73% of users will delete a mobile app immediately after experiencing their first crash. That's a sobering number that keeps app owners awake—and it highlights just how unforgiving the mobile world can be. After spending months (and often thousands of pounds) building your perfect app, watching it crumble due to bugs and crashes feels devastating.
Here's the thing though: every single mobile app will encounter problems after launch. I've worked with over 200 apps during my time at Glance, and not one—not a single one—launched without issues cropping up later. The difference between successful apps and failed ones isn't whether problems occur; it's how quickly and effectively you handle them when they do.
The best apps aren't bug-free—they're the ones that fix problems so fast users barely notice they existed
This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about mobile app issue resolution and maintenance response. We'll cover how to spot different types of problems, set up proper tracking systems, create emergency response plans, and work effectively with your development team. You'll learn how to fix issues without creating new ones, communicate with frustrated users, and turn problems into learning opportunities. By the end, you'll have a complete system for handling any app crisis that comes your way.
Understanding Different Types of App Problems
Not all app problems are created equal—and knowing the difference can save you from making terrible decisions when your phone starts buzzing with angry user complaints. After launching hundreds of apps over the years, I've learned that treating every issue like a five-alarm fire is a recipe for burnout and wasted resources.
App problems generally fall into three main categories that require completely different approaches. Crashes are the most dramatic—your app simply stops working and kicks users back to their home screen. These are usually caused by memory issues, coding errors, or compatibility problems with different devices. To better understand what causes mobile apps to crash and how you can prevent it, it's worth exploring the technical factors behind these failures. Then you have functional bugs, which are sneakier; the app stays open but something doesn't work properly—buttons that don't respond, features that produce wrong results, or screens that display incorrectly.
Problem Severity Levels
- Critical: App crashes, data loss, security breaches
- High: Key features broken, payment issues, login failures
- Medium: Minor feature glitches, cosmetic problems, slow performance
- Low: Spelling mistakes, colour inconsistencies, nice-to-have improvements
Performance issues round out the trinity of app troubles. Your app works, but it's painfully slow, drains the battery, or takes ages to load. Users hate waiting—and they'll delete your app faster than you can say "loading screen" if it doesn't perform well.
Setting Up Your Bug Tracking System
Right, let's talk about something that'll save your sanity when your mobile app starts acting up after launch—having a proper bug tracking system in place. I can't tell you how many project managers I've worked with who thought they could just keep track of problems in their head or scribble them down on sticky notes. Spoiler alert: it doesn't work!
Your bug tracking system is like having a filing cabinet for all the things that go wrong with your app. Every crash, every weird button behaviour, every time someone complains that something isn't working—it all goes in there. The key is choosing something that your whole team can use without needing a computer science degree.
Popular Bug Tracking Tools
- Jira (powerful but can be overwhelming for small teams)
- Trello (simple and visual, great for basic issue resolution)
- Linear (modern and fast, perfect for mobile app maintenance response)
- GitHub Issues (free and works well if you're already using GitHub)
- Asana (good balance of features and simplicity)
Start simple! Pick a tool that everyone on your team will actually use. A basic system that gets used is infinitely better than a fancy one that sits empty because it's too complicated.
The magic happens when you can see patterns. Three users reporting the same crash? That's not a coincidence—that's your next priority fix. Understanding how often you should check your app's performance helps you spot these patterns before they become major problems. Without tracking, you're just playing whack-a-mole with problems.
Creating Your Emergency Response Plan
Right, let's talk about something that'll save your sanity when things go wrong—and they will go wrong. Having worked with countless clients over the years, I can tell you that the ones who sleep well at night are those who've planned ahead. Not because they never have problems, but because they know exactly what to do when problems strike.
Your emergency response plan isn't just a document that sits in a drawer; it's your action blueprint for when users start complaining about crashes or when your app suddenly stops working properly. I've seen business owners panic when their app goes down during peak hours, frantically calling everyone they know. Don't be that person.
Who Does What When Things Break
Start by listing who needs to know when something goes wrong. This includes your development team, your customer support staff, and key stakeholders. Each person should have a clear role—no standing around wondering who's responsible for what.
- Identify the problem severity level
- Contact the right people immediately
- Communicate with affected users
- Fix the issue
- Follow up with users once resolved
Your Emergency Contact List
Keep contact details for your development team handy—mobile numbers, email addresses, and backup contacts. Include your app store contact information too, because sometimes you need to pull an update quickly or get emergency support from Apple or Google.
The best emergency plans are simple ones that anyone on your team can follow without needing a manual.
Working With Your Development Team
Your development team becomes your lifeline when app crashes and bugs rear their ugly heads after launch. I've worked with dozens of teams over the years, and the ones that handle mobile app issue resolution best all share one thing in common—clear communication channels that work around the clock.
When problems hit your app, your developers need three things from you straight away: detailed bug reports, access to user data, and priority rankings. Don't just say "the app is broken"—that tells them nothing useful. Understanding what your app developer needs from you ensures you provide the right information at the right time. Instead, document which devices are affected, what users were doing when it crashed, and how many people are experiencing the problem.
