Android App Security Best Practices (2024 Guide)

/0 Comments/in , /by

Security breaches on mobile devices cost trillions of dollars, causing businesses to suffer trillions in losses today. A single security breach can lead to the death of a company owing to loss of trust and legal repercussions. Android developers today must implement the highest possible levels of security measures to protect their apps from existing and evolving threats.

Regulators in many jurisdictions worldwide are implementing stricter standards in data protection. A reputation for high-security standards can give a company an edge over its competitors. Therefore, there is an incentive to implement world-class security measures. This post highlights the best practices in Android app security implementation.

HTTPS Network Connections

A lot of security breaches happen when data is in transit. Important details such as login credentials and financial information, are targeted at this point. By using a HTTPS protocol for network connections, a developer is assured of encryption of all data passing between the app and the server.  If there are any hard-coded links in your app, they should all be updated to rely on the HTTPS protocol. This way, you can build trust in your app among the customer community. It is also crucial to have an SSL certificate for the application.

Secure Authentications

Today there are numerous options developers can choose to strengthen the authentication process on their app. The first option is to implement two-factor authentication where a user first enters their password, which triggers the app to send a code sent as a text message or an email. The user is requiring entering the code before gaining access to the app. Biometric authentication could also help to increase the security of an app while also smoothing out the user access process because it is faster than two-factor authentication.

Android Application Sandbox

The Android Application Sandbox environment allows containerization of apps to they do not interact or share resources. Each app has a unique ID with specific privileges and limited interaction with the operating system. The environment also allows for auditing of every app’s activity  for detection of suspicious activity.

When building an app, developers must ensure the app data is not available to the ‘world’. In situations where an app needs to share data with another app, the use of a content provider would be a better implementation. Developers should follow existing guidelines for sharing different file types within the Android sandbox environment.

Carrying Out Proper Testing

Before an app is published, the development team should conduct rigorous testing both manually and with the use of automated tests. Automated tests can be done to help assess the overall vulnerability of the app and the recommended fixes. Penetration testing can be done by an ethical hacker to test how well an app can withstand threats such as social engineering. Experienced development teams are well placed to pre-empt the nature of threats an app can based on the nature of information it will access normal use.

Least Privilege

In cases where an app requires access to sensitive information or other features on user devices, the app should request access to only what is necessary. The least privilege approach minimizes the risk of information leakage. It is also best practice to activate runtime permissions, whereby an app expressly requests a user to grant access via a pop window on the screen.  Developers should be keen to explain clearly why the app requires such permissions. UI writers can help write the right copy to avoid over complicating the app for users.

Safe Code Practices

The choice of an untrusted API can easily compromise the integrity of an application. Developers must use trustworthy APIs in their projects.

Another best practice is to validate user input because they are a regular source of malware attacks. Input validation involves checking the format, length, and type of input data coming from users to ensure it matches what is expected. Sanitizing user input is equally as important as validating it.

Implementing role-based access helps to limit access to sensitive data on an app based on user roles. The creation of roles and privileges has to be well-thought-out during the design phase of app creation.

Third-Party Libraries

While third-party libraries are great for faster and easier functionality implementation, they should be used with caution. Developers should rely on libraries with good documentation and a strong user community where issues around security vulnerabilities are likely to be well discussed. A thorough security analysis of all libraries a developer intends to use is a good best practice.

Code Obfuscation

Code obfuscation is done for several reasons in software development. In many cases, it happens to protect intellectual property in cases where a third party may try to rewrite the code and recreate a software program. Developers will use an encryption tool so that the code becomes unreadable. In simpler cases, the team may simply replace any metadata that contains sensitive information and replace variable names with random ones while maintaining the functionality of the code.

One of the most popularized incidents of data breach happened in 2016 whereby the personal details of 600,000 Uber drivers were exposed. This happened after developers uploaded code on GitHub containing credentials to access cloud hosting accounts on AWS.  This goes to show the importance of obfuscation and why overlooking it could result in massive reputational damage even for a large company.

Creators of malware also tend to use obfuscation to make their programs hard to decrypt.

Regular Updates

Frequent app updates are important to secure an app from evolving security threats. Developers have a role to remain in touch with developments in-app security and how best to keep out threats. One of the best ways to ensure users keep updating their apps is to send push notifications to prompt. Adding new features regularly also makes users excited about downloading updated versions of an app. The best practice is to ensure that the app is using all the latest and most secure versions of its dependencies.

Constant monitoring and logging of activity on the server side helps to detect incidents or anomalies in user activity. App developers must respond promptly to such threats.

Understanding Android App Security-Related Laws

Any development team in 2024 must strive to understand the data protection and user privacy laws in their jurisdictions. The EU’s GDPR set a high bar for compliance which many other countries follow. So far, both Meta and TikTok have received hundreds of millions of dollars of fines for various contraventions of privacy laws in Ireland where GDPR is applicable. Serious offenses can result in penalties of up to 20 million euros or 4% of company revenue, whichever is higher.

Fortunately, there are concerted efforts, especially by cloud service providers to help development teams and businesses comply with these laws.

Still, businesses are expected to have a clear privacy policy available for users. A privacy policy will normally explain how businesses use the data they collect from users and how well they handle it.

Diligent Error Handling

Improper messaging in case of an error, while an app is in use, can lead to inadvertent disclosure of sensitive system information. Such information can be used for malicious intent. Messages shown to users should be written with this in mind. It is also a best practice to log all errors for further analysis and resolution.  In fact, for major applications, there should be a dedicated team to ensure all incidents are well analyzed. It is not enough to fix the error. The team has to assess the impact of every incident.

Proper Session Handling

Poor session handling can lead to potential session hijacks on applications. This is why banking apps or payment wallets require users to sign in again after a brief period of inactivity. Developers should use session timeout effectively on their apps. Having to sign in many times can be disruptive for users but it is imperative for any apps that carry valuable user information that is an easy target for hackers.

Secure Data Backup

Most apps today are hosted on the cloud, thus limiting the size of apps on devices. This is a great practice because it makes storage cheaper and safer. Developers should choose the correct data-redundancy option depending on the value of their data. In the case of an attack or other unforeseen events, the organization can always recover data. In situations where data synchronization between app and cloud data does not happen in real time, backups should be scheduled to happen as often as reasonably possible.

Secure Development Training

Continuous training is necessary for developers to build safe Android apps. Software development teams need access to learning materials covering emerging app security trends.  There is a need to focus on app security testing, debugging, and even disaster management. Team members should appreciate the true cost of data breaches to an organization and to end users when personal information is in the wrong hands.

A data breach at Marriott International Inc. in 2018 was estimated to have cost the company over $200 million. Over 500 million hotel guests had their personal information exposed. The model used to estimate the cost considered costs of notifying the guests, credit monitoring, replacement of cards, forensic work, and credit monitoring.  Credit monitoring involves looking out for evidence of fraudulent credit activity following a breach. The model used in Marriot’s case did not take into account potential fines for contravening GDPR and other privacy laws.

Training should happen regularly in software development teams because of the speed with which new threats keep emerging. Fortunately, a lot of training resources are available for self-paced learning.

Choosing an Android App Development Partner

As seen, there are numerous best practices developers must adhere to when building Android applications. These recommendations have emerged over time as technology evolves and attackers find new ways to target applications.

The use of cloud storage today, for instance, is preferred over local data storage because the latter is an easier target for attacks. Installing external devices to expand device storage capacity and copying app data there creates clear security concerns. The external storage device can be easily lost or stolen and accessed by a third party. As such, app data today should ideally never be stored on an external storage device such as a memory card.

Man-in-the-middle attacks exploit vulnerabilities in the transport layer of most apps. Proper encryption of information through the choice of correct network protocols is vital for data protection. Rigorous penetration testing and other forms of testing are quite important for ease of mind regarding an app’s security robustness.

By working with the right app development partner, you can build and implement a proper security strategy for your Android application. App security ought to start during the design phase and should not come as an afterthought. Our team understands this and implements best practices such as user input validation and sanitization throughout the app. The choice of libraries, APIs, and all app dependencies is well thought out before the code is written.

With tens of years of experience in our team, we have witnessed the evolution of Android application security threats. Through it all, we have successfully delivered multiple secure applications to clients in the most data-sensitive fields. We would love to hear from you too. Reach out to us for partnership on your next mobile application project.

Custom Mobile App Development: How To Benefit From The Latest Trends

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , /by

As a forward-looking business leader, you want to utilize mobile technologies to put your organization in the lead. But where do you begin with all the options currently available — do you pick an off-the-shelf solution or venture forth with custom mobile app development? 

The first option seems cheaper and hassle-free since you can use the product soon after registering your account. But with the latter option, a custom-built app will require a significant commitment from you, which will involve an initial cost outlay and consultation time with a mobile development studio.

Considering the mere accessibility of the first option, it should be the way to go, right? That may be the case if you only have a surface-level view of your organization’s short-term and long-term requirements. 

For example, you may be running a startup with a limited budget, so an affordable off-the-shelf solution suits your needs now. But how robust is this solution when you decide to scale your business or require features that this solution doesn’t offer? Will you jump to another ready-made solution to fill these gaps, or do you opt for a mobile app custom-built to your exact requirements? 

If you end up with several off-the-shelf solutions, you’ll add complexity to your organization’s existing tech infrastructure. Furthermore, your staff will require training to use these additional apps. While this isn’t necessarily bad, it’s seldom possible to train staff when you need them to perform mission-critical tasks required for the smooth functioning of your organization.  

Fortunately, you can do away with these issues by embracing custom mobile app development. Your organization will enjoy several key benefits from the latest trends custom-built apps bring forth, which we’ll discuss below.  

Custom Mobile App Development Solves Problems Exclusive To Your Business

Primarily, you want to approach custom mobile app development to solve problems that exclusively impact your business. Off-the-shelf solutions seldom do this because they attempt to solve issues affecting organizations in general. Since your business is unique, you can’t always rely on tools that all your competitors are using. 

Let’s assume you’re operating a chain of bakeries that use wood-fired ovens. But all your competitors are using either commercial electric or gas-powered ovens. Thus, how you stock your inventory and prepare your baked goods will differ significantly from competing stores and chains. 

