How to Optimize Adalo Apps for Better Performance on Low-End Devices?

General Discussion
1

Hey Adalo,

I’m currently building an app using Adalo, and while it runs smoothly on newer smartphones, I’m noticing some lag and slower load times on older or lower-end devices.
I’d love to hear your advice:

  1. What are some best practices for optimizing Adalo apps for better performance across all device types?

  2. Are there specific components or design choices that tend to cause more lag?

  3. Has anyone found effective ways to manage large data lists, images, or animations without sacrificing speed?

  4. Also, are there any recommended plugins or external tools that can help improve app performance?

Would really appreciate any tips, lessons learned, or resources you can share!

2

Jason, the CTO, shared a post that’s really helpful on this topic. I’d also recommend giving some serious thought to your screen design—something that looks cool might end up being a performance burden if it reloads every time it opens, and it may not be worth it. I found the Auto Trigger component to be extremely useful in easing the load of heavy operations.

And regarding those heavy operations, you’ll want to minimize the number of actions as much as possible. In the end, it really depends on your app, your exact flow, and it’s a game of trial and error. But the foundation is probably Jason’s recommendations.

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3

Thank you, Jason’s post was a great starting point & your point about smart screen design really hits home. I had not thought much about how reloading screens could stack up in terms of performance on low-end devices.

Have you come across any creative ways to handle complex workflows without overloading the app? For instance, breaking logic into multiple screens or using timers more tactically?

4

I have a very heavy action in my app (updating 4 fields at once, with many relationships involved, etc.). The Auto Trigger component dramatically improved my app’s speed in this area. It lets you bypass Adalo’s limitation that the screen transition must be the final action—so now I can trigger actions after the screen changes. For me, it’s been a game changer.

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5

Optimizing Adalo apps for better performance, especially on older devices, requires a balance of smart design and technical best practices. Here are some actionable tips to help you enhance your app’s speed and usability across various device types:

1. Streamline Components and Screen Designs

Minimize the number of components on each screen to simplify the app’s layout. Reducing layers and conditional visibility rules can help your app load faster and perform smoothly. Apptechies, a mobile app development company, specializes in creating streamlined designs that are both user-friendly and efficient.

2. Manage Data and Lists Efficiently

Handling large data lists is often a challenge. Instead of displaying all data at once, consider implementing pagination or a “Load More” option to reduce the load on older devices. Filters and sorting options also allow users to see only the data they need, which improves app responsiveness.

3. Optimize Images and Animations

Compress images using tools like Cloudinary or TinyPNG to ensure they’re suitable for mobile apps without sacrificing quality. Heavy animations can cause lag on low-end devices, so it’s best to minimize them or replace them with simpler transitions. Apptechies often integrates tools that automatically adjust media for optimal performance.

4. Utilize External Databases and Performance Plugins

External databases like Xano or Airtable can handle large data sets more efficiently than local ones. Plugins like Firebase Performance Monitoring or LogRocket can pinpoint bottlenecks in your app and provide actionable insights for improvement. These are solutions Apptechies frequently employs for their clients to enhance app performance.

5. Conduct Rigorous Testing

Testing your app on a variety of devices—especially older smartphones—is crucial to identify areas that need optimization. Apptechies recommends extensive device testing during the development phase to ensure the best user experience across all hardware types.

Apptechies, with its expertise in mobile app development, has a wealth of experience tackling challenges like these. Collaborating with professionals ensures your app is not only well-designed but also optimized to perform efficiently across different devices.

6

Thank you for sharing experience, It is really encouraging to hear that the Auto Trigger component made such a big difference for you. I have been meaning to explore it more seriously.

Besides using Auto Trigger, have you tried any strategies like splitting heavy updates across multiple lightweight actions or maybe using temporary collections to ease the load? if there are even more ways to boost performance without overwhelming the app or the user experience.

7

A lot of trial and error: changing the order of actions, changing relationships, changing screens, changing transactions, etc.

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8

Appreciate sharing that! It’s kind of a good reminder that sometimes there is no secret formula. just a lot of experimenting, testing & adjusting until things start clicking. it is easy to overthink it but often those small hands on tweaks that make the biggest difference.

when you are in the middle of making those changes, do you usually focus more on fixing screen transitions first or cleaning up database transactions?