3 Tips to Improve the Offline User-Experience

No device can remain connected to a network throughout the day. As the demand for mobile applications grows, the expectations of users have been intensifying at the same time. To improve the user experience, developers must view their app from the user’s perspective. The issues on poor offline experience are relatively new. An app with no functionality when there’s no internet connection can very well be on the brink of getting uninstalled. This is why developers must make sure that their app offers at least some amount of functionality while the users are offline. Here are a few tips that will help you in improving the offline user experience:

1. Last Viewed Must Remain

When comparing two apps, the one that saves the data which had been viewed the last time and the other one which goes completely blank when the user is not connected to a network; users are always going to prefer the former over the latter. For this reason, it is imperative for you to let your app cache a little data. Let your viewers view what they had been reading the last time they were offline and if possible, offer them a bit more than that, such as displaying the necessary and relevant information.

2. Downloads can be made an Option

If your app has any functionality that can be downloaded and viewed later on while the users are offline, the user experience is likely to quadruple. The example of Google Translate packages is a perfect one in this case. While traveling, users couldn’t stay online all the time. Hence, Google allowed its users to download the packages so that they could access the translator even while they are offline and could communicate well in foreign lands.

3. Reserve a Few Features to be viewed Offline

There are a plenty of apps that crash as soon as the network is disconnected. If this happens, you’re likely to lose many users. Certain features of your app should be reserved to function even when the user doesn’t have any access to a network. You don’t need to provide them with the option of complete functionality even while they are offline, but the essential functions can be compartmentalized. With almost all the apps being rolled out in the market providing a stunning online experience, an exemplary offline experience can help your app stand out!