The unique methodologies in preparing your goods will inevitably impact your tech infrastructure. You may need to create an inventory management mobile app to keep track of your stock levels based on your dough preparation and baking rates. Since your wood-fired ovens require skilled artisans to operate and bake slower than electric or gas ovens, your custom-built management app will work with this scenario.

If you had to use a similar solution to your competitors, you’d end up over-ordering or under-ordering on the wrong days. And this would impact the efficiency and profitability of your chain of bakeries. 

But why create a custom-built inventory management mobile app when you could go with a desktop or web-based solution? A mobile app is often the better choice since all your employees have mobile devices and will be in different areas of your stores. Your chief baker can check inventory and place orders without leaving the bakery floor, especially if a desktop PC isn’t available here. 

A Custom-Built Mobile App Offers Stellar Data Security

Not a day goes by without a major data security breach making the news. Sadly, the world’s most popular websites and cloud services are usually at the front lines of these data breaches. Whether it’s Alibaba’s leak of 1.1 billion chunks of user information or Microsoft’s Azure cybersecurity breach impacting executive accounts, no mainstream online product is safe from hackers.

But where does that leave mobile apps; are they safer? Yes, mobile apps are often safer if users download them directly from the App Store or Google Play. Both app stores have raised the bar on what they expect from developers regarding app security, user data, and privacy. However, unscrupulous developers and bad actors still manage to publish dubious apps on these stores, which poses a significant security risk to users. 

The good news is that custom mobile app development allows you to lock down your security on all fronts. And enjoy peace of mind due to having a higher level of app security than any off-the-shelf solution can offer your organization. Moreover, you can integrate your custom-built app with a hybrid or private cloud service, giving you considerable control and data protection. 

Take Advantage Of The Latest Artificial Intelligence (AI) Trends

Trailblazing large language models (LLMs) like Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini are integral to the modern AI landscape. There’s a good reason for this since these LLMs radically improve the productivity and efficiency of users and organizations. And like all modern organizations, you want to take advantage of these LLMs if you haven’t done so already. 

All the most popular LLMs offer application programming interfaces (APIs) that integrate with desktop, mobile, and web apps. So, you can easily tap into the power of these LLMs without requiring expensive hardware or knowing the minutest details of how these language models work. All your staff needs to do is learn how to enter prompts that will output the desired results from the LLMs you’ve integrated.

It’s also possible to build custom mobile apps that don’t use prompts but rely on other forms of user interaction, such as voice and context-based inputs. If you embark on custom mobile app development, consult a reputable studio like NS804 to help you plan and implement these inputs to suit your needs along with LLM integration.

Improve Staff Productivity With A Custom-Built Mobile App

Since you’re the leader of your organization, there’s no one better placed to understand your staff. You know how productive they are, their workflows, and what motivates them to perform at their best. You also know who the team players are and who are unengaged. 

Ideally, you want your unengaged staff to step up by emulating the behavior of your best employees. But that largely depends on how well you convey your organization’s culture, expectations, and goals. Leading by example and initiating discussions with staff members who are lagging behind will also help.

Even if you take all these actions, your staff still needs the right tools to produce optimal results. If you’re relying on a mix of disparate apps from different vendors, you’re making things more difficult for your staff. And that’s because they’ll have to contend with differing user interfaces (UIs), workflows, and app usability.  

Worse still, you’ll often encounter one or two apps within your suite of apps that create bottlenecks. These bottlenecks may be due to apps with poor performance, lack of updates, and unsupported features, ultimately making them redundant. Nevertheless, your organization can adopt a better app strategy by creating one or more custom-built apps that address all bottlenecks your organization currently deals with.

Thus, approach custom mobile app development with the intent to offer the features and workflows that will help keep all your staff members productive. Moreover, ensure all your custom-built mobile apps are fully compatible and integrate with your existing tech. In time, you can consolidate all the most crucial features into a singular mobile app, reducing complexity and maintenance costs.

Custom Mobile App Development Enhances Business Competitiveness

World-renowned brands like Domino’s Pizza, IKEA, and Nike rely on custom mobile app development. Also, NS804 has delivered custom-built solutions for leading brands like CarLotz, Dominion Energy, and Luck Stone. All these brands understand that custom-built apps offer them an unprecedented amount of control, efficiency, and security.

Another reason custom mobile app development is popular with brands is that it helps them stay competitive. They prefer using bespoke apps that align fully with their needs and goals instead of relying on off-the-shelf solutions that have little to do with their businesses. It’s not that brands will never use the latter, but tailor-made solutions will always play a central role due to their holistic design and implementation. 

But how can a custom-built mobile app give your organization a competitive edge? If your organization is a startup or a small and medium-sized enterprise (SME), you’ll have a tool designed specifically for your business processes. That won’t be the case for most of your competitors who opt for off-the-shelf solutions, as these won’t adequately cover all their day-to-day operations.

Increase Customer Engagement And Satisfaction

While custom-built mobile apps usually address internal business needs, you should also consider customer-facing scenarios. Nowadays, most existing and potential customers will seldom visit your website unless you have an e-commerce store or are regularly running special offers. So, you’ll need to consider a more effective avenue to reach and engage customers if your online presence isn’t having an impact.

An effective way to form a more meaningful relationship with your customers is with a custom mobile app. The app must make it easy for customers to learn about your products and services and receive round-the-clock assistance via AI-assisted chatbots. 

To make it easy for them to make purchases, ensure that you integrate the most popular payment gateways into your mobile app. Apple allows third-party payment processors for iOS apps distributed in the European Union (EU) as of March 2024. Android developers enjoy more freedom in this regard, as they can integrate leading platforms like 2checkout, Stripe, and WePay for most territories. 

Your customers will use mobile devices with different aspect ratios and screen sizes, and a growing number will use Android flip phones. Obviously, supporting these various screen configurations complicates matters from a development standpoint. But you want to give all your customers a satisfactory user experience (UX), and that’s only possible by implementing responsive design so that your mobile app adjusts its UI for each target device.

But to substantially increase your customer-facing app’s engagement, consider integrating the most favored social media platforms. Make it child’s play for your customers to share all the coolest products and services you offer across all their favorite social media accounts. Furthermore, this will help build awareness for your brand and its offerings without any marketing cost for your organization.

Connect With The Surrounding World More Effectively

The increased adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) devices offers businesses of all sizes countless opportunities to boost efficiency. IoT devices come in all forms, such as affordable single-board computers (SBCs), industrial sensors, and even security systems. The best part is that you can build an app that can communicate with all these devices and even automate specific tasks.

Now, consider a practical application for your organization’s office management procedures. You want to keep track of staff activities in the office related to their attendance, interactions, and movements. Why you should do this is to ensure that your office facilitates a safe and productive work environment. 

While you can spend weeks or months monitoring the office environment in person, you can gather more meaningful data by installing IoT devices in the right places. These include an automated attendance clock, desk sensors, and room occupancy monitoring devices. Then, your custom-built office management app will draw data from all these devices and provide you with real-time analytics.

With this data-driven approach, you can quickly pinpoint troublespots in your office layout and even identify errant employees. And with all custom mobile app development endeavors, you can add additional features when required. For example, you’ve identified that staff members spend their lunch breaks at the office lounge and avoid the cafeteria. 

You could remodel the cafeteria to make it more appealing. Alternatively, you can install vending machines in the office lounge to dispense drinks and snacks. And make it easy for employees to make purchases by introducing near field communication (NFC) payment via a newly-introduced feature in your office management app.

The Bottom Line

Custom mobile app development is the way forward for all businesses that want to perform at their best, especially when presented with harsh economic conditions. A custom-built app is designed to exclusively serve your organization’s structure, goals, and business processes. It’s never a one-size-fits-all approach like many popular off-the-shelf apps that usually run on a Software as a Service (SaaS) subscription model. Contact NS804 today to learn how we’ll help you build a custom app to help you stay ahead in your industry!

Strategies for Effective Mobile App Marketing in a Crowded/Saturated Market

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , , , /by

In mobile app marketing, a saturated market refers to an environment that offers more or less similar apps with the same features and capabilities, and all apps target overlapping demographics of users. This unhealthy competition creates rivalry, making it hard for new entrants to gain traction.

In such a competitive market space having the right and the most effective marketing strategy can make a difference and help you stand out. Without the right strategy to target and attract potential consumers and users, even the most robust and the highest quality app can fail to succeed.

The right and the most effective marketing strategy can not only improve the app’s visibility but can also help the app influence user perception, lead to customer acquisition, and promote the overall success of the app.

Strategies for Effective Mobile App Marketing in a Saturated Market

1. Conduct Market Research to Identify Your Target Audience and Their Needs

Market research is the cornerstone of any successful marketing strategy for an app, especially in a saturated market. It involves gathering information about your target market and clients, their needs, preferences, locations, and perceptions. By understanding your audience, you can tailor your app’s messaging, features, and marketing efforts resonating with your audience.

Demographic Analysis

Start by identifying the demographic traits of your target audience like their age, location, gender, education levels, and income. This information helps create user personas that represent different segments of your audience.

Psychographic Analysis

Psychographic analysis primarily deals with analyzing your clients’ and potential users’ interests, values, lifestyles, and buying behavior. Knowing you’re the psychology of your users helps you craft messages and communications that resonate with their aspirations and motivations.

Needs Assessment

Identify the specific needs, pain points, and challenges your audience faces and explore how your app can overcome those challenges. Conduct focused groups, interviews, and surveys and gather information from potential users.

Analyze your Competitors to Identify their Strengths and Weaknesses

Competitor analysis is vital for understanding the market and identifying opportunities for expansion and differentiation.

  • Identify competitors. Identify direct and indirect competitors. Direct competitors are players with similar offerings as yours, while indirect competitors refer to players whose products and offerings can easily replace yours.
  • SWOT analysis. Conduct a SWOT analysis to identify your competitors’ strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in the market. Strengths may include a strong brand and unique product features and weaknesses may entail limited market presence and poor user experience. Opportunities may capture emerging trends and market gaps, and threats may entail changing regulations and new entrants.
  • Differentiation Strategy. Look for areas where your app can provide added value. You can focus on strengths that your competitors lack and identify weaknesses that you can improve.

Use Data Analytics Tools

Use data analytics news to gather information about your user behavior, measuring the effectiveness of the marketing campaign and measuring its effectiveness. Leveraging data analytics tools to collect client and consumer information may help you tailor effective marketing campaigns and optimize the app’s performance.

