Is your app built for 4G connectivity? Does your app have a fingerprint security feature? Or can your hardware product be remotely controlled using a smartphone app? If so, then, believe it or not, your mobile app is running a little bit behind your competitors. So if you’re looking to get ahead then read on. 

In this list, we’ve rounded up 6 mobile app features that you should consider levelling up this year.

6 Outdated Mobile App Features To Upgrade

Fingerprint Scanning

Fingerprint scanning is a quick way for people to log into their phones or carry out in-app transactions. However, this technology has become quite an inconvenience in the post-COVID era. With people using gloves and regularly cleaning their hands with sanitizers, it makes it harder for users to unlock their devices this way.

Give your mobile app a facelift and start integrating face recognition into your security features. Much like Apple’s recent iOS update on face recognition, this technology can already identify its users in low light and even with masks on. Face recognition can be an impressive update for your app so you can cut log-in times by half while providing your customers with a more secured and effective hands-free security option.

Connectivity

If your app is currently built for 4G, then think fast. 5G is a force to be reckoned with as it holds twenty times of speed than its predecessor. 5G allows for more advanced functionalities and way smoother performance with very low latency. Adding 5G capabilities to your mobile app poses a host of benefits. It can pique interest and help your app stand out with unique 5G-exclusive experiences, allow you to show 4K video content and enable the download of high-resolution assets that are crucial for gaming apps.

E-commerce Features

E-commerce integration allowed for deeper engagement and faster brand conversions with its ability to complete the customer journey all in one place. This year, consider challenging the norms. Revamp your online store into a social media marketplace and infuse Instagram-like features into your app so users can connect with their community, share inspirations and allow them to shop directly through community-based content for a unique online shopping experience.

IoT Connectivity

If you have a hardware product that wirelessly connects to a mobile app, then take time to assess if that is enough connectivity for your target market. 

People crave mobility and they want their gadgets to follow them around instead of the other way around so wearable technology is a platform you should pay more attention to this year. Talk to your app company and explore how your revolutionary products can work with smartwatches, fitness trackers and a wide array of gadgets designed to keep users better connected than ever.

Related: Are smartwatches a thing of the past now?

Payment Functions

According to Juniper Research, mobile wallet users are expected to increase to 4 billion users by 2024 due to the rise of remote purchasing and digital transactions. 

Brands can leverage this rising consumerism and look beyond direct credit card payments and PayPal integrations. By expanding your app’s payment capabilities to include mobile wallets or even cryptocurrencies, you are able to provide the best value for your current clients and also open up your brand to a whole new generation of customers.

Outdated UI

When was the last time you updated your mobile app interface? If it has been years since then or hasn’t really made any revamps over the years, then start calling out for help. 

Keeping your app aesthetics on point is vital if you wish to survive in this mobile-first economy. Now with a younger group of users on the horizon, dynamic and eye-catching elements thrive in winning apps. Trendy design elements like 3D clay-like buttons, glass morphism and retro UIs are expected to dominate the mobile app space in 2022. Get inspired and learn more about the top app design trends here.

The Importance of Updating Your App

Updating your mobile app is a crucial stage in your app’s lifecycle. Its importance is unending. For businesses, updates can help companies maximize ROIs, increase user retention, curtail downtimes and potential revenue losses, and protect app and customer data against sophisticated security threats. While for customers, well-maintained apps allow for better load times, faster transactions and new features enable them to develop meaningful engagements with the brand.

Moreover, users nowadays are more micro-aware of an app’s functionality and aesthetics. Believe it or not, some uninstall apps just because the UI doesn’t fit their color preferences or the app features don’t fit their current lifestyles. Because of this, brands should always put themselves in the shoes of their users so they can better address customer needs and continuously provide exceptional service in the process.

The cost of not maintaining your app outweighs all the financial investment needed to keep your app resilient in this highly-competitive landscape. So when developing mobile applications, make sure to set out a long-term development plan with a separate budget for all sorts of updates along the way. Foregoing this crucial stage can cost you more than what you’ve saved. It can cost you potential revenues, customers, your brand reputation and collective brand success which is not worth it at all in the grand scheme of things. 

So If you’re looking to add some cool new features to your mobile app or have your platform undergo any corrective, adaptive or perfective maintenance, reach out to your app company as soon as possible. Schedule a call with the experts and open the discussion on how your app can stand out against the crowd so your digital platform can keep thriving in 2022.

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