Everyone—including us—gets excited about building an app. Whether it’s for iOS, Android, or the web, there’s something thrilling about watching all the pieces of an app come together. You spend weeks or months planning, designing, and coding. Eventually, you launch your product and customers begin to use it. It feels like a huge victory, and it is!
But here’s the reality: the launch is the easy part.
The real work begins after your app hits the market. This is when you bridge the gap between technology and business goals, turning your application into a tool that generates real revenue. From a technical standpoint, this next phase requires preparation for a series of unexpected—and often unavoidable—challenges.
Let’s break down the often-overlooked importance of app maintenance, and how you can proactively handle what’s coming.
Your App Isn’t Bug-Proof (No Matter How Much You’ve Tested)
You might have tested your app thoroughly. Maybe you’ve spent months, or even the better part of a year, debugging and refining every feature. You’re confident that you’ve identified and fixed every possible issue.
But once customers begin using your app, they will interact with it in ways you didn’t anticipate.
They might:
- Navigate screens in an unconventional order that causes unexpected behavior.
- Spam a button rapidly, which could overload your server.
- Use an outdated device or browser that wasn’t part of your test suite.
- Even find ways to delete something that should be impossible.
You can’t predict every possible user interaction. There are near-infinite combinations of behaviors, device types, network conditions, and edge cases. Testing every single possibility isn’t realistic—especially if you also need time to grow your business.
On top of that, some bugs will emerge not from your code, but from third-party services and APIs your app relies on. These dependencies can change or fail unexpectedly, creating bugs you never introduced.
That’s why ongoing app maintenance is vital. It’s not just about fixing problems—it’s about reacting quickly when problems arise, so users stay happy and your business stays functional.
When Should You Launch?
In product management, this is a difficult question to answer: when is an app ready to launch? Our advice is to release once the core functionality is thoroughly tested. Don’t let peripheral features hold you back. Prioritize critical workflows like login, payments, or core user interactions. Secondary features can be refined post-launch.
Not sure when to make that call? Reach out to Uplancer for a free consultation. We’ll help you determine whether your app is launch-ready or needs more polish.
Users Will Find a Way to Break the Experience
Even with a perfectly designed user interface and intuitive UX, users will still get confused. Here are some real questions your support team may hear:
- How do I sign up?
- What does this button do?
- Why can’t I find this feature?
- Why is my app not working if I don’t have internet?
Your app was designed with a certain user in mind: maybe someone tech-savvy, or maybe someone less familiar with digital tools. But in reality, your users will span a wide spectrum of experience levels. And no matter how well-designed your app is, some people will get stuck.
That’s why part of app maintenance includes infrastructure around user support. You need to give people resources before they contact your team. This can include:
- FAQ pages that address the most common problems.
- In-app tooltips or guided tours to help users understand your UI.
- Tutorial videos for onboarding new users.
- Chatbots or live support for complex issues.
- Troubleshooting guides for common device or connectivity problems.
- A support email to share feedback and initiate support.
The key is to make support accessible and proactive, reducing friction and keeping users engaged.
Need help setting up your support system? Drop us a message—we can help you put a user-first support process in place.
Your App Is a Living Product—Not a One-Time Project
One of the biggest misconceptions in app development is that once the app is built, the job is done. In reality, apps are dynamic, evolving products. They’re never “finished”—only released.
After launch, you’ll need to:
- Fix bugs from in-app and third-party services that emerge in the wild.
- Roll out new features to stay competitive.
- Improve user experience based on real feedback.
- Update your app for new versions of iOS, Android, and web browsers.
- Monitor performance and scalability as your user base grows.
Again, app development leads directly into app maintenance. If you ignore the maintenance phase, your app will stagnate, or worse, fail entirely.
Think about major platforms like Instagram, Uber, or Airbnb. They push updates every few weeks, if not sooner. Why? Because user needs evolve, technologies change, and expectations rise. The same goes for your app.
If you want your app to thrive, you need a maintenance plan that includes:
- Regular code reviews and refactoring.
- Scheduled updates and security patches.
- Performance monitoring and error tracking.
- Backups and data recovery processes.
- Compatibility testing with new OS versions and devices.
Final Thoughts: App Maintenance Is a Long-Term Investment
App development is just the beginning of the product road map. Launching your app gets you to the starting line—but it’s maintenance that keeps you in the race. From handling bugs and supporting users to evolving the product over time, app maintenance is what turns a good app into a great one—and a startup into a thriving business.
At Uplancer, we specialize in both app development and ongoing app maintenance. Whether you’re building your first MVP like ALIM or scaling an enterprise-level product like this Fortune 500 Medical Company did, we’re here to guide you through every phase of the journey.
Ready to turn your app into a lasting success? Let’s talk!