  • User behavior analysis. Use tools like Firebase Analytics, Google Analytics, and in-app performance to track navigation paths, user interactions, and engagement levels. Analyze this data to identify trends and areas of improvement.
  • Conversion funnel analysis. Analyze the conversion funnel from app discovery to conversion to optimize conversion rates and identify bottlenecks at every stage.
  • A/B testing. Conduct A/B tests to experiment with different app features, messaging, and marketing strategies. Measure the impact of these variations on user behavior and iterate based on data-driven insights.

Using data analytics tools helps you collect insightful information, helping you build knowledge and insight about your marketing efforts.

2. Develop a Unique Value Proposition

Define what makes your app stand out from the competition. This could be its innovative approach, features, niche market, or a combination of all these. The goal here is to define what makes your app special and unique and why should consumers choose your app over others.

One of the most unique value proportions is unique features. For your app to stand out in a competitive marketplace or saturated market, it must exhibit unique features and functionalities. This means your app must be different and must provide distinct benefits and capabilities that are specifically unique to the app and not to other apps in the same market.

Innovative technology is another distinguishing feature for developing a unique value proportion. Apps like Facebook, WhatsApp, Slack, and Microsoft Teams are innovative because they represent innovative technologies in their respective industries and fields. Similarly, to stand out in a competitive marketplace, your app must provide an innovative technology that’s unique in its way.

Your app must provide an exceptional user experience for it to stand out in a competitive market. The apps must focus on delivering an intuitive, smooth, and speedier interface that responds at the slightest touch. Emphasize how your app saves time, simplifies tasks, and enhances productivity for its users.

Another aspect of creating a unique value proposition is creating a specialized niche focus. If your app caters to a specific industry, market, and user segment, you must emphasize and highlight the specific value it provides to that target market. Highlight how your app addresses their challenges, unique needs, and interests better than other apps.

Crafting a Compelling UVP

There are various strategies you can use to craft a compelling unique selling proposition:

  • The unique selling point must be clear and easy to understand.
  • The USP must communicate the relevance and ease of use of the new app.
  • The USP must contain an emotional appeal.
  • The app must communicate its benefits and value to the end users.

It is important to note that your unique selling proposition is an opportunity to sell your product to your target audience by communicating the features, benefits, and overall value of your app.

3. Optimize Your App Store Presence

To make your app stand out in a crowded or saturated market, it’s important to optimize your app store presence. If your app is designed to run on IOS, it is important to take advantage of app store optimization. Some apps are cross-platform, meaning they’re designed to run on both Android and IOS. Regardless of the IOS, it’s important to leverage your app store to reap maximum benefits.

Use appropriate keywords

It’s advisable to use appropriate keywords in your app’s title, description, and meta-description. Using the right combination of keywords strategically in your app’s metadata will help to improve its visibility in the app store and hence improve adoption and retention.

Some of the strategies you can use to ensure appropriate use of keywords include:

  • Keyword research
  • Natural selection and incorporation of keywords
  • Optimizing app title and description
  • Metadata optimization

Keywords improve searchability and visibility, ensuring you’re at the top of the search engine and easily visible to a large target audience.

Design Eye-Catching Icons, Screenshots, and Videos

Visual elements play a crucial role in capturing users and encouraging them to explore your app even further. Invest in creating visually appealing assets that showcase your app’s unique features and capabilities.

  • App icon. Design a visually appealing and striking app icon that stands out on home screens and the app store. Ensure the icon reflects your brand identity and communicates the essence of your app.
  • Screenshots and videos. Create high-quality promotional videos and screenshots that highlight the benefits, functionalities, and user experiences of your target audience. Use clear captions, engaging visuals, and annotations to demonstrate the app’s value and encourage downloads.
  • Preview videos. Pay attention to the preview video feature in the Play Store or App Store. Use this opportunity to demonstrate your app’s unique features, user interactions, and app functionality clearly and compellingly.

Encourage positive reviews and ratings

Encourage positive reviews and ratings to encourage downloads. Positive reviews not only influence user perception but also contribute to higher app store rankings and visibility. Implement strategies designed to encourage users to leave feedback and give ratings on the app’s user interaction and speed.

Some of the strategies that you can use to encourage positive reviews and ratings include:

  • Prompt user feedback.
  • Ethically incentivize any reviews.
  • Address any negative feedback.
  • Maintain app quality and functionality.

By encouraging feedback and ratings, you can engage with potential users better and shift their perceptions.

4. Leverage Social Media and Digital Marketing

Social media provides an excellent platform for connecting and reaching out to your target audience. Social media allows you to build meaningful connections, obtain feedback, and provide continuous improvement to your mobile app. In a highly saturated market, here’s how to use social media to build an app that stands out.

Platform selection

It’s advisable to select platforms most frequented by your target audience. Facebook, Reddit, LinkedIn, or X are all potential social media channels you can leverage to build meaningful connections with your target audience.

Profile optimization

Optimize your profile with the appropriate colors, logos, and messaging to ensure it communicates your values. Provide clear information about your app, its functionality, and benefits.

Content strategy

Create content that resonates with your audience. It’s advisable to use catchy phrases, captivating colors, and designs to attract user attention and influence adoption. Create a mixture of content types, including videos, audio, polls, stories, images, and quizzes.

Develop engaging content

Engaging content plays an instrumental role in attracting and retaining your social media followers while promoting the app effectively. It’s advisable to consider the following formats of content.

  •  Videos. Create captivating videos that showcase your app’s story, features, and benefits. Include animation, visual storytelling, testimonials, and behind-the-scenes footage to amplify your app.
  • Blog posts. Develop informative blog posts that explore topics relevant to your niche. Include industry guides, how-to guides, case studies, and industry trends content. In addition, it’s advisable to blog posts for search engines to attract organic traffic.
  • Infographics. Design visually appealing infographics that communicate tips, key information, statistics, and comparisons related to your niche. Infographics are highly valuable and can attract attention on social media platforms.
  • User-generated content. User-generated content UGC encourages users to create and share content related to your app such as testimonials, user reviews, success stories, and feedback. User-generated content adds credibility and authenticity to your marketing.

Use targeted ads

Use targeted ads on platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Targeted advertising allows you to reach your audience based on their interests, behavior, likes, demographics, and online activities. Here’s how to leverage targeted ads effectively.

Audience segmentation

Segment your audience based on gender, age, demographics, location, interests, app usage, and app preferences. This will help you create targeted ads that target users based on these specific user preferences.

Ad formats

Leverage various ad formats offered by different platforms such as Facebook (lead ads, video ads, and carousel ads), Google ads (app install ads, display ads, search ads), and Instagram ads (video ads, carousel ads, and story ads).

Ad creative

Develop compelling ad creatives with attractive and attention-grabbing visuals, clear and concise copy, and thought-provoking calls to action. Test these ads on different platforms to optimize performance and improve conversion rates.

Budgeting and optimization

Set realistic marketing budgets based on your marketing goals and monitor ad performance through metrics such as click-through-rate CTR, cost per acquisition, and retention rates. In addition, leverage ad campaigns regularly to maximize reach and returns on investment.

5. Leverage Collaborations and Partnerships

Identifying and establishing collaborations and partnerships with the right organizations and individuals can significantly boost your app’s credibility and visibility. Here’s how to identify potential partners and collaborators.

  • Alignment with your target audience. Identify influencers, brands, and organizations who share the same target audience as yours. Consider factors such as user behavior, demographics, interests, app preferences, and gender.
  • Complementary services. Look for apps that offer complimentary services or products like yours. Collaborating with partners whose offerings complement yours can provide mutual benefits to both parties.
  • Influencer identification. Research and identify influencers in your niche who have a significant following and engagement with your target audience. Look for influencers who align with your brand value and who can authentically promote and grow your brand.

It’s important to note that partnerships and collaborations play an instrumental role in ensuring your app stands out in a highly competitive marketplace.

NS804 – Building Apps That Stand Out

NS804 is a trusted provider of custom mobile app solutions. The company focuses on both iOS and Android apps, providing excellent mobile app solutions for businesses of different sizes and industries. We believe that marketing is crucial for the success of any app.

We believe that businesses must invest exhaustively in developing effective marketing campaigns that educate and inform people about its features and benefits. As part of this realization, we help businesses align their app development efforts with the needs of the market, ensuring that our apps answer the needs and interests of the target audience.

Contact NS804 today for superior and custom mobile app solutions.

 

 

Android Gaming: 6 Most Popular Mobile Game Genres In 2024

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

Android gaming offers the most accessible way for users to enjoy trailblazing games without requiring expensive hardware. Unlike PCs and consoles, low-spec and mid-tier Android devices are powerful enough to run most hit games on the platform. And if you’re a mobile game developer, publisher, or investor, that’s a compelling reason to build your next game for Android. 

With over 3 billion devices running the Android operating system (OS) in 2024, your potential worldwide market is enormous. Moreover, you’re not limited to smartphones and tablets since Android games run on Android TV devices, Chromebooks, and PCs. Then, there are many app stores where you can publish your games, like Google Play, Galaxy Store, Huawei AppGallery, F-Droid, Itch.io, Aptoide, and Amazon Appstore. If you plan to release in Asian markets, your app store choices increase substantially. 

All these digital storefronts make Android gaming incredibly ubiquitous. But you’re probably wondering what mobile game genres are truly popular with Android gamers in 2024. If you’re itching to create your first or next masterpiece, you already have many exciting ideas. You may want to make a boomer shooter with rogue-lite elements or a racing game with a level-up system. 

But are such ideas feasible, or should you be less enthusiastic about their potential success? It’s difficult to predict the next big genre or hit mobile game. Yet, it’s possible to gain some valuable insights by delving deeper into the genres that Android gamers enjoy playing.

And given the dynamism of the Android platform and the Google Play store, game genre popularity seldom remains static. Thus, we’ll focus strictly on the genres that remain profitable, popular, or are trending upward in 2024. Below is our list of six genres that you should consider for your upcoming Android game. 

1. Role-Playing Games (RPGs)

Dungeons and Dragons, the world-famous tabletop RPG series created by Dave Lance Arneson and Ernest Gary Gygax, set the groundwork for all computer RPGs to follow. Initially, RPGs served a small but dedicated following who loved the high fantasy settings, heroic exploits, and detailed narrative of the RPG genre. A few other draws of the genre are the ability for players to customize their party of heroes and engage in turn-based or action-oriented battles against numerous monsters and unforgettable larger-than-life bosses.

