As apps interact with users and apps, they create data. Apps frequently require access or save this data in order to function properly, and provide the best user experience. This data includes personal settings as well as media, among other documents. It can be used to track clicks, product purchases and other conversions within the app. This information can be obtained by a variety methods, including by asking the user, taking it as a result of their online behavior, or by purchasing it from an outside. It is recommended that customer data be centrally stored and saved in the same format for integration and ease of exchange between applications. There are new standards for customer data profiles by industry sectors that could aid in defining the data models that are to be used.
There are a variety of methods to store data, and the storage of data in an app will influence how the user interface is presented. The most popular is file storage, in which the data is stored in folders and files, which are organized in an order. This is the way used by hard disk drives as well as cloud-based storage such as Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive. Block storage is another option in which data is split into blocks and placed anywhere in the storage infrastructure. They are identified with identifiers that make them easy to find and then act upon.
Early systems had built-in tools that gave detailed details about the properties of storage media in textual format. Modern systems, like Android have visualizations that assist with these functions, including capacity/usage and longevity. Capacity/usage visualizations are usually presented in horizontal bar charts, whereas lifespan is displayed using a circular pie chart or other variations like doughnut charts.
