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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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?