Another reason why players enjoy RPGs is due to their longer-than-usual play lengths. Older RPG titles could take 10-20 hours to complete, but newer titles can reach or exceed 300 hours. And that’s significant because the longer play time ensures that developers interested in creating RPGs will enjoy a high average revenue per user (ARPU). It’s realistic for RPGs targeting the Android gaming community to hit an average ARPU of $7.22, far higher than many other popular genres. 

While that figure makes RPGs worth pursuing, they’re expensive and time-consuming to develop due to the large amount of content required. Furthermore, you’ll have to compete with established RPG developers from China, Japan, and South Korea. Several of the most successful and highest-earning Android mobile RPGs come from Asia and include the following: 

  • Genshin Impact (miHoYo / Shanghai Miha Touring Film Technology Co., Ltd.)
  • Fate/Grand Order (Lasengle / Delightworks / Aniplex)
  • Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle (Akatsuki / Bandai Namco)

2. Simulation Games

Simulation games offer players a more cerebral and slow-burn Android gaming experience than most genres. Similarly to turn-based RPGs, simulation games seldom require quick reflexes or force players to make hasty decisions. Instead, players will build and manage cities, factories, or farms. But the genre is near-limitless in scope, as business scenarios are also popular, as in Sid Meier’s Railroad Tycoon and the many other titles it influenced. 

The genre rose in popularity on the PC due to how well the platform’s mouse and keyboard make control and navigation intuitive. Fortunately, the touch controls found on all modern mobile devices allow for a fluid gaming experience. And that’s helping with growth on Android devices, as the simulation genre trended upwards by 7.27% on Google Play over the past year. 

But does this mean you should tackle a simulation game as your next Android project? Simulation games are much cheaper to develop than RPGs, making them ideal if you have a limited budget and staff. But they’re challenging to make, especially if you don’t have any prior experience in the genre. If that’s the case, consider partnering with an established studio like NS804 to help you with the development process.

Another upside of releasing a simulation title is that you won’t have to limit yourself to Android (or even iOS). Due to the genre’s substantial traction on the PC, you can port it for additional revenue. Some of the most popular and profitable simulation games on Android include the following:

  • Stardew Valley (ConcernedApe)
  • My Time at Portia (Pathea / Nuverse)
  • Game Dev Tycoon (Rarebyte / Greenheart Games)

3. Arcade Games

Traditional arcade games hit their stride in the late ’70s and rapidly became the primary way electronic gaming gained mass appeal. Arcade titles like Atari’s Asteroids, Namco’s Pac-Man, and Taito’s Space Invaders became massive global hits — ultimately influencing the wider culture. A combination of addictive gameplay, accessible controls, and bold graphics led to the success of these titles and many more.

While these older arcade games seem archaic, they still appeal to retro gamers and those who grew up with these titles. So, it’s unsurprising that updated versions of older arcade games have hit Google Play to scratch that omnipresent nostalgia itch. Perhaps a few of the lower-quality titles in the arcade genre are shameless cash grabs, but there’s no denying that Android gaming enthusiasts can’t get enough of these action-packed titles.

So, how popular is the genre on Android nowadays? It’s one of the most popular genres, with over 56,000 arcade games on the Google Play store, comprising 9.81% of downloads globally. Since many arcade games are relatively easy to develop compared to other genres, many smaller indie developers prefer to focus on these.

However, easy-to-develop doesn’t mean you can pump out arcade titles and find immediate success. Arcade games require plenty of play testing, tweaking, and game balancing to satisfy the demands of Android gamers. 

Furthermore, Google Play’s recent app policies require that new developers who plan to publish on the platform have their apps or games tested by a minimum of 20 people. If you want to compete in this genre, you must release a game that meets or surpasses the standards of the following titles: 

  • Downwell (Moppin / Red Phantom Games / DevolverDigital)
  • Golden Axe Classics (SEGA) 
  • Geometry Dash (RobTop Games)

4. Action Games

Android gaming is synonymous with the action game genre. Several of the most impactful titles on the platform deliver fast-paced gameplay, intense set-pieces, and phenomenal graphics. The player often assumes control of a heroic character that can pull off moves like jumping, wall running, and hand-to-hand combat.

It’s common for action games to adopt a shooting element, often straddling the fine line between the action and shooting genres. However, if a game relies on a third-person perspective (TPP), it falls squarely in the action genre. Most shooters (apart from top-down or horizontal-scrolling shooters) are in the first-person shooter camp, popularized by Doom and its many clones.

Hack-and-slash titles, where game characters wield swords, lances, or other piercing weapons — are also part of the action genre. While these can be mistaken for fighting or beat ’em ups due to some gameplay similarities, there are notable differences. Most fighting games offer duels between two combatants, whereas beat ’em ups often adopt a belt scroll side view to display the action.

Action games can be 2D or 3D, but most modern gamers prefer 3D TPP games due to their more realistic blockbuster movie-like presentation. They can also be single-player or multiplayer, with the latter increasing in popularity due to better bandwidth on recent Android devices. And their popularity doesn’t end there, as there are currently over 34,000 action games in the Google Play store, comprising 15.2% of downloads globally. A few of the leading titles in the action genre for Android include the following: 

  • Overdrive II: Shadow Battle (GEMMOB Adventure)
  • Grimvalor (Direlight)
  • PUBG Mobile (Lightspeed & Quantum / PUBG Corporation / Level Infinite)

5. Racing Games

As one of the oldest video game genres, the racing game has been a mainstay of the games industry for at least five decades. In 1973, Atari released the world’s very first racing game, known to all as Space Race. It was an incredibly rudimentary title that caused Atari’s Japanese rivals like Namco and Taito to offer players more improved and refined alternatives.

But the racing genre truly wowed players when Sega released Out Run (often written as OutRun) in arcades in 1986. Sega had incorporated advanced super scaler technology into its arcade boards, which left the competition in the dust. These boards could create convincing 3D visual effects by scaling and manipulating 2D bitmaps at jaw-dropping speeds. 

Super scaler graphics remained in vogue for several years, but the industry shifted to actual 3D polygon rendering technology in the early ’90s. It’s also the decade that defined and set the groundwork for modern racing games. Stylish racing titles like Wipeout by Psygnosis and Ridge Racer by Namco helped sell PlayStation (PS1) consoles to the masses.

Fortunately, much of the fun and spirit of these early 3D racing games remains intact today. Today’s Android gaming enthusiasts have embraced the genre due to its high-speed thrills, stunning presentation, and cool factor. In a way, it’s as if the PS1 era of racing games never went away due to the continued support from Android users. 

Moreover, racing games trended upwards by 2.93% on the Google Play store over the past year and received 2.6 billion downloads in the US market alone. A few good examples of the genre for Android devices include the following:

  • Horizon Chase (Aquiris Game Studio)
  • Riptide GP2 (Vector Unit)
  • Rally Horizon (GRAYPOW)

6. Hyper-Casual Games

We can’t talk about Android gaming without covering the hyper-casual genre. Casual games have always enjoyed prominence due to their accessibility. And that’s because the average mobile user prefers to play titles that offer fun in short bursts and have simple controls — the simpler, the better!

In fact, many casual titles are so simple that they offer players a passive-like experience. Search the top-trending titles in the Google Play store, and you’ll find many idle games in dominant positions. A typical idle game only requires simple actions from the player, like tapping on an icon continuously to generate currency. 

Quite often, it’s not necessary to tap at all, as the game will play itself while it runs in the background. But to add depth, the game may offer the player additional ways to generate income at incremental intervals. These options often come in the form of farms, factories, and rental buildings — giving the idle game a more simulation-oriented gameplay loop. 

However, this additional depth doesn’t make the idle game genre appealing to hardcore gamers or those seeking something more substantial. But don’t let this discourage you, as the hyper-casual genre remains in the lead in the US with over 16.4 billion downloads. While this sounds good, you must avoid releasing a hyper-casual title in an oversaturated subgenre.

We mentioned idle games earlier, but you may want to pursue more diverse subgenres and themes. Creature collection, survival, and dress-up games appeal to hyper-casual gamers seeking something different. A few outstanding hyper-casual games available on Android devices include the following: 

  • Antistress – relaxation toys (JindoBlu)
  • Hyper Trainer: Gym Games (GenI Games)
  • Kick the Buddy: Second Kick (Playgendary Limited)

The Bottom Line

Android gaming is one of the most enthralling segments of the games industry now. If you plan on making your dream game that will be momentous for the industry, then there’s no better platform to target. But choose your genre wisely by considering all the aspects we covered above. If you’re a small startup or tackling your first game project, it’s best to keep things more manageable by focusing on an arcade or hyper-casual title. Also, don’t forget to build a prototype or minimum viable product (MVP) to test the validity of your game idea. Contact NS804 today to learn how we’ll help you create the next Android gaming hit!

6 Most Popular Mobile App Categories for iOS 2024

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , , /by

The mobile app industry has grown by leaps and bounds, becoming an integral part of the lives of billions of people worldwide. With the proliferation of the internet and the interconnectivity of digital devices, the mobile app marketplace is becoming a ubiquitous part of our everyday life. The growth of the mobile app industry has also been propelled by high-speed internet, smartphone penetration, and changing consumer preferences. All these factors continue to define and influence how users interact and engage with mobile apps.

In the vast space of mobile apps, understanding the different categories of mobile apps and their uses is critical, especially for IOS users. Apple’s IOS ecosystem encompasses a wide range of apps, from gaming apps to productivity applications that define how we work. Most importantly, exploring this vast array of mobile app options can be overwhelming, making it necessary for mobile app users to discern which app categories align with their requirements and preferences. By gaining knowledge of emerging app categories, users can know the trending app categories and make informed decisions regarding app usage.

6 Most Popular Mobile App Categories for iOS 2024

Now, here are 6 most popular mobile app categories for IOS 2024:

1. Gaming Apps

One popular mobile app category is gaming. Gaming stands as an undisputed king in the mobile app marketplace, commanding a substantial share of revenues, innovation, and user engagement. The allure of immersive gaming experiences combined with the portability and accessibility of smartphones has propelled mobile apps to the forefront of mobile app consumption. Most importantly, with millions of titles spanning various styles and genres, the gaming category continues to dominate in-app purchases and app categories. Thus, this helps drive substantial revenues for platform owners and developers alike.

