What to look for in an App Audit

Auditing your app’s performance, security, user experience, and more helps you identify hidden issues and opportunities for improvement. Regular audits not only help identify performance bottlenecks but also contribute to maintaining a high standard of security and user satisfaction. 

If you’re serious about enhancing your app's performance, this guide will walk you through the key elements to focus on during an audit. By proactively addressing these areas, you can prevent potential crises, improve customer retention, and drive growth.

What is an app audit?

An app audit is a comprehensive review process that examines different aspects of your mobile application to ensure it’s functioning optimally. This isn’t just about performance, it also covers security vulnerabilities, user experience (UX), code quality, and compliance with industry standards. Conducting an app audit allows businesses to identify inefficiencies, potential security threats, and areas where the user experience can be improved. There are different types of app audits, each focusing on specific aspects:

• Performance audits: These focus on evaluating the app's speed, responsiveness, and stability. They help identify slow-loading screens, memory leaks, and other performance bottlenecks.

• Security audits: Aimed at uncovering vulnerabilities in data protection mechanisms, encryption methods, and compliance with security standards.

• UX audits: Assess how intuitive and user-friendly the app is, identifying areas where the design or navigation can be improved to enhance the user experience.

• Code reviews: Focus on the quality, efficiency, and maintainability of the codebase, identifying technical debt and potential areas for optimisation.

Why app audits are essential for business growth

User expectations are higher than ever, so it’s vital that your app delivers a seamless, secure, and engaging experience. Regular audits help maintain peak performance, improve security, and ensure the app remains relevant.

Improved performance translates to faster load times, fewer crashes, and a smoother user experience, all of which contribute to higher user retention rates. Enhanced security measures, identified through audits, protect sensitive data, reduce the risk of breaches, and build trust with users.

Additionally, audits help businesses comply with industry regulations, avoiding potential legal issues and fines. Ultimately, app audits provide data-driven insights that guide development decisions, ensuring that your app continues to meet both business goals and user needs.

Key areas to assess in an app audit

Performance review

Performance is one of the most critical aspects of any mobile application. Users expect apps to load quickly, respond instantly, and operate smoothly without crashes or lag. A performance review in an app audit identifies areas where the app may be underperforming. This includes analysing load times, responsiveness, crash reports, and resource usage such as battery and data consumption.

Security assessment

Data protection is a key focus, ensuring that sensitive information is encrypted both in transit and at rest. Authentication and authorisation mechanisms are assessed to confirm that only authorised users can access certain features or data.

Compliance checks are conducted to ensure that the app meets industry standards and regulations such as GDPR, HIPAA, or PCI DSS. Identifying and addressing security gaps protects the app and strengthens user trust and brand reputation.

User Experience (UX) evaluation

A UX evaluation examines how intuitive, accessible, and satisfying the app is for users. This involves assessing the navigation flow, design consistency, accessibility features, and overall usability.

Navigation flow analysis helps determine whether users can easily find what they’re looking for without unnecessary complexity. Accessibility checks ensure that the app is usable by people with disabilities, adhering to standards such as WCAG. Gathering and analysing user feedback provides insights into pain points and areas where the app can be improved.

Code quality and architecture analysis

The quality of the code an app is built on directly impacts its performance, security, and maintainability. A code quality and architecture analysis focusses on identifying inefficient code, technical debt, and areas for improvement. This includes reviewing coding practices, architecture design, and documentation.

Efficient code is clean, well-structured, and easy to maintain, reducing the risk of bugs and performance issues. A well-designed architecture allows the app to grow and adapt to new features or increased user demands without significant rework.

Analytics and data insights

An analytics and data insights review focuses on tracking user behaviour, monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs), and analysing data to inform decision-making.

User behaviour tracking helps identify which features are most popular, where users drop off, and how they navigate through the app. Monitoring KPIs such as retention rate, session length, and conversion rates provides a clear picture of the app’s performance. Data insights help identify trends, measure the effectiveness of updates, and uncover growth opportunities.

