How do you decide how often to update your mobile app?

Consider user feedback, addressing critical bugs promptly, releasing security updates, introducing new features, staying current with platform updates, optimizing performance, analyzing competition, and focusing on user retention and engagement when deciding how often to update your mobile app.

Deciding how often to update a mobile app depends on factors like bug fixes, feature improvements, and user feedback. Regular updates, perhaps monthly or bi-monthly, can maintain a good user experience and address evolving needs. Monitoring app performance and user engagement helps determine the optimal update frequency.

Factors such as user feedback, bug fixes, feature enhancements, and industry trends must be carefully considered to determine the optimal update frequency for a mobile app. The frequency of updates is influenced by the complexity of changes, impact on existing functionality, and user expectations. Striking a balance between timely updates and minimal disruptions to the user experience is key. Monitoring app performance metrics, competitor updates, and technological advancements can help ensure the app remains competitive and relevant.

App performance is a crucial factor in determining update frequency. Regularly test and measure app performance on various devices and platforms. Monitor metrics like crash rates, loading times, battery consumption, and memory usage. Swiftly address performance issues through updates to maintain app quality, reliability, and user satisfaction.

Updating app with fixes or feedback is important but keeping the app's performance is crucial for app's success. Update the app to improve performance, fix bugs, and optimize resource usage. Frequent updates can help maintain a smooth and reliable user experience. Monitor app performance metrics, crash reports, and user complaints. Conduct performance testing during development to catch and fix issues before release.

Consider app features when determining update frequency. Strive to add value with new or improved features that address user needs. Avoid overloading the app with excessive or complex features, ensuring a balanced and user-friendly experience. Prioritize features based on user feedback and app performance, avoiding unnecessary additions.

The first version of an app doesn't need to have all the features planned, It can be a minimum viable product (MVP) with only a few features. Then you can update/revise those features according to users' feedback and add more features.

Addressing critical bugs and security vulnerabilities should be prioritized with immediate updates whenever necessary to ensure the app's stability and security.

tl;dr: Release train with pre-defined cadence. When a big team is working on an app or multiple teams are working on an app, a good standard practice is to release the app as a part of a pre-determined release train cadence, which could be weekly or bi-weekly. This insures predictable and regular updates for the user, but not so many that it bothers users. Another good practise is to couple the release train with remote feature flags, which controls the visibility of features. Sometimes feature releases are dependent of marketing releases or might not be ready or in A/B test. Feature flags are very handy in such cases. Release train can be coupled with ad-hoc updates in case of need of a patch for some time sensitive bugs and fixes.

Updates may also be required to ensure compatibility with new versions of mobile operating systems or changes in platform guidelines. Keeping up-to-date with platform updates can help prevent compatibility issues and ensure a smooth user experience.

You may also need to go and update the app you developed whenever there's a major update to the API for mobile apps in the language you developed it in. App updates are often necessary as well when a new major version of the operating system for the mobile platform has been released.