🚀Performance
While no-code platforms like Adalo make it easier to create apps without extensive coding knowledge, it’s important to understand that proper implementation is still crucial for app performance. An app’s speed and reliability depend significantly on how efficiently it is set up and the environment in which it operates.
It's important to remember that your app is still a complex system. Even basic Adalo apps involve a database, multiple screens with numerous components and logic, and integrations with third-party services like Google Maps, Zapier, and DreamFactory. For everything to function properly, the database, page rendering, and network interactions must all work seamlessly together.
Furthermore, every single time your app queries the database (pulls data into a list or screen), carries out complicated logic (showing data from relationships or using custom formulas ), or talks to a third-party network (searching google maps), app performance will suffer. Therefore it is critical that you always keep performance in mind when building your app, and this section provides guidance on how to make your apps fly.
Location and Server Impact on Performance
One key factor in app performance is the location where the app is being used. Depending on the geographic location of you or your app’s users, there may be some latency when loading information for both in the App for End Users and the Builder for Adalo Makers. Currently, our servers are located in the United States. If your app is used heavily outside of the US, this is something to consider when planning, building, and optimizing your app.
Device Impact on Performance
Different devices and operating systems (like iOS, Android, or browsers for PWAs) interpret and render JSON data differently based on their unique configurations, supported features, and optimizations. This can cause slight variations in how an app looks or behaves, even though the core data and app structure are the same.
Here’s a simple analogy: think of JSON data as the blueprint for a building, but the contractors (iOS, Android, PWA) use different tools and materials to build it. The result is similar but not identical due to differences in how each platform processes instructions and displays results. Factors like browser engines, OS-specific rendering, and variations in hardware contribute to these differences.
While we strive to ensure apps can function as closely as possible across all devices, it sometimes simply is not possible for apps to behave the exact same way. Testing your app across platforms and making necessary adjustments is key to ensuring the best possible user experience, even with these inherent variations.
Think About Performance In Terms of a Score
Web application performance tools such as GTMetrix and Lighthouse assign a numerical score to web application performance, with 0 being a total failure and 100 being perfect. The reality is applications very rarely achieve a 100 score, but that shouldn't stop developers from trying!
We encourage you to think about mobile app performance in similar terms, and regularly ponder how a particular application change or addition will affect performance. Ask yourself questions such as whether an image has been appropriately optimized, or if on-screen logic can be simplified, or even whether a complicated screen should be broken into multiple screens. How you respond to these questions will invariably move your performance score up and down, so choose wisely!
What Our Team Is Working On
While the tips we have gathered focus on optimizing your app’s setup, we’re also committed to doing our part. Adalo is continuously working to enhance our backend infrastructure to provide a faster and more reliable experience for all users.
Backend Infrastructure Improvements:
Our team is working on major upgrades to the backend systems to improve overall performance and scalability.
Streamlined Database Operations:
Enhancing database queries and operations to reduce latency and ensure smoother app performance, regardless of app size.
Optimization of Builder Tools:
Continuously improving builder features to provide a faster and more efficient app-building experience for Makers.
Additional Resources
For more detailed guidance, we encourage you to explore these resources:
By combining these best practices with ongoing improvements from Adalo, you can ensure your app performs efficiently and provides a seamless experience for your users. Be sure to start thinking about your app performance in terms of a score and asking yourself whether each new feature will move that needle up or down.
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