Learn/Data and backend
Where the data lives, and who gets to read it.
An app that keeps everything on the phone needs no server, no accounts and no monthly bill. The moment two people have to see the same thing, all three arrive at once. This is the topic about that moment and what follows it.
Start hereDoes my app need a backend at all?Whether you need a server at all, which is the cheapest decision to get right early.10 guides, grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Do I need a server, and which one?
The first decision, and the one that is cheapest to get right early. Most apps start without a server and only need one when they grow accounts or sharing.
Who is allowed to see what?
Accounts are the easy half. Deciding which account may read which row is the half that gets skipped, and it is the one that turns into an incident.
What happens when the network drops?
Phones lose signal in lifts, on trains and in exactly the warehouse where your app is being used. Offline is not an edge case on mobile, it is a Tuesday.