Trends Shaping the Gaming Landscape on iOS

The IOS gaming landscape is continuously changing driven by trends that reflect changing consumer preferences, technological advancement, and industry dynamics. One popular trend is the rise of hyper-casual games characterized by short-play sessions, simple mechanics, and a broad appeal. These lightweight games have garnered widespread attention and popularity. In short, they attract casual gamers and fuel rapid growth in ad-supported revenue models.

In addition, the convergence of gaming with augmented reality and virtual reality has unlocked new dimensions of interactivity and immersion on IOS devices. AR-enabled games leverage the device’s camera and sensors to overlay digital elements into the real world while VR games transport players into a virtual world, blurring the line between fantasy and reality. Again, these emerging technologies are redefining and reshaping gaming experiences. They’re offering and unlocking new opportunities for engagement and innovation.

Furthermore, the emergence of multiplayer and social gaming experiences underscores the importance of social interaction and community in modern gaming. From competitive battles to cooperative missions, multiplayer games enable players to collaborate, connect, and compete with strangers and friends alike. Thus, they help foster a sense of camaraderie and competition within the virtual space.

2. Social Networking Apps

Another popular mobile app category is social networking apps. Social networking apps have become an integral part of our lives, transforming how we communicate, interact, and share experiences. In addition, these apps transcend physical boundaries, allowing individuals to interact and engage freely and express themselves creatively. From networking with professionals to connecting with old friends, social networking apps have permeated nearly every aspect of our daily lives. Thus, they help shape how we interact with others and how we perceive one another.

Notable Features of Social Networking Apps on IOS

Over the years social networking apps on IOS have undergone a massive transformation, incorporating new features and capabilities to enrich user experiences. These apps have evolved into multi-faceted hubs of social interaction and content consumption. From the integration of multimedia sharing such as photos and videos to the integration of real-time messaging and live-streaming.

In addition, advancements in artificial intelligence and machine learning have propelled mobile apps to deliver personalized experiences like user recommendations, targeted advertisements, and curated content that’s tailored to each user’s interests and preferences. In addition, these intelligence algorithms interpret user behavior, social connections, and user preferences. They help enhance content relevance and improve engagement thereby enriching the overall user experiences.

IOS updates and enhancements have played a fundamental role in shaping the evolution of social networking features. These enhacements provide developers with access to APIs, technologies, and frameworks to innovate and iterate on their platforms. Most importantly, Apple’s ecosystem offers a robust foundation for building immersive and engaging social media experiences. From native support to features like notifications and widgets to IOS integration with third parties.

3. Entertainment Apps

Another popular mobile app category is entertainment. Entertainment apps play a pivotal role in delivering a wide array of multimedia content to users. These content range from TV shows to streaming movies, reading books, and playing games. These platforms serve as digital hubs for entertainment, offering on-demand access to an expansive catalog of content across various formats and genres. By leveraging advanced media technology and a high-speed internet connection, entertainment apps transform smartphones and tablets into portable centers of entertainment. Thus, this enables users to enjoy their favorite movies, books, and games, anywhere and anytime. Whether it’s discovering new music, binge-watching a TV series, or immersing oneself in interactive storytelling, entertainment apps cater to a wide range of preferences and interests.

Popular Entertainment Apps Available on IOS in 2024

  • Netflix. Renowned for its vast library of movies, TV shows, and documentaries, Netflix remains a dominant force in the streaming industry. That’s because it offers a seamless viewing experience on IOS devices with features like offline downloads and personalized recommendations.
  • Spotify. With millions of podcasts, songs, and playlists at users’ fingertips, Spotify is a leading music streaming platform on IOS. It provides a curated audio experience tailored to individual tastes and preferences.
  • Kindle. Amazon’s Kindle app allows IOS users to access a vast selection of audiobooks, e-books, and digital magazines. In addition, it helps transform their devices into portable libraries for learning and reading on the go.
  • Twitch. As a premier destination for gaming content and streaming on the go, Twitch enables IOS users to interact and watch their favorite esports channels, games, and sports in real-time. As a result, this helps foster a vibrant community of enthusiasts and creators alike.
  • Apple Arcade. Apple’s subscription gaming services allow and offer a curated collection of premium games for IOS users, fostering a vibrant community of creators and enthusiasts alike.

These entertainment apps exemplify the diverse range of experiences and content available to IOS users, spanning multiple genres, platforms, and algorithms. Whether it’s streaming movies, listening to music, playing games, or reading books, entertainment apps on IOS offer something for everyone. Thus, these apps enrich the digital lifestyle and enhancing the leisure experience in the palm of your hand.

4. Productivity Apps

Another popular mobile app category are productivity apps. In recent years, there has been a shift in using mobile apps as productivity tools. Whether it’s collaborating on projects, managing schedules, or staying organized on the go, smartphones and tablets have become indispensable companies for modern-day students, professionals, and individuals alike. Hence, the increasing portability, versatility, and connectivity of mobile devices empower users to stay productive from virtually anywhere. Additionally, this capability blurs the lines between work and leisure.

Features of Productivity Apps Enhancing Efficiency on iOS

Productivity apps on IOS boast a myriad of features designed to enhance efficiency, optimize work management, and enhance overall efficiency. Most importantly, these features leverage the capabilities of IOS devices, including powerful hardware, intuitive user interface, and seamless integration with other services and apps. As a result, this helps deliver a cohesive and productive user experience.

Some common features of productivity apps include:

  • Cloud synchronization. Many productivity apps offer seamless integration with cloud services such as iCloud, Dropbox, and Google Drive. In addition, these apps allow users to access their data and files across multiple platforms and through different devices, ensuring continuity and collaboration.
  • Task management. From to-do lists and reminders to Kanban boards and project timelines, productivity apps provide robust tools for setting priorities, organizing tasks, and tracking progress. This empowers users to stay focused and on track.
  • Calendar integration. Integration with calendar apps allows users to manage events seamlessly, set deadlines, and schedule appointments. Again, this helps ensure efficient time management and avoid scheduling conflicting appointments.
  • Collaboration tools. Collaboration features like real-time editing, file-sharing, and commenting help facilitate communication and teamwork. Further, this enables remote collaboration and enhancing productivity in group projects.
  • Automation and shortcuts. Customizable shortcuts and automation features enable users to automate repetitive tasks, streamline workflows, and boost productivity. In short, all this is done by reducing manual effort and saving time.

Popular productivity apps in IOS include Google Workspace, Microsoft Office Suite, Trello, Notion, and Evernote. While Evernote is a versatile note-taking app that allows users to capture, organize, and synchronize notes; the Microsoft Office suite encompasses apps like PowerPoint, Excel, and OneDrive.

5. Health and Fitness

A popular mobile app category are health and fitness apps. In recent years, there has been a notable surge in interest and awareness in health and fitness among IOS users, reflecting a broader societal shift in prioritizing wellness. With increasing access to information, resources, and technologies, IOS users are becoming more proactive in managing their health and adopting healthier lifestyles. The growing awareness of health and fitness among IOS users is influenced by a wide range of factors. For instance, these factors include soaring healthcare costs, increased prevalence of chronic, life-threatening conditions, and a growing emphasis on preventative medicine.

Health Tracking Features in IOS Apps

The integration of health tracking features in IOS apps has transformed Apple and iPhone devices into powerful health and fitness companions. Thus, this provides users with comprehensive insights into their sleep patterns, activity levels, and overall well-being. Built-in features such as the Activity App and the Health App allow users to track various health metrics. These metrics include: calories burnt, steps taken, heart rate, and sleep quality. Again, the Apple Watch features like heart rate monitor, blood oxygen sensor, and, ECG sensor provide users with real-time data and alerts. These alerts show the status of cardiovascular conditions. They enable early detection of potential healthcare issues and early detection.

In addition, IOS developers have embraced Apple’s Healthkit Framework. This framework enables them to integrate health and fitness tracking features into their apps. This in turn helps users synchronize data between different apps and devices, allowing for a more holistic view of their health and wellness. Again, these integrated health-tracking features empower iOS users to take control of their health. Whether it’s monitoring nutrition, tracking workouts, or managing stress. They help users make informed decisions to improve the quality of their lives.

6. Education Apps

Another popular mobile app category are education apps. The educational landscape is undergoing a massive transformation, driven by a growing emphasis on digital technology and the increasing accessibility to mobile devices. With the proliferation of smartphone devices and tablets, there has been a notable shift towards mobile learning. For instance, students and learners of different ages are turning to educational apps for skills development, knowledge acquisition, and academic enrichment. This trend is influenced by various factors, including the convenience and flexibility of mobile and online learning. In addition, other facilitators include: the ability to access educational resources anywhere and anytime, and the diverse array of interactive and intuitive multimedia content.

Features of Educational Apps Catering to iOS Users

Educational apps that cater to IOS users offer intuitive features and functionalities designed to enhance learning effectiveness, accessibility, and engagement. Furthermore, these features leverage the advanced capabilities of IOS devices. For example, these advanced features include responsive touch interfaces, high-resolution displays, and augmented reality. They are designed to deliver immersive and intuitive learning experiences.

Some of the key features include:

  • Interactive lessons: Educational apps like Duolingo, Khan Academy, and Coursera offer interactive tutorials and lessons. These lessons cover a diverse range of disciplines and subjects, from mathematics and science to language learning and professional development. Moreover, this allows users to learn at their own pace and track their progress.
  • Personalized learning: Personalized recommendations in mobile apps and adaptive learning algorithms tailor the learning experiences to each user’s individual needs, learning styles, and preferences. Most importantly, this helps learners retain knowledge and ensure optimal engagement.
  • Multimedia content: Educational apps often incorporate multimedia content, including videos, photos, images, pictures, animations, simulations, interactive quizzes, and numbers. Additionally, this provides a rich and engaging learning experience to learners.
  • Collaboration tools: Collaboration features like Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams, and Seesaw facilitate collaboration, communication, and group projects among educators and students. This helps foster shared learning and a sense of community.
  • Accessibility features: IOS devices offer a wide range of accessibility features, such as Guided Access, Voice Over, and Speak Screen. Again, these features make educational content more accessible to users with disability. In short, they help ensure equal access to learning opportunities and inclusivity.

