The network is hostile. Mobile state must be local-first to guarantee reliability.
STATE OWNERSHIP ON UNSTABLE NETWORKS
Mobile applications operate in hostile network environments. Relying on synchronous network calls for UI state leads to spinners, frozen screens, and frustrated users.
Designing a local-first state pipeline ensures that interactions feel instantaneous while background streams handle eventual consistency.
THE SYNCHRONISATION PROBLEM
Synchronisation is not simply pushing and pulling data. It is resolving conflicts between what the user did offline and what the server knows.
How data flows from device interactions to durable server record updates.
DESIGNING FOR OFFLINE AS A FIRST-CLASS STATE
OFFLINE SPECIFICATION
THE CLIENT IS THE PRIMARY DATABASE
Treat client-side state as a primary database, not a temporary cache for API responses.
The fastest network request is the one you never make.
Design state pipelines that minimise network dependency for the user's immediate interaction path.