  Large software organizations such as Facebook or Netflix, who otherwise make
daily or even hourly releases of their web applications using continuous
delivery, have had to invest heavily into a customized release strategy for
their mobile apps, because the vetting process of app stores introduces lag and
uncertainty into the release process. Amidst these large, resourceful
organizations, it is unknown how the average mobile app developer organizes her
app's releases, even though an incorrect strategy might bring a premature app
update to the market that drives away customers towards the heavy market
competition. To understand the common release strategies used for mobile apps,
the rationale behind them and their perceived impact on users, we performed two
surveys with users and developers. We found that half of the developers have a
clear strategy for their mobile app releases, since especially the more
experienced developers believe that it affects user feedback. We also found
that users are aware of new app updates, yet only half of the surveyed users
enables automatic updating of apps. While the release date and frequency is not
a decisive factor to install an app, users prefer to install apps that were
updated more recently and less frequently. Our study suggests that an app's
release strategy is a factor that affects the ongoing success of mobile apps.
