No matter how much an app is popular among users, if it lacks offline functionality, chances are that users won’t like it much. Even though internet availability has increased around the world, users still expect apps to have offline functionality because an app with offline functionality is usable in areas with no connectivity and allows users to perform any task without delays.

If you are a developer looking to build an offline mobile application, there are several things that you need to consider. Below we have discussed some essential elements of an offline mobile application.

A Well-Designed Offline UI

For an offline mobile app, having an offline user interface is very important because it can have a huge impact on how well the app is perceived by users. While building an offline user interface, it is important that you prioritize clear communication because it can only remind users that an offline state is not an error and they can keep using the app even when the internet connectivity is weak or the network is not available. Most apps these days that have offline functionality include several video editor app that have well-built offline user interfaces.

Making Static Information Available Offline

If you are looking to develop an offline application, you need to make the static information available to users. Applications that can operate with limited connectivity or no internet connectivity at all usually have the data and information stored locally and you should follow the same rule to make the static information available offline to users.

An example of an application with offline functionality and static information available offline is Google Maps. Soon after the app is downloaded and installed, certain maps are downloaded on the device and users can navigate locations on the map even when they are offline.

Taking Care of Dynamic Data

Since mobile apps also have dynamic data along with static data, mobile developers need to take care of dynamic data as well if they want to develop an offline application. Dynamic data is an important element of any application that needs to be updated frequently, but since this data cannot be updated on devices with limited or no connectivity, developers need to figure out a way to handle dynamic data.

Most offline apps including the TapTap Mobile App have the dynamic data and user information stored temporarily in the local cache and this takes care of the dynamic cache data, preventing a blank screen during offline mode. You can see this approach practically in various gaming and social media apps that have offline functionality.

Data Synchronization Process

Among many elements required for a fully functional offline app, a data synchronization process is also necessary. When an app is used offline, some of its actions and data need to be synchronized with the server. This synchronization takes place as soon as an internet connection is established. However, the problem arises when an app that synchronizes too often ends up draining the battery of the device too quickly, whereas if an application only syncs once in a while, users may miss some important updates from the app.

The main goal here is to strike a perfect balance between the two so that the app synchronizes to provide users with important updates but not so much that it ends up draining the battery of the device too quickly.