Mobile A/B Testing at Quora

Tommy MacWilliam from Quora reveals how they A/B test mobile UX without waiting weeks for App Store approval. The secret? A hybrid architecture that lets them iterate at web speed.

Quora built their iOS and Android apps using embedded webviews alongside native code, creating a system where most UI changes can be deployed server-side. This hybrid approach means they can test everything from login screens to complex navigation flows without submitting new app versions.

Key Takeaways

• Entire login screen is a webview: fully A/B testable without releases
• Native components include JavaScript hooks for text and behavior changes
• Even native buttons can trigger different actions via server-side updates
• Launched Write Page feature by changing tab bar text without app update

The article includes annotated screenshots showing exactly which parts of their app are native versus web, and how they decide where to add those crucial JavaScript hooks.