At last count, Google said there were 1.4 billion active Android devices—more than the one billion iOS devices Apple reached this summer—which is one of the things that makes Android such a competitive platform for app developers.
However, developing for any mobile platform can be hard work, and there’s no surefire way to know whether your app will catch fire until it’s live and in the hands of users. Everything you can do to optimize your development process, while maximizing your chances of crafting a hit app, has the potential to make a difference.
These tips from the Hiring Headquarters—Upwork’s resource for businesses, freelancers, and entrepreneurs—will help steer you closer toward the path to success on your next Android project.
App Performance Pitfalls to Avoid
Knowing the nuances of the Android environment and being aware of the most common trip ups can save you a world of headaches.
“7 Common Mistakes That Could Affect Your Android App’s Performance” touches on some of the issues to avoid if you want to ensure your app runs smoothly across the full spectrum of Android devices. From design quirks to coding oversights, these are the types of problems that can bring negative reviews and even spur users to delete your app altogether.
Here are three examples of pitfalls to avoid:
1. Burning too much battery power. Nobody likes to run out of juice while they’re on the go. If your app is an energy hog, it increases the chances your users will delete it to conserve precious battery power.
2. Forgetting to test on different screen sizes. With so many different Android devices in the marketplace (one startup counted 24,000), it’s crucial to take time to test how your app looks and performs on a range of screen sizes—including both phones and tablets.
3. Not using asynchronous design. For apps that tap into the cloud, you can’t assume a user will always be connected to the Internet when triggering a function. Avoid hang-ups by using AsyncTask.
Implement Design Best Practices
Steering clear of common trouble spots and avoiding major mistakes will help boost your app’s chances of success, but what will take your user experience to the next level? Google offers some very specific guidelines for people making high-quality apps for its mobile platform, though it’s also valuable to gain insights from developers in the coding trenches.
“Helpful Tips & Best Practices for Android Developers” explores a range of handy tidbits to implement into your own development process. These tips build on Google’s own Android app design best practices and recommendations—good rules of thumb to follow to make sure your app is primed to deliver an optimal user experience while making life easier during development.
1. Make user security a priority. With hackers shifting their attention to mobile device users, it’s increasingly important to design your app’s code and features with maximum user security in mind.
2. Learn XML and Java. Between XML-driven UI and Java’s back-end code, these two languages make up the backbone of the Android platform. While there are other ways to create Android apps, it’s worth mastering these two languages if you intend to get the most out of the platform.
3. Be mindful of memory. Memory usage can make or break your app on most mobile devices—it’s a challenge that isn’t limited to Android. Careful design that minimizes memory consumption is important to bring a smooth experience to your end users.
For additional mobile development tips to enhance your skills, check out the Hiring Headquarters >>
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