Collectively, these features contribute to a highly engaging and effective learning experience.

NS804 – Propelling You to Your Next IOS App

NS804 is a trusted provider of IOS mobile app solutions. Whether you’re looking for an educational app, a wellness or fitness app, or any other type of IOS app, we are available to render our professional services. We offer the best mobile app development services, ensuring excellence and reliability in the apps we create. In addition, we specialize in all categories of mobile apps and we cater to the needs of individuals, small businesses, enterprises, and large corporations.

Contact NS804 to obtain a quotation for your next IOS app.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Android App Development Trends 2024

/0 Comments/in , , , , /by

The year has barely begun, and we’re already seeing significant shifts in the mobile app space. Moreover, 2024 promises many exciting Android app development trends that will turn heads. But how can we be so confident that notable changes will occur on the Android platform this year? We see a stronger emphasis on quality, a greater adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), and a higher number of foldable smartphones hitting the market.

The Android platform has matured and is no longer the avenue to push out low-effort cash grabs. Recently, Google updated their app testing requirements for all developers with new Android personal accounts. These requirements force developers to take the production and testing of their apps a lot more seriously before submitting them for publication. 

While these requirements will help increase the quality of upcoming Android apps, it’s not the only significant trend of 2024. Apps powered by large language models (LLMs) will hit the market with more ferocity this year. 

In 2023, ChatGPT and other LLMs managed to amaze, excite, and even scare many with their near-otherworldly capabilities. But in 2024, many developers will capitalize on these LLMs by integrating them into their Android apps. Some of the mystery and hype surrounding LLMs has diminished, so there’s a greater focus on their practical use in mobile apps.

Another trend that will further impact Android development is the rise of foldable phones. While these are not new, they’re enjoying wider adoption, so developers can no longer avoid developing apps for these devices. Of course, Android app development trends don’t end here, so we’ll delve deeper into what you should expect in 2024 below. 

 

USE OUR APP COST CALCULATOR TO ESTIMATE THE COST TO BUILD YOUR APP!

 

Low-Code and No-Code Solutions Will Enjoy Rising Popularity

If you’ve dabbled in Android app development, you’ve come face-to-face with a high learning curve in building apps for the platform. And that’s because Java and Kotlin are complex programming languages that require several months of your time to learn the basics and years to master. But the challenge doesn’t end there since building, testing, and deploying to a wide range of Android devices is a nerve-racking experience. 

Fortunately, Google has made Android app development a bit easier with their latest tooling. Yet, even these tools won’t diminish the need to gain competency in Java or Kotlin to build quality apps. As a studio that builds native Android apps in these languages, we highly recommend you take the time to learn these languages. Alternatively, consider partnering with a studio like NS804 to create your Android app that will comply with Google’s best practices and guidelines. 

If you can’t hire a studio when your team doesn’t have the necessary coding skills — what then? You can rely on the myriad of low-code and no-code development platforms that have hit the market in recent years. Platforms like BuildFire, GeneXus for Super Apps, and Moxly help developers build cross-platform mobile apps rapidly. 

But will you enjoy the same results as that of native-built apps? While these platforms promise impressive results, it’s unlikely that they’ll deliver the performance, consistent user experience (UX), and scalability of their native peers. Therefore, we only recommend you use these solutions if you have tight budget constraints or plan to build a prototype or a minimum viable product (MVP).

Stricter Requirements Will Bring About Better Quality Apps

One of the Android app development trends that will massively impact the Android ecosystem may have caught many developers by surprise already. Google Play and many third-party Android app marketplaces have become inundated with buggy, low-quality apps that hurt the user experience. Given the accessibility and low bar of entry to develop Android apps, many freelancers, hobbyists, and unscrupulous developers have pushed out apps of dubious quality onto Google Play.

Google has identified and addressed this issue by introducing new app testing requirements. All personal developer accounts created after November 13, 2023, must comply with these new rules. And one of the most controversial requirements includes an elaborate closed testing process. Thus, it’s now necessary to test an app with over 20 users who have opted-in for the closed test for no less than 14 continuous days. 

Only once developers meet this requirement can they submit their app for production access. It seems like an extreme measure, but one that we’ll welcome if it means that better and more secure apps will reach Google Play from now on. It forces newcomers to recruit and engage with testers and no longer treat the testing process as an afterthought. Furthermore, developers who comply with these requirements will significantly reduce low ratings and bad reviews. 

AI-Powered Android Apps Will Proliferate During 2024

If you followed the news in 2023, you probably felt overwhelmed by all the hype and fear-mongering surrounding AI. Either AI will bring forth a golden age where humanity no longer has to do any drudge work, or AI will inevitably take over most jobs and make us redundant. The latter is a scary thought but a plausible outcome if governments don’t implement regulations to limit the damage AI may have on job markets. 

Fortunately, we’re still in the early stages of the AI cycle, which inevitably presents numerous opportunities for savvy Android developers. While AI-powered apps are not new, LLMs are still novel in the mobile app space. But Android users love their LLM apps, with ChatGPT enjoying over 50 million downloads and a rating of 4.8 at the time of writing. Other popular alternatives include Bing, Chat AI, and Perplexity. 

But are LLMs only appropriate for chatbot functionality? This functionality is only the tip of the spear, with writing, image generation, and code generation enjoying wide adoption within a short span of time. You can build all types of generators and analysis tools with ChatGPT and other similar LLMs. Then, you’ll train your AI models using your own datasets, images, and code to avoid litigation from the original copyright holders. 

After you’ve trained your AI models, you should test these thoroughly via an internal testing process. Once you’re happy with the results, integrate these into your Android app via ChatGPT’s (or your preferred LLM) application programming interface (API). The process is involved but will make your app more engaging and profitable since users can generate text, images, and music that exceeds their capabilities.  

Deploying Android Apps To PCs And Chromebooks

What makes the Android ecosystem so compelling is its sheer dynamism and versatility. Most users engage with Android apps on their tablets, smartphones, and via Android media players and TV boxes to a lesser extent. But lately, more users enjoy the same apps on their PCs and Chromebooks.

Microsoft and Samsung’s close working relationship helped integrate Samsung’s devices with Windows. That’s a wise move because many of Samsung’s flagship mobile devices are used extensively in enterprises.

Furthermore, Amazon Apps, which are Android apps — can run on Windows 11 PCs via the Windows Subsystem for Android. And recently, Google launched Google Play Games (beta) for PC users who want to enjoy their mobile gaming fix on their desktops. So, one of the hottest Android app development trends is ensuring your Android apps or games make their way to the PC.

Don’t stop there, as there’s another growing market that you can no longer ignore. Google’s ChromeOS and Chromebook laptops have already captured much of the US education market and even the small business community. As of December 2023, ChromeOS has penetrated 3.13% of the North American market and overtaken Linux, a far older operating system (OS). 

You can deploy your Android apps to supported Chromebook devices. There’s some setup and tweaking involved, especially if you need to deploy your app across multiple devices in your organization. But once done, you have a secure pipeline to deploy custom business apps that must run on mobile devices and Chromebooks in tandem.

More Affordable Foldable Smartphones Will Hit The Market

Android foldable phones have been around for several years, but they’ve always been pricey for most consumers. It’s not uncommon to pay between $1,800 – $2,000 for a flagship foldable device nowadays. That price point is acceptable for executives and power users who require a powerful yet compact computing device for productivity. But for the average consumer, that’s way too expensive when lower-end smartphones under $500 offer adequate functionality and performance.

However, the foldable smartphone market is growing and maturing, leading to a greater diversity of products. More manufacturers are offering budget foldables like the Motor Razr at $700, which makes it affordable enough for the average US-based Android user. So, one of the defining Android app development trends of 2024 is a focus on apps designed for foldables. 

It’s crucial to create apps that run perfectly on single-screen devices and utilize the additional screen real estate of foldables. These apps must make the most of adaptive and responsive design to adjust the user interface (UI) and screen page for every type of screen size. Moreover, it’s essential to offer multi-window support so that users can run multiple apps on their foldables since this is one of the core features of these devices.

Of course, if you plan to target ChromeOS, you’ll have additional screen sizes to consider. But making your apps run smoothly across multiple devices and screen formats will expose your app to a higher number of Android users. And if you add a cloud component to your app, you make it easy for users to switch between the foldable and ChromeOS versions without losing their work. Thus, they always stay productive and satisfied with your app and won’t seek alternatives that offer this functionality.  

Android Mobile Game Development Beyond Unity

Most Android mobile game developers use Unity to create their eye-catching hit games. Unfortunately, their overreliance on this game-making software wasn’t a smart move, especially after Unity Technologies announced their runtime fee late last year. The fee drew the ire of game developers and forced Unity Technologies to backpedal and revise their pricing policy. Developers weren’t willing to pay possibly business-crippling fees accrued by each installation of their games. 

But even with Unity Technologies making concessions to their users, many developers lost trust in the company. There was a sudden exodus of developers to competing game engines like Construct 3, Godot, and Unreal Engine. The biggest winner of the three was Godot, which enjoyed a sudden spike in users and even received a $100,000 donation from Re-Logic, the developer of Terraria. Also, cross-platform game frameworks like FNA and MonoGame received funding soon after the Unity installation fee controversy. 

Apart from FNA, you may use any of the engines mentioned here to develop Android mobile games. And since Godot and MonoGame are open-source with liberal licensing agreements, you don’t have to pay anything or risk facing litigation.

But what if you want to avoid complicated cross-platform game engines and want to develop exclusively for Android? If you have C or C++ coding skills, you may opt for Google’s Android Game Development Kit (AGDK). It consists of tools and libraries that integrate with Visual Studio via the Android Game Development Extension (AGDE). It also integrates with existing popular engines like Cocos, Unity, and Unreal Engine if you prefer to take that route.

 

SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION WITH AN APP DEVELOPMENT EXPERT TO GET A CUSTOMIZED QUOTE!

 

Passkeys Will Make Android Apps More Secure In 2024

Ordinary passwords are no longer safe, and two-factor authentication (2FA) isn’t hack-proof. Nevertheless, we always recommend you secure your apps and websites with 2FA as a minimum precaution. So, what should you do to offer a significant protection layer for your users? The good news is that Google has partly solved this issue by introducing passkeys for Android and Chrome. 

