One of the biggest mistakes your company could make when investing in custom app development, is not allocating adequate resources towards app maintenance.
These resources include a yearly budget for app maintenance, a plan for future updates and the people to make it happen.
An ideal mobile app maintenance plan (and budget) should include:
- Routine maintenance as a minimum: security updates, bug fixes, and compatibility updates when new versions of iOS and Android are released
- New features and enhancements
- Hosting and performance monitoring
Regular maintenance protects user trust, app performance and ultimately your business’s reputation.
Let’s dive deeper into the essential components of an app maintenance plan.
5 Things to Include in Your App Maintenance Plan
Here are five things that your organization should include as part of your mobile app maintenance plan.
1. Routine Code Maintenance
Even if you never add a new feature or refresh the design of your mobile app, keeping the code up-to-date is essential. Code maintenance includes:
- Security updates to protect against new vulnerabilities as cybersecurity threats evolve.
- Fixing bugs and paying down technical debt, which will ensure a smoother, more reliable app experience.
- Compatibility updates to keep pace with new versions of iOS, Android and 3rd-party APIs. We’ll discuss this point in more detail next.
2. Annual App Audit
Each year, Apple and Google release major updates to their mobile operating systems (e.g., iOS 17 or Android 14). These updates often affect app functionality, making it critical to test your app in advance and fix any issues before users experience them.
It’s not uncommon for major iOS and Android updates to cause apps to stop working, or to perform inconsistently. An annual app audit gives app developers the opportunity to assess compatibility and make necessary adjustments, ensuring your app continues to perform as expected.
This audit is also vital to keeping users up-to-date with the latest privacy and security protections provided by iOS and Android.
3. New Features and Enhancements
Though not technically “maintenance”, budgeting for new features is essential.
Think about the business software and apps you use most often. Most likely, they’ve evolved significantly over time. Your company’s custom app is no different. Version one will quickly fall short as business needs change, and user expectations evolve.
To stay in sync with user needs, your team should create a plan for ongoing improvements, based on user feedback and current business objectives.
Consider checking app reviews on Google Play and the App Store, talking to your customer service team, and setting up a process for collecting and saving this feedback to guide future enhancements.
4. Design Updates
Maintaining the visual design of your app is crucial to prevent it from looking outdated or difficult to use. This includes:
- Adapting to changes in corporate branding and updating design elements to stay consistent with your brand identity.
- Keeping up with modern design and usability standards. This might include incorporating elements like dark mode, accessibility features and a minimal user interface.
These updates will ensure your app stays visually appealing, easy to navigate and aligned with current user expectations.
5. Hosting and Performance Monitoring
While your app will be hosted in the app stores, you’ll need hosting for your database, APIs and any other backend infrastructure. Your app developer can guide you through hosting options with high availability, security and scalability.
On the performance monitoring side, monitoring tools like New Relic and Firebase track critical indicators, alerting developers to bugs, crashes, or other issues in real-time. By inserting a few lines of code, these tools collect data that helps troubleshoot problems more quickly.
For your marketing department, performance monitoring also offers valuable insights into user behavior, such as app downloads, usage frequency, and actions taken within the app. This data informs future updates and enhancements, helping you make data-driven decisions that keep users engaged and satisfied.
Frequently Asked Questions about App Maintenance
How frequently should we update our app?
At a minimum, plan to update your app annually when new versions of iOS and Android are released, typically in the third quarter of the year. These updates should include security, compatibility and minor design improvements.
However, for complex apps that are regularly used by employees or customers, quarterly updates are recommended at the least. This allows developers to stay ahead of security, platform, and other critical updates and ensures a consistently smooth experience for users.
What does app maintenance typically cost?
It’s important to budget for ongoing app maintenance each year. The cost of app maintenance can include routine maintenance (e.g., bug fixes, technical debt, and security updates), new features, hosting and user support. Each of these costs will vary based on your app’s complexity and your organization’s specific needs.
For a comprehensive look at these factors and how to budget effectively, read our full article on app maintenance costs.
How frequently do top apps gets updated?
Top apps on the market are updated frequently. As of 2024, 72% of the top 1000 iOS apps and 71% of the top 1000 Android apps are updated monthly. Over 95% of the top apps are updated at least once a year.
Regular updates don’t just improve functionality – they also enhance user trust. Users can see the “last updated” date on your app’s download page in the App Store and Google Play, which signals that your app is actively supported and secure.
Can our app be removed from the app stores if we skip updates?
Both Apple and Google have tightened their requirements for outdated apps.
As of November 1st, 2022, Google began removing apps that haven’t been updated in more than two years, while Apple has warned developers that any app not updated in three years may be removed if it falls below a minimal download threshold. Regular updates keep your app visible and accessible to users.
We wrote an entire article about the dangers of neglecting app maintenance if you want to read more on this topic.
Final Thoughts on App Maintenance
When creating a budget for your app, make sure to include the cost of ongoing app maintenance and updates. And when interviewing app developers, ask about their maintenance plans and expertise in this area.
For apps that haven’t been updated in over a year, consider reaching out to the original development team to explore maintenance options.
Or, if you’re starting a new project, our team at Big Fish is here to support your app’s journey from development to ongoing maintenance. Reach out today to discuss how we can help.