Third-party integrations and API review

Many apps rely on third-party services and APIs for functionality, such as payment processing, analytics, or social media integration. Reviewing third-party integrations and APIs ensures that these components are stable and secure, and do not negatively impact performance.

Stability checks ensure that third-party services work seamlessly without causing crashes or slowdowns. Security assessments verify that integrations do not introduce vulnerabilities. Performance impact analysis identifies whether APIs are optimised and not causing unnecessary delays.

The app audit process: A step-by-step guide

Step 1: Planning the audit

The first step in an app audit is to define clear objectives and scope. This involves identifying the key areas to focus on, such as performance, security, or user experience. Setting goals makes sure your audit is thorough and aligned with business priorities. Selecting the right tools and frameworks for assessment is also crucial at this stage, as they will guide the data collection and analysis process.

Step 2: Data collection and analysis

Data collection involves gathering relevant information about the app’s performance, security, and usage. This can include logs, crash reports, user feedback, and analytics data. Both manual reviews and automated tools are used to ensure comprehensive coverage. The analysis phase involves examining the collected data to identify patterns, anomalies, and areas for improvement. This step requires a combination of technical expertise and business insight to interpret the data effectively.

Step 3: Identifying issues and opportunities

Once the data is analysed, the next step is to identify specific issues and opportunities for improvement. This includes pinpointing performance bottlenecks, security vulnerabilities, UX challenges, and code inefficiencies. The goal is to understand what is wrong, why it’s happening, and how it impacts the app and its users. Prioritising these issues based on their severity and business impact helps focus efforts on the most critical areas.

Step 4: Reporting audit findings

The report should detail the identified issues, their potential impact, and recommended actions. It should be clear, concise, and tailored to the audience, whether they are technical teams, business leaders, or external partners. Visual aids such as charts, graphs, and heat maps can help illustrate key points and make the data more accessible.

Step 5: Implementing improvements

The final step is to turn the audit findings into actionable improvements. This involves developing a plan to address the identified issues, including timelines, responsibilities, and resource allocation. Collaboration between development, security, and business teams is crucial to ensure that changes are implemented effectively. Continuous monitoring and follow-up audits help track progress and maintain high standards over time.

Common issues found during app audits (and how to fix them)

• Slow load times: This is often caused by unoptimised images, excessive API calls, or inefficient code. Solutions include optimising media files, reducing HTTP requests, implementing lazy loading, and refining the codebase to improve efficiency.

• Security vulnerabilities: Common issues include outdated libraries, weak encryption, and inadequate authentication mechanisms. Fixes involve updating dependencies, enforcing strong encryption protocols, implementing multi-factor authentication, and conducting regular security tests.

• Poor UX: Issues such as confusing navigation, inconsistent design, and lack of accessibility features can hinder user satisfaction. Improvements include simplifying the navigation structure, ensuring design consistency, and incorporating accessibility best practices.

• Code inefficiencies: Redundant code, poor architecture, and lack of documentation can lead to performance issues and technical debt. Addressing these problems involves code refactoring, adopting clean coding standards, and improving documentation to facilitate maintenance and scalability.

When should you conduct an app audit?

• Post-launch: Conducting an audit after the app goes live ensures that it meets performance, security, and user expectations in real-world conditions.

• After major updates: Major updates can introduce new bugs or compatibility issues. An audit helps verify that changes haven’t negatively impacted the app.

• Periodic reviews: Regular audits, conducted quarterly or bi-annually, help maintain consistent performance and security standards.

• When issues arise: If there’s a sudden drop in user engagement, performance problems, or security incidents, an audit can quickly identify the root cause and guide corrective actions. How Apadmi can help with your app audit.

At Apadmi, we don’t just identify issues, we help you solve them. Our expert team conducts comprehensive app audits covering performance, security, UX, and code quality. We provide actionable insights and work with you to implement improvements that drive real results.

Whether you need a one-off audit or ongoing support, Apadmi is here to help you achieve excellence in mobile app development. Contact our team of experts to learn more.