If your apps run on Android 9 and higher, as they should, then you’ll have passkey support via the Credential Manager. The Credential Manager offers users multiple sign-in options and is available as a Jetpack API. We recommend you become acquainted with this API to understand its safety features and prerequisites. 

Users no longer have to sign in by inputting complex passwords they’ll likely forget. Instead, they can sign in via the biometric sensor, pattern, or smartphone PIN. It’s a far more seamless method for signing in that will keep your users returning to your app, even if they’ve forgotten the password.

Android App Development Trends That Will Define An Entire Year

We’ve covered some of the most significant Android app development trends you’ll encounter in 2024. The Android market has matured but has not peaked yet, with many unique and innovative apps still to appear on the horizon. 

Many of these apps will have some LLM implementation, while others will offer advanced features geared towards foldables. But there will also be a greater emphasis on security, which passkeys will solve to a certain extent. Contact NS804 today to learn how we’ll help you with your Android app development goals!  

Mobile App Maintenance: The Importance Of Regular App Updates

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , , , , , /by

Few first-time appreneurs and developers consider mobile app maintenance when laboring away on their debut projects. And that’s reckless, to put it mildly, as app development is a long process that doesn’t end at launch. Users and the app stores expect apps to receive regular updates months or even years after their initial releases. 

But why are app updates such a pertinent issue that appreneurs and developers must never ignore? The primary reason is that no app is perfect on release and will likely never be during its lifetime. There is a certain quality threshold that an app must meet before it offers a satisfactory user experience. Not meeting this threshold will cause users to uninstall the app and leave negative reviews and low ratings, hurting the prospects of the app. 

That’s why the savviest appreneurs and developers have a mobile app maintenance plan from day one. They know that they must set aside resources for the continuous upkeep of their apps. These resources often include the funding, staff, analytics, tooling, and training required for app maintenance. Furthermore, it’s necessary to have dedicated staff or contractors to handle communications, compliance, documentation, user experience (UX) testing, quality assurance (QA) testing, and user feedback. 

Now, that’s a lot to unpack and only drives through the message that app development is a long, costly, and challenging endeavor. But we don’t want to dissuade you from trying your hand at app development, especially if this will be your first attempt. Instead, we encourage you to move forward, partner with an experienced and reputable studio like NS804, and consider the helpful pointers listed below. 

 

USE OUR APP COST CALCULATOR TO ESTIMATE THE COST TO BUILD YOUR APP!

 

What Does Mobile App Maintenance Entail?

Mobile app maintenance is an ongoing process that involves multiple tasks that result in the continuous improvement of apps. These tasks include gathering user feedback, data, and analytics. These factors will let developers know whether or not their apps meet changing customer expectations. 

If apps don’t meet customer expectations, developers must modify their apps to bring them in line with these expectations. However, this is only possible by rolling out app updates at regular cadences. In the case of app-breaking bugs or security vulnerabilities, developers must release patches timeously. 

And even if an app runs smoothly and reasonably bug-free, it’s still necessary to respond to current market trends. For example, 2023 was a big year for artificial intelligence (AI) that the market couldn’t ignore. Soon after the launch of ChatGPT and other similar services, mobile app developers quickly launched new AI apps or implemented AI features in their existing apps. 

It’s not uncommon for appreneurs and developers to abandon apps if they’re no longer feasible. The app stores are incredibly competitive — if not downright brutal — making it difficult to justify the cost and effort to maintain underperforming apps. 

Yet, this is not the case with custom apps, especially those aimed at internal company tasks and business-to-business (B2B) applications. Mobile app maintenance is crucial for custom business apps, as regular security and feature updates are essential for the smooth functioning of organizations of all sizes.  

Why Do Users Care About Regular App Updates?

Today’s smartphone users are app-wise and can easily discern a good app from a bad one. Moreover, today’s users are part of a mature market gradually reaching its growth limits. We only need to look at the US smartphone market to understand the staggering difference between today and a decade ago. In 2013, there were approximately 173 million smartphone users in the US, but today, it’s edging closer to 315 million.

While we may be reaching the peak of the smartphone era, this doesn’t mean the app market is going away. It only means that there’s an increase in user demands that you must respond to if you’re going to succeed. But how can you succeed in such an overwhelmingly crowded market where users uninstall apps on a whim? The first step is to create an app that addresses a problem that users have and to make it sticky.

Of course, that’s not easy, and few developers get this right on their initial attempt. But let’s assume you are addressing a problem users are experiencing, but they’re still uninstalling your app — what now? 

That’s where your mobile app maintenance plan comes in, as you’ll focus tightly on your app’s performance and user data. Your analytics will let you know if your user journeys and flows are succeeding or failing. You’ll also know if technical issues make your app function inadequately. These are the most common reasons why users drop apps like hot potatoes and why post-launch analytics are so crucial.

Once you know what’s holding your app back, you can address all relevant issues. Then, plan your roadmap to release the necessary fixes and updates. And establish an effective communications pipeline to gather user feedback and inform users of new updates.

Why A Lack Of Updates Will Hurt Your App? 

Even your most diehard users will lose interest in your app if you don’t update it regularly. They will assume that you no longer have the interest or resources to roll out updates and will eventually move on to apps that seem more promising. There’s nothing worse than losing users due to not providing them with the features competitors have provided already. The current state of the app market requires that you respond to user needs rapidly. 

Look at the leading mobile apps in your segment, and you’ll find that all these receive regular updates. Every app update helps to reinvigorate interest, especially with those users who have started to drop off or become bored. But it’s also a great way to draw new users and media attention when app updates include innovative or highly desired features. 

A lack of updates will also hurt your app’s stability and usability, especially when users upgrade their devices. Furthermore, Apple and Google demand that developers update their apps to meet the requirements of their latest operating systems and APIs. Failing to do so will result in the removal of any un-updated apps from the App Store and Google Play. Third-party Android stores also have specific app update policies that you must follow if you publish on these. 

Security concerns around hacking and data breaches have become the norm recently. Since many people use mobile apps for financial transactions, you must ensure that your app never has any security vulnerabilities. Even if you’re developing a mobile game, you must never take security issues lightly since hackers exploit these also to gain access to user credentials. So, always roll out patches and updates as soon as you know of or encounter a new vulnerability.

How App Updates Help Keep Your Tech Stack Current?

You may be proud of your studio for using the latest technology stack to create your apps. But technology moves forward rapidly, especially in the mobile space. What’s trailblazing today can quickly become outdated in a matter of months. Therefore, you never want to stick to the current versions of your integrated development environments (IDEs), APIs, frameworks, game engines, backend technologies, testing, and deployment tools. 

Sure, your programmers may want to use long-term support (LTS) releases for a more stable development environment. But eventually, you’ll need to pull the plug and move on to the latest supported version. Your team may whine about such a decision since they will feel more comfortable with the older tooling. But ultimately, they must use the tooling that increases stability, usability, and quality.

The beauty of mobile development tooling vendors is they have close relationships with the device manufacturers. Thus, they build their tools according to current and future hardware specifications. And that’s fantastic because this means you’ll often gain a free performance boost and increased stability when building your app with the latest tools.

Furthermore, you’ll be future-proofing your app since it will run adequately on devices about to hit the market. So, you’ll have the assurance that your app will run on devices you haven’t tested for yet. But this doesn’t mean that you should ignore testing altogether. Always test on an emulator if you lack access to a specific mobile device. 

As part of your mobile app maintenance processes, ensure that you keep up to date with what your tooling vendors are releasing. Read their blog posts and release notes regularly, and update all your development tools timeously. 

What Are The Different Types Of App Updates? 

There are several kinds of updates you can roll out, but not all will be suitable for your app. We explain which app updates are best suited for which purposes here: 

  • Feature release updates: Your users will provide feedback about features they want, so you should roll out feature release updates with these additional features. If your app proves popular, you may need to implement these kinds of releases several times a year.
  • Functionality updates: You should roll out functionality updates when upgrading an existing function. The frequency of these updates will depend on how often you need to upgrade the functionality of your app.
  • Maintenance updates: If your app suffers from vulnerability issues due to a cybersecurity threat, you must release emergency hotfixes immediately. You may also release a preventative update for potential attacks, an adaptive update to deal with upcoming changes, and a corrective update for patching up quality issues.
  • Monthly updates: All new apps need monthly updates to gain and retain user trust. Also, it’s necessary to release weekly updates if your app suffers from serious usability, stability, and security issues.
  • Updates for watershed events: You can surprise and delight your users by releasing an update to celebrate the first year of its release. The update must include a significant change or improvement to set your app apart from competitors. 

How To Implement Mobile App Maintenance Successfully?

All the stages of the mobile app development process are challenging. But you can make the maintenance process of your app more manageable by following these steps:

  • Document your mobile app maintenance plan: Always keep notes and documents produced by all stakeholders involved in your project. Ensure that all team members can retrieve these documents easily when necessary.
  • Prioritize training: Ensure your team is up to speed with the latest app update procedures and technologies. 
  • Establish effective communications pipelines: You want to keep all stakeholders in the loop at all times. Keep your communications open and secure for all the relevant parties, and keep everyone informed of any crucial events that require their attention.
  • Keep ahead of compliance and policy changes: The app stores constantly alter their guidelines and policies, so you must adhere to these to avoid any nasty surprises. Furthermore, stay current on regulations in the different territories you publish.
  • Regularly test the effectiveness of your app’s UX: Always be mindful of the end-user experience by testing your app’s UX. More often than not, a bad UX is why most users uninstall apps, and it’s fixable with an update. 

 

SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION WITH AN APP DEVELOPMENT EXPERT TO GET A CUSTOMIZED QUOTE!

 

Why Do You Need To Partner With A Reputable Studio?

As you can tell, mobile app maintenance requires hard work and sticking to a tried-and-tested plan. If you already have prior experience with the processes mentioned earlier, you know what to expect. Yet, you may still need the assistance of a talented mobile developer to help you deal with all the complexities involved with regular app updates. And if you’re new to all this, partnering with a studio is undoubtedly the right choice. 

A highly acclaimed and reputable studio like NS804 will help you deploy your app updates on time and within budget. We’ll look at your plan, goals, and requirements with an analytical eye and offer solutions that will drive your app down a successful path. 

