3 Ways Mobile Developers Ensure Optimal Device Compatibility

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(Newswire.net — October 19, 2019) — Mobile app developers and website builders all share one common goal in the majority of development projects – making their app or site look good and function well across any device, browser, or operating system. That might seem like a very straightforward process, but there are literally thousands of web browsers and device types in existence, each operating across a spectrum of various operating systems with different display standards and technologies. To overcome these compatibility challenges, most mobile developers use the following methods to ensure optimal cross-platform compatibility and performance:

1. Mobile Testing Tools 

The first line of defense to ensure optimal compatibility would be mobile testing tools. These programs will let you test your app or website with virtualized versions of any web browser, operating system or device display configuration. You can check out this list of the top mobile testing tools to get an idea of what the pros are using to test their apps before uploading them to public markets like the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Being able to experience your app or site from the perspective of any device user in the world within the comfort of a single platform is by far the most effective and streamlined way to achieve optimal universal compatibility. 

2. User Surveys and Feedback Collection

Collecting opinions and suggestions from your user base is one of the best ways to discover compatibility issues that you might otherwise overlook. Most mobile developers will build a contact or complaint form directly into the app so that users can easily report bugs, error messages, display problems, and other issues related to device compatibility. As an added benefit, encouraging users to provide new feature recommendations will also help you provide creative and competitive upgrades that position your app as a leader in its niche or market. 

3. Start with the Main Platforms First 

There’s no sense in obsessing over small compatibility issues that affect a rare browser, operating system, or device that only a tiny percentage of your user base will ever even use. Instead, most mobile developers bring their app to the market as soon as they’ve achieved acceptable compatibility across the most popular browsers like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Opera. Likewise, simply having Android and iOS versions is enough for the initial launch. After all, you do have the option of labeling your app or site as being in the “beta” stage of its development. 

Responsive Design is a Must Nowadays

Developing a mobile app that only works on a few browsers or device types is a silly approach to take when you could be maximizing your traffic and user base through a more diversified strategy. Responsive app and site design changes to accommodate any screen size, OS, or browser based on the user agent string that identifies the digital footprint of the user or visitor is a must-have. Ultimately, this feature is one that every professional mobile developer needs to be capable of offering.