We’re all accustomed to getting everything instantly. But there are times when our internet connection fails us, or we’re somewhere where we simply can’t connect. This is where offline-first mobile apps.

As we depend on the internet for more and more of our services, we need to address how we can continue to use the apps we rely on even when we can’t connect.

This is where offline-first comes in. Offline-first is the practice of designing an application to work even when the network is unavailable. Pillir offline development sets the standard for offline-first mobile apps development.

So, here’s how you can get started with offline-first.

But First, What Is an Offline-First Mobile App?

The philosophy behind offline-first mobile apps is to assume that the end-user doesn’t have an internet connection. To start from this baseline, the lack of connectivity is no longer considered an error, but is rather built into the app design, which allows your user to enjoy the app wherever they are without having to worry about staying in range.

While users still require a WiFi or network connection to access the app’s servers, a constant connection is not necessary because the app downloads data when the user is in range and at the same time uploads whatever changes the user has made. This way, the app isn’t considered useless without an internet connection.

Examples of Popular Apps Using the Offline-First Approach

There are a few reasons why building an offline-first app is not always necessary, which we’ll get to later, but here are some examples of apps that benefit from offline-first:

• Gaming and entertainment
• Travel and tourism
• Medical and healthcare
• eComm
• Education
• Kid-friendly 
• News and information

Popular apps using offline-first approach:

• Google Drive
• Google Maps
• Kindle
• Spotify
• FitBit

The Benefits of Building an Offline-First App

There are many benefits to building an offline-first app. For example:

• If you’re developing a game app, you want to make sure the user can still play whenever they want and not just when they’re connected to a mobile or WiFi network. 
• Medical apps need to have offline mobile app architecture so that the user can access life-saving information whenever they need it. 
• News, directories, and maps should all have an offline-first approach so that the user has constant access to the resources they need.

So what are the main benefits?

Client Loyalty

Apps that provide a near-seamless experience will generate customer loyalty. If you make it clear to the user what features are available offline, the customer is more likely to adapt their app use. Plus, the faster loading speed also makes your app much more enjoyable for the user.

Internet Connection is No Longer a Blocker

You have more control over the user’s experience when you implement an offline-first app. The app still has functionality when the user is not connected to the internet, which eliminates frustration and makes your app more competitive. 

Faster App Loading Times

The app is no longer dependent on a fast internet connection to access a large network. An offline-first approach only makes updates when necessary, which significantly reduces loading times. 

Saving Client’s Battery

More efficient data storage and faster loading times will save your user’s battery power, which enhances their overall experience and builds app loyalty.

Steps in Building an Offline Mobile App

1. Decide how your app is going to store data when it’s not connected to the server.
2. Make sure that all data changes are done locally before syncing to the server by caching the data locally. This provides a better user experience and prevents the user from running into blank screens. Fortunately, there are many ways to implement this, e.g. using SharkORM.
   1. This can also be done via manual replication, however, if there’s a server issue or poor internet connection, the app may crash.
   2. A more advanced option is to implement real-time data synchronisation, which uploads the changes automatically when the user is online. Whatever changes the user made (or whatever content they added) will replace the old data, which allows for a seamless synchronisation.
3. Communicate with the user via popup or blank interface when there is a low or unavailable connection.
4. Make your offline features useful. This can be tricky, and depending on the type of app you have, the “offline mode” won’t have all the functionality of “online mode,” but the offline features should be useful enough for the customer to enjoy without an internet connection. 

Does Your App Need to Be Offline-First?

We’ve mentioned how great offline-app development is, but is it necessary? If your app depends on being online for its core features to work properly, it may not be worth the time or money to develop offline functionality. But if any of the following conditions apply to your app, an offline-first approach will likely improve your user’s experience.

• Your app is going to be used in low-connectivity areas: Imagine how useless Google Maps would be if it stopped working when you’re in the middle of a dirt road.
• The majority of your app’s features don’t need an internet connection. Apps that record or display data can certainly be adapted to an offline-first approach.
• Your app makes large amounts of data available via search functionality. An offline-first approach makes some data or search results available with limited or no available connection.

Get Started With Offline-First Mobile App Development

In this post, you learned about the purpose and benefits of developing an offline-first app, as well as some examples of popular apps using this approach. We also showed you the basic steps you need to take to store data locally on the user’s phone and provide a seamless user experience to foster customer loyalty. Now you should have the right tools to start developing offline features on your own app!