Setting Clear Expectations
Your maintenance response times should be agreed upon before any emergency happens. Critical bugs that stop users from using core features need fixing within hours, not days. Getting realistic expectations about how long it takes to fix bugs in your app helps you communicate better with users and stakeholders. Less serious issues can wait for your regular update cycle.
The best development teams I've worked with treat post-launch support like an extension of the original build process, not an afterthought
Keeping Everyone Informed
Create a simple reporting system where your team updates you on progress every few hours during major incidents. This keeps you informed and helps you communicate realistic timescales to affected users—something that builds trust rather than destroying it.
Fixing Problems Without Breaking Other Things
The worst thing you can do when fixing a bug is create three more problems in the process. I've seen this happen countless times—a quick fix turns into a nightmare because nobody took the time to test properly. The secret is treating every fix like it could affect the entire app, because frankly, it might.
Test Everything, Not Just the Fix
When your developer says they've fixed the login problem, don't just test logging in. Test the whole user journey. Can people still sign up? Do passwords reset properly? Does the profile page still load? One small change in the login code could break any of these features without you realising it.
Most successful app owners I work with follow a simple rule: test the fix, then test everything connected to it, then test the most important user flows. Yes, it takes longer. But it's much faster than dealing with angry users when your "fix" stops them from making purchases.
Use a Staging Environment
Never—and I mean never—apply fixes directly to your live app. Always test changes in a copy of your app first. This staging version should be identical to your real app but separate from it. Think of it as your practice space where mistakes won't hurt real users.
- Apply the fix to your staging app first
- Test thoroughly for at least 24 hours
- Get someone else to test it too
- Only then apply the fix to your live app
When updates do go wrong, knowing what to do if a new app update breaks something can save you from a complete disaster and help you restore functionality quickly.
Talking to Users About App Issues
When your mobile app crashes or breaks, angry users will come knocking. How you handle these conversations can make or break your app's reputation—and trust me, I've seen both outcomes play out many times over the years.
The golden rule is simple: be honest and fast. Don't hide behind technical jargon or pretend nothing happened. Users aren't stupid; they know when something's wrong. A straightforward message like "We're aware of the login problem and fixing it now" works much better than radio silence.
Where to Communicate
You need multiple channels ready for your maintenance response. Social media moves fast, so post updates there first. Your app store listing description can be updated too—many users check there when apps misbehave. Email works for registered users, and push notifications reach active users instantly.
- Social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram)
- App store descriptions and developer responses
- In-app notifications and banners
- Email newsletters to registered users
- Your company website or blog
What to Say (and What Not to Say)
Keep updates short but informative. "We're investigating reports of crashes on iPhone 12 devices" tells users you're aware and working on it. Learning the best way to handle negative comments about your app on social media can help you turn frustrated users into loyal advocates. Avoid saying "should be fixed soon"—give realistic timeframes or say you'll update them in a few hours.
Set up template responses for common issue types beforehand. When your mobile app is crashing and users are frustrated, you don't want to spend time crafting the perfect message from scratch.
Learning From Problems to Prevent Future Ones
Every crash and bug that happens in your app is actually giving you valuable information—you just need to know how to use it properly. I've worked with countless clients over the years who fix problems as they come up but never take the time to understand why they happened in the first place. That's like putting a plaster on a cut without cleaning the wound first.
Spotting the Real Patterns
The trick is looking beyond the obvious problem to find the root cause. If your app keeps crashing when users upload photos, the real issue might not be the photo upload feature itself—it could be how your app handles memory or network timeouts. Start keeping a simple log of every problem that occurs; write down what happened, when it happened, and what users were trying to do at the time.
Building Better Testing
Once you understand your patterns, you can create specific tests for these weak spots. If you notice crashes happen mostly on older phones, make sure you test on those devices before every release. Avoiding the most common user testing mistakes helps you catch more problems before they reach your users. The goal isn't perfection—that's impossible—but getting better at catching problems before your users do. Smart teams use their bug history to build a testing checklist that covers their app's most vulnerable areas.
Conclusion
Managing mobile app crashes and bugs after launch isn't something you can wing—it needs proper systems, clear processes, and good communication. I've watched too many promising apps fall apart because their teams weren't ready when problems hit. The difference between apps that survive their first major bug and those that don't usually comes down to preparation.
Your bug tracking system is your lifeline; your emergency response plan keeps you calm under pressure; your development team needs clear workflows to fix things fast. But here's what I've learned after years of handling app crises: the technical stuff is only half the battle. How you talk to your users during problems—being honest, keeping them updated, showing you care—that's what builds trust and keeps people coming back.
Every crash teaches you something if you're paying attention. Each bug report shows you where your app is weak. Smart teams use these painful moments to make their apps stronger. They don't just patch problems; they ask why it happened and how to stop it happening again.
Issue resolution and maintenance response aren't glamorous parts of app development, but they're what separate professional apps from amateur ones. Get this right, and your users will stick with you through the tough times.
