Guide · Mobile Development
Building apps for delivery and field teams
Apps for riders and field staff must work with gloves, sunlight and patchy networks.
In short: Apps for delivery riders and field staff should work offline first, use large touch targets and very simple flows, stay readable in bright sunlight, and treat battery and data use as core features. These users work fast, outdoors and on the move, often on modest devices.
A delivery rider has seconds between drops. A sales representative may be in a market with weak signal. A technician may be wearing gloves. Apps designed for office users at desks fail these people.
Offline-first design
Store the day's work on the device: routes, orders, customer details and forms. Let users complete tasks without a connection and sync automatically when signal returns, with clear indicators of what has and has not been sent. Handle conflicts carefully so data is never lost or duplicated.
Large targets and simple flows
- Use large buttons that work with gloves or a thumb while walking.
- Keep common tasks to a few taps, and put the next action where the user expects it.
- Use high-contrast colours and text sizes that are readable in direct sunlight.
- Support the languages users are most comfortable with.
Battery and data use as features
A phone that dies at 3 pm ends the working day. Limit background activity, use location services carefully, compress images before upload and avoid large downloads over mobile data. Test a full shift on the actual devices to measure battery drain.
Manage devices and updates centrally
Enrol devices in mobile device management, control which app version each user has, and roll out updates in stages. A pre-staged spare device that restores the user's work quickly is part of the app experience.
Learn from the field
Ride along with users before and after launch. Watching one shift reveals problems that no test environment will.
Frequently asked questions
What is offline-first app design?
An approach where the app works fully without a connection, storing data on the device and syncing it when the network is available.
How do you design apps for use outdoors?
With high contrast, large text and touch targets, short flows and controls that work with gloves or one hand.
How can a field app save battery?
By limiting background tasks, using GPS only when needed, compressing uploads and avoiding unnecessary network calls.