IT Depends: Offline mode

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The offline mode is definitely a nice to have feature in the

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mobile apps and sometimes might even be a must.

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But is it necessary in every case?

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Well, I'll answer it like we often do in IT. It depends.

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Offline capabilities are especially useful when a

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product is used in places with a poor Internet connection.

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In some verticals like in engineering,

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transport or tourism industry,

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employees work in quite unpredictable conditions.

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Even if there are in areas with low connectivity,

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they might need a mobile app for checking something or

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reporting their work.

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That's where the offline mode should step in.

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In that way, will have all the data they need at hand

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without worrying about the Internet connection.

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Your mobile app needs to process huge amount of data.

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Users want your app to be simple, efficient,

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and with minimal network load.

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But how to achieve that when you need to process tons of

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data to deliver a simple service?

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For example, displaying a video.

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The offline mode might be the answer here.

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It lets you store the data locally so that the app

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responsiveness is better than when processing it online.

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You need to ensure the consistency of your service.

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That's especially important within ecommerce services.

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Imagine you're trying to add a new product to the system.

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It requires filling extensive forms,

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typing in lots of information, but in the meantime,

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the connection is down and the whole effort gets you nowhere.

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Frustrating, isn't it?

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In this case, the offline mode ensures that your form is saved

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and will be uploaded as soon as you connect to the Internet again.

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It is a really user friendly option here.

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Seems like offline mode can solve a lot of problems and

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take the app's usability to the next level.

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However, you might need to think about it twice

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if your app's main functionality is live streaming

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or video calling.

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If your app is designed to give people access to live streams

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or help them stay in touch constantly,

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the offline mode has no purpose here.

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Users need the Internet connection for interactions.

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The least you can do if there is no signal is show them a

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piece of recording material.

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Your app's architecture is not suited for introducing low

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connectivity solutions.

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Implementing the offline mode might be a complex and long

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lasting process.

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Apps that were not designed to have it in the first place

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probably have some architectural limitations that

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won't let you do it without a big effort and costs.

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The architecture's change is a serious issue.

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Consider if you have proper resources for this purpose.

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The offline mode is an expensive addition.

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As I've just mentioned,

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making your app usable when the connection is down might burden the budget.

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But again, in most cases, it's an addition, a valuable one,

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but not a must have from the beginning.

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You can implement it when your structure and budget are ready for it.

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Okay. Let's try to sum it up a bit.

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The offline mode might be useful if users don't have

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access to a stable Internet connection,

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if your app needs to process a lot of data at a time,

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or if you need to ensure the consistency of your service.

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On the other hand,

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you don't necessarily need offline capabilities in a

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streaming app or in the one with structural limitations or

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when your budget is not ready for additional expenses.

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As you can see, this issue, like many others,

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should be considered on a case by case basis.

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That is why it depends is the answer to so many questions in

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software development.

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I hope I managed to clarify the offline modes utility for you.

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See you in next IT depends episode.