From button design to ad frequency, these choices can be the difference between a killer app and a mediocre one. But how can you be sure you’re making the right changes? This is where A/B testing comes in.

What is A/B Testing?

A/B testing is a method of comparing two versions of a product, in this case an app, to determine which one performs better. This is done by taking a subset of users and breaking them into randomly assigned groups, each of which sees a slightly different version of the app. By measuring how users interact with the app in each group, you can determine with confidence whether any changes in behavior result from the change within the app, rather than external factors.

Firebase’s A/B Testing Framework

Firebase recently made major improvements to its A/B testing framework, making it easier to get started and more accurate in measuring results. The first touchpoints open to A/B testing through Firebase are Firebase Notifications and Firebase Remote Config. Remote Config is especially powerful for testing anything that happens within your app.

Getting Started with Firebase Remote Config

To run a successful A/B test, the first step is to wire your app to use Firebase Remote Config. Remote Config is a key-value store that lives in the cloud, allowing you to change your app’s behavior based on the values you’ve specified. This can be done through code, a JSON file, or an external file for localization.

Once you have Remote Config set up, you’ll want to take any value you might want to change, such as text or color, and wire them up to use Remote Config. This allows you the freedom to change any value you want later, without having to rely on generated XML files.

Measuring Results with Analytics

In addition to Remote Config, you’ll need to measure what’s happening within your app using analytics. Google Analytics for Firebase (formerly Firebase Analytics) works by recording events that happen within your app. This includes both automatic and custom events, which can be used to measure success within your A/B test.

When running an A/B test on Firebase, you’ll tell Firebase what you consider a successful outcome, such as earning more money or maximizing the occurrence of a specific event. By recording these events and measuring them against the control group, you can determine with confidence which version of your app performs better.

With Firebase’s A/B testing framework, you can be sure that you’re making informed decisions about your app, rather than relying on intuition or small sample sizes. By taking advantage of Remote Config and Analytics, you can take your app to the next level and ensure its success in a competitive market.