The Reality of App Maintenance
Types of Maintenance
Corrective (Bug Fixes)
- Critical bugs: Fix immediately
- Major bugs: Fix within 1-2 weeks
- Minor bugs: Batch in regular updates
Adaptive (OS Updates)
- iOS major version: September annually
- Android major version: August-September annually
- Plan updates 1-2 months after OS release
Perfective (Improvements)
- Performance optimization
- UX improvements
- New features
Preventive (Security)
- Dependency updates
- Security patches
- Vulnerability scanning
Maintenance Costs
| Category | Annual Cost (% of build) |
|---|---|
| Bug fixes | 5-8% |
| OS compatibility | 5-10% |
| Security updates | 3-5% |
| Minor improvements | 5-10% |
| Total | 18-33% |
Maintenance Best Practices
- Monitor crash reports daily
- Review analytics weekly
- Update dependencies monthly
- Test on new OS versions immediately
- Plan major updates quarterly
Conclusion
Budget and plan for maintenance from day one. A well-maintained app provides years of value.
Need maintenance support? Contact us for ongoing maintenance packages.
