with the current data privacy legislation launched by the state or country’s government.

With new operating systems and mobile devices, you should ensure that your apps remain compatible with the latest technology.

Step 7: Maintain Third-Party Services

Within the app maintenance procedure, it is essential to maintain third-party services along with application integration.

Third-party services or APIs are technologies that are completely controlled by the government and involve the participation of non-government entities.

You can develop a vendor risk management plan to over such barriers.

Step 8: Schedule Your Next Maintenance Process

The next step is to schedule your next app maintenance procedure for Android. All the activities within the maintenance process do not need to be updated regularly.

Thus, you should decide over time to maintain each element of your Android app.

A check over licenses, testing and considering best app maintenance practices can help over in increasing its efficiency.

These are some of the steps that you should follow for undertaking the Android app maintenance procedure.

Are you wondering if effective tools need to be undertaken for maintaining an Android app?

Let’s check out the next section together.

What Tools are Used to Maintain an Android App?

Till now, we have discussed the reason behind maintaining an Android app and the process of app maintenance.

Now, what about learning the tools used to maintain an Android app?

To maintain an Android app, you should have a list of a variety of tools for monitoring the app performance, managing releases as well as ensuring security. These tools can help in reducing app maintenance downtime.

Shall we check them up?

1] Android Studio

Android Studio is one of the official and legal integrated development environments (IDE) for Google’s Android system which is totally based on IntelliJ IDEA.

This tool can be used for code editing as well as refactoring. It is used for real-time error checking as well as to write and maintain the code.

2] Version Control Software

Version Control Software can be utilized to keep track of every modification to the code within a special kind of database.

This software can enable developers to journey back to the earlier versions and then collaborate seamlessly.

3] Gradle Build System

Gradle can be considered an open-source system of choice for developers of Java, Android, and Kotlin. This system can be used for handling various build configurations, automation tasks, and dependencies.

It helps mobile apps to deliver better software and at a faster pace. Here the building procedure includes linking and packaging the code.

4] Debugging and Testing of App

Using debugging techniques such as logging, breakpoints, and stack traces can be used for identifying and fixing bugs.

Here you can make use of an Android profiler to monitor the app’s performance in real time for addressing the bottlenecks.

5] Device Testing

Through an Android emulator and real device testing, connecting to the physical devices for your development machine as well as testing it using Android Studio works well on hardware.

Android emulator is used for performing mobile app testing over different virtual devices with different screen sizes, and resolutions as well as over diversified versions.

6] Tool for Analysis

Using the tools for code analysis as well as inspection is essential to be used. Hence, you can make use of Lint Checks to identify potential issues within your code, including performance-related errors.

On the other hand, static code analysis tools will be useful for automatically inspecting the code for errors as well as ensuring high code quality as well as maintenance.

7] Build and Release Management

You can make use of Android Studio to manage the entire release process by generating signed APKs as well as AABs over the Google Play Store.

Through the integration of Android Studio with the CI tools including Jenkins or CircleCI, you can automate the building and testing process within the Android app maintenance procedure.

8] Layout Editor

You can make use of a visual layout editor for designing and previewing the app’s UI for diversified screen sizes and orientations.

Using the constraint layout can create a complex layout with a flat view hierarchy that can increase performance and maintainability.

9] R8 Configuration

R8 Configuration tool can be relevant for code shrinking and obfuscation as well as optimization for reducing the app size and protecting code.

It helps to reduce app size, increase performance as well as secure mobile applications.

Now, that you learned about tools, let’s go ahead with the cost to maintain an Android app.

Cost to Maintain an Android App

The next question that might be bothering you can be “What’s the cost to maintain an Android app?”

Well, an Android mobile app maintenance cost can range from $10,000 to $30,000 per annum, thus, it can be 10% to 20% of the complete development cost.

The exact cost can be decided based on factors such as complexity, design, size, budget, tools, etc.

Maintain Your Android App with Nimble AppGenie

Are you ready to maintain your Android app?

Well, then you must be looking forward to a company or a team to outsource the process.

Nimble AppGenie can become your ultimate partner in this procedure.

We are the best app maintenance service provider who knows well the right tools and time to process the activity.

Conclusion

Android mobile app maintenance is different from that of iOS app maintenance. It is important to maintain an Android app for various reasons such as following current trends, increasing user experience, adding new features, complying with regulations, and improving the app’s security.

The right process for app maintenance can start with performing regular updates, reducing bugs, updating the user interface, managing the database, and scheduling the app maintenance process. Tools that can be used for maintaining an app include device testing, layout editor, R8 Configuration, and others.

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Niketan Sharma

Niketan Sharma is the CTO of Nimble AppGenie, a prominent website and mobile app development company in the USA that is delivering excellence with a commitment to boosting business growth & maximizing customer satisfaction. He is a highly motivated individual who helps SMEs and startups grow in this dynamic market with the latest technology and innovation.