With more than 230 billion apps downloaded in 2023, the mobile market is booming. But that growth comes at a cost: according to the GreenIT collective, digital technology accounts for nearly 4% of global CO₂ emissions — more than civil aviation! The sources of this footprint include the energy consumed by servers, network infrastructure and devices… as well as apps that are sometimes unnecessary or poorly optimised. Faced with this challenge, mobile eco-design is becoming a key approach to reducing that impact while delivering a better-performing user experience. So how do you design an app that is kinder to the environment? Let’s look at some best practices in this article.
What is eco-design?
Eco-design means building environmental criteria into the very first stages of creating a mobile app. The goal? Reducing its ecological footprint throughout its life cycle: from initial development to use by end users.
The benefits of eco-design:
- Fewer resources consumed: an optimised app uses less energy and puts less strain on servers.
- A better user experience: lightweight apps load faster.
- Greater longevity: by limiting unnecessary updates and simplifying features, you avoid obsolescence.
Mobile eco-design: best practices
Let’s get to the heart of it: how do you make your mobile app more responsible? Here are some key practices to get there.
Prioritise essential features
Did you know that 45% of the features developed in a mobile app are never used? Before starting a project, ask yourself what your users really need. This reflection helps determine which features are genuinely indispensable and identify any duplicates or superfluous options. By taking this approach, not only does the interface become simpler and more pleasant to use, but development and maintenance costs are also reduced. In the end, an eco-designed app project is both more effective and more sustainable.
Favour web apps (where possible)
Web apps (responsive sites or Progressive Web Apps – PWAs) are often a more sustainable alternative to native apps (iOS or Android).
The main reason: they offer broad compatibility, work on every device without requiring the latest operating system versions, and therefore limit memory and resource requirements. Another advantage: updates are generally simpler and less demanding, because they can be carried out file by file rather than by downloading one large package.
That said, some complex features may justify choosing a native app. In that case, you need to draw a clear distinction between corrective updates (security, bugs) and evolutionary updates (new features), in order to limit the frequency and impact of the latter on users.
Optimise technical resources
Resource-hungry apps have a direct impact on devices’ energy consumption. Not only does this reduce battery life, it also increases their ecological footprint. Here are some practices to apply.
Compress media
The images and videos used in your app should be optimised to reduce their weight while maintaining a visual quality that remains acceptable to the user. Modern formats such as WebP offer better compression than JPEG or PNG. Adopt transcoding techniques for videos, making use of codecs such as H.265 (HEVC) or AV1. These adjustments considerably reduce the amount of data transferred and stored.
Limit complex animations and transitions
Animations packed with effects (such as 3D transforms or looping animations) place a heavy load on devices’ CPU and sometimes even their GPU. Favour simple, lightweight animations based on linear interpolation, and use native APIs such as those in Android Jetpack Compose or SwiftUI to benefit from optimised rendering.
One extra tip: adapt the frame rate of animations for less powerful devices.
Use efficient algorithms
The choice of algorithms used for the app’s internal processing can make a major difference to energy efficiency. An example? Solutions suited to mobile architecture, such as OpenCV or TensorFlow Lite, for processing images or audio streams, which take advantage of the hardware’s capabilities without needlessly overloading devices.
Design in an eco-responsible way
Your app’s design plays a major role in its environmental footprint. But how do you design an interface that is at once attractive, functional and mindful of the energy it consumes?
A simple choice such as adopting dark colours can make a big difference, particularly on OLED screens, where dark interfaces reduce energy consumption.
By also simplifying typography with standard fonts, you limit the resources needed for visual rendering.
Finally, a clear and intuitive navigation hierarchy allows users to find what they are looking for quickly, thereby reducing unnecessary clicks and page loads. Every detail counts in making your app more eco-responsible.
Reduce data exchanges
To reduce data exchanges and improve energy efficiency, it is essential to optimise how network interactions are handled.
Implementing an offline mode is an effective solution, allowing users to access certain features without constantly depending on an internet connection, which reduces the load on servers and saves energy.
Alongside this, caching plays a key role by storing frequently used data, thereby avoiding unnecessary requests.
Finally, using optimised APIs, such as the fused location provider or Bluetooth Low Energy sensors, helps limit energy consumption by making more frugal use of these technologies.
Analyse your app’s environmental impact
Tools such as ecoCode Mobile or App Scan make it possible to identify areas for improvement in the code. Measuring your mobile app’s technical and environmental performance is a first step towards sustainable optimisation.
Mobile eco-design at Numendo: our commitment
At Numendo, we are convinced that technology and responsibility can coexist. As mobile development specialists, we support you throughout your projects to combine innovation, performance and respect for the environment. We offer tailor-made audits to assess the ecological impact of your applications and identify areas for improvement. Thanks to our agile development approach, we favour standard, durable technologies that meet today’s requirements while anticipating future changes.
Do you have a responsible mobile app project? Get in touch to discuss it.
