Right time to release mobile app update

Mobile apps were already taking over the center stage for consumer web products but with the latest trend from major players of closing down the websites and offering app only experience is reshaping the way companies do business.  With limited storage capability of mobile phones and data plans still being precious, it becomes even more important to understand the frequency at which you should publish updates to your mobile app irrespective of the mobile platform (Android, Windows, iOS) 

In case of websites, the updates are less intrusive. Users generally do not even notice them unless they includes user facing changes and all the users automatically get the latest experience as soon as they visit the site. So weekly or twice a week releases are fairly accepted practice. Companies even strive to attain CISD (Continuous Improvement Continuous Deployment) state. 

Mobile apps world is totally different.
Every time you need to introduce a new feature, modify existing flow or fix a bug, it needs an app release. Now your existing users need to upgrade to the latest app version to benefit from the new update.
Since it is user dependent, the adoption to new releases varies dramatically from app to app
(depending on the nature and size of the app).  Though Google is working on the smart app updates project since 2012 but it is still not perfect. Currently it is not possible to publish only the newly added functionality/code.  The complete app needs to be downloaded again for every app update. Though some engaged users who have easy access to Wi-Fi or do not worry about data, have auto updates turned on but majority still don’t.  Hence, companies are rightly particular and conscious about their app updates. There are multiple schools of thought on what should be right frequency of app release. Some say that once is 3 weeks is optimal but I personally feel that below 3 rules should be followed by all types of apps:

3 Rules of thumb to decide right time to release an app update 

     1. Update release frequency should be lesser than your app usage frequency   

-          If your app is of the nature that people use it multiple times a day (like – Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram, Gmail, etc.), then you can probably afford to release couple of times a week. On the other hand, if you app is very specific and of transactional nature, then it is better to restrict the frequent app updates as users will not see the value in updating the app if they are not going to use it immediately. In this case, users can become blind to your frequent updates or even uninstall the app. Both of which you will not want as we all know how prized the installs are.

     

     2. Release when the update creates significant user perceived value

-          If you are adding additional instrumentation in the app, fixing some edge cases bugs which user is unaware of or not likely to encounter, basically doing anything which user can’t see or appreciate, then you are better off by holding the release till the time you add perceived value for your users by clubbing more changes together. Users are more likely to ignore the update if they do not see anything in the ‘What’s New’ section

         

          3. Release immediately  for critical issues

-          This is a no-brainer. If your app is crashing or showing high ANRs (App Not Responding) or has a critical bug or security issue, then fix it as soon as possible and release the update. As this will ensure better user experience whenever the user open your app next. You could overlook the above 2 rules in this situation