Furthermore, we’ll help you evaluate methodologies and development technologies that will lead to the best possible upkeep of your app. We’ll also help you implement new features, fix bugs, and optimize your app so you can focus on other aspects of your app development endeavors.

In Conclusion

Mobile app maintenance is a crucial part of the entire app development cycle. Never ignore this part, as your users expect you to deliver updates that will keep them stuck to your app. If you do this right, you’ll extend the potential lifespan of your app, driving additional revenue and business. Contact NS804 to learn how we’ll help you plan, prepare, and deploy app updates like a pro!  

Demystifying Technology Obsolescence – Future Proofing Your Mobile App

/0 Comments/in , , , , /by

In the fast-growing technological landscape, the term ‘technology obsolescence’ refers to the process through which a particular technology, software, or product is outdated, replaced, or completely discontinued. This phenomenon can be caused by various factors including the emergence of new forms of technology, changes in user preferences, and rapid changes in software and hardware products. Moreover, discontinuation of support for particular technologies can also cause technology obsolescence. Thus, understanding technology obsolescence is crucial for both developers and businesses as it impacts the security, sustainability, and functionality of their products.

Significance of Future-Proofing Mobile Apps

The significance of future-proofing cannot be understated, especially in the rapidly evolving tech landscape. Future-proofing is the proactive step of understanding and anticipating changes in technology and creating products, software, and services that respond to these changes. Moreover, future-proofing ensures products, systems, and software remain relevant and effective over time. Failure to future-proof can lead to a wide range of issues, including reduced user satisfaction, increased maintenance costs, and security vulnerabilities.

Future-proofing doesn’t primarily focus on adapting to the current technological landscape; it aims to adapt to future changes and accommodate future developments. Again, by incorporating flexibility and adaptability in the app development process, businesses can seamlessly adapt to new trends and user expectations, creating sustainable business models. Hence, embracing future-proofing is a proactive process that not only adapts to the current tech landscape but fosters a culture of innovation and adaptability, especially within development teams.

Understanding Technology Obsolescence

Technology obsolescence is the process through which a technology, system, software, or hardware becomes outdated, losing its significance and viability over time. For instance, several factors contribute to technology obsolescence each posing a unique set of challenges to the longevity and survival of systems and software.

  • Rapid technological advancement. One primary cause of technological advancement is the relentless pace of technological advancement. As new technologies emerge, old technologies can easily become outdated. For instance, the emergence of new coding languages, frameworks, and development practices has rendered existing systems obsolete. In short, they have created the need for constant evolution and adaptation.
  • Changing user preferences. User preferences have a unique role in defining the trajectory of technological progression. With evolving user expectations and preferences, technologies, and software, new technologies are forced to deliver to evolving user preferences and user expectations. For instance, apps or technologies that are unable to keep up with the pace of technology are replaced or completely outdated.
  • Compatibility issues. Technological obsolescence can also emerge from challenges or issues related to hardware and software incompatibility. As technology advances, older systems may struggle to interface with new hardware and software components. In addition, incompatibility issues may lead to diminished functionality, decreased performance, and an overall decline in the app’s effectiveness.

Impact of Technology Obsolescence on Mobile Apps

User experience and satisfaction

Technology obsolescence can have a significant impact on user experience and user satisfaction. As mobile apps become outdated, they can no longer support new and advanced features or even adhere to contemporary design standards. In addition, this can lead to slower response times, decreased app performance, and an overall diminished user experience.

For example, users today expect seamless and intuitive interactions with mobile apps, and outdated applications cannot deliver these expectations, which leads to dissatisfaction and frustration among users. A poor user experience can lead to reduced user engagement, negative reviews, and a decline in the app’s popularity and adoption. Hence, future-proofing mobile apps involves anticipating changes in user preferences and user expectations and ensuring the application can accommodate new trends.

 

USE OUR APP COST CALCULATOR TO ESTIMATE THE COST TO BUILD YOUR APP!

Security concerns

Technology obsolescence poses a significant security concern to mobile apps. As older frameworks and technologies fall out of support, they may no longer receive patching updates. This leaves apps vulnerable to security threats, including malware, unauthorized access, and data breaches. In addition, mobile apps usually handle and store sensitive consumer information, including personally identifying information and financial information, making app security a top priority in mobile app development.

Failure to address security vulnerabilities in mobile apps can lead to reputational damage, legal consequences like lawsuits, and jail terms due to violation of user privacy. Future-proofing against security risks involves taking a proactive approach to mobile app security. For instance, this may involve regular mobile app audits, staying informed about the latest best practices, and incorporating robust security measures in the app development process. Thus, by prioritizing security from the onset, developers can mitigate security concerns and mitigate the risks associated with technology obsolescence.

Maintenance costs and developmental challenges

The risk and impact of technology obsolescence extends to the maintenance phase of the mobile app development. As technologies become obsolete, maintaining and updating apps on these technologies becomes increasingly expensive, challenging, and costly. For instance, developers may find it hard to find skilled professionals who are familiar and experienced with outdated frameworks and technologies, leading to longer development lifecycles and increased development costs.

Future-proofing against developmental challenges involves adopting modular and scalable development principles and practices. Thus, by developing apps with flexibility in mind, developers can easily replace outdated components, streamline maintenance processes, and easily integrate new technologies. In addition, staying updated on new industry trends and planning for regular updates can mitigate long-term costs associated with technology obsolescence.

Future-Proofing Strategies for Mobile Apps

Continuous Monitoring of Technology Trends

1. Industry research and analysis

Firstly, staying ahead of new technological trends is crucial for future-proofing mobile applications. Continuous industry research and analysis allow businesses and developers to identify new trends and shifting user preferences. By attending conferences, closely monitoring industry publications, and participating in relevant forums, development teams can proactively identify potential opportunities and challenges. Further, industry research helps development teams understand and anticipate crucial trajectories in technology. This enables developers to make informed decisions about frameworks, tools, and languages likely to endure and withstand the test of time. Indeed, this foresight allows for strategic planning and the incorporation or inclusion of viable frameworks and technologies with long-term viability.

2. Regular training and skill updates

Ensuring that development teams have up-to-date skills is crucial for future-proofing mobile applications. In addition, regular training programs and skill updates ensure development teams have the relevant skills and keep them informed about the latest practices. This not only fosters a culture of continuous learning but also ensures they can adapt to changing trends. For instance, training initiatives may include only courses, workshops, and certifications focused on development frameworks and programming languages. Moreover, investing in the skillset of development teams is a long-term investment for the adaptability and sustainability of mobile apps.

Flexible Architecture and Scalable Designs

1. Embracing microservices

Adopting a microservices architecture ensures the flexibility and adaptability of mobile apps. Microservices break down monolithic structures into smaller, independent structures, allowing for easier updates, maintenance, and integration of new features. This modular approach allows developers to update or integrate new features without changing or altering the entire application. Indeed, the ability to make incremental changes, updates, or improvements without affecting the entire architecture mitigates the impact of technology obsolescence.

2. Cloud-native development approaches

Cloud-native development leverages cloud applications and cloud architecture to build and deploy scalable applications. By relying on cloud platforms, mobile apps become less dependent on specific hardware and software configurations. Thus, it makes them more adaptable to changes in technology. In addition, cloud-native approaches facilitate faster and seamless updates, efficient resource allocations, and enhanced scalability, thus contributing to the future-proofing of mobile apps.

Modular Development and API Integration

1. Separation of concerns in codebase

Implementing modular development practices involves breaking down the app’s functionalities into independent modules each addressing a particular issue or concern. This separation of concerns enhances maintainability and facilitates easier updates. For instance, if a particular technology or framework becomes obsolete, developers can update that specific software or update without affecting the entire codebase.

2. Implementing third-party APIs for enhanced functionality

Integrating third-party APIs allows mobile app developers and mobile apps to tap into third-party functionalities and external services. Indeed, this approach not only reduces developmental time, it equally enhances the app’s adaptability, leading to scalable and adaptable mobile applications. For instance, when a particular service or functionality becomes obsolete, developers can switch to alternative APIs without changing the entire application.

Regular Updates and Maintenance

1. Schedule bug fixes and performance improvements

Proactive maintenance involves scheduling fixes to detect bugs, ensure security, and enhance performance. By consistently fixing issues, developers can ensure the app remains robust and secure. Regular updates also ensure that the app can be updated to respond and match to the latest user preferences and technological advancements. Implementing regular updates can also prevent costly maintenance and ensure the app’s adaptability and scalability.

2. Integrating user feedback for iterative development

Involving users in the development process through feedback loops is crucial for iterative development. User feedback provides valuable insight into evolving needs and expectations. By integrating user feedback into the development lifecycle, developers can make improved decisions about improvements and updates, ensuring the app remains aligned with changing user preferences and user expectations. This iterative development approach contributes to the long-term success and sustainability of the app.

Why Futuristic Businesses Will Be Forced to Future-Proof Mobile Apps?

Future-proofing mobile apps provide countless benefits that contribute to the long-term success of the app. Here are the key advantages of future-proofing your mobile app.

1. Adaptability to emerging technologies

Future-proofing allows mobile apps to seamlessly integrate with emerging technologies. By future-proofing, mobile apps remain ahead of the curve, incorporating new features and functionalities. They do this all while providing innovative solutions that align with user needs, expectations, and preferences.

2. Extended app lifecycle

Future-proofed apps have an extended lifecycle as they’re designed to adapt to shifting trends and technological changes. Future-proofing helps businesses and developers maximize their returns on investment. This is achieved by reducing the frequency of major overhauls or redevelopment projects due to technology obsolescence.

3. Improved user experience

Anticipating and fixing issues related to user preferences and user behavior ensures that future-proofed apps continue to deliver superior user experiences. By staying current with usability standards and new design trends, apps can maintain user engagement and user satisfaction for a long time.

4. Reduced maintenance costs

Future-proofing mobile apps reduces maintenance costs over the long term. Future-proofed apps have lower maintenance costs since they adopt modular development designs and scalable designs. This ensures easy and efficient updates without extensive modifications. Thus, it helps minimize ongoing maintenance costs.

5. Enhanced security

Future-proofing involves incorporating robust security features and staying ahead with the latest security practices. This helps to stay ahead of security risks emanating from obsolete technologies, thus reducing the likelihood of data breaches, unauthorized access, and other security vulnerabilities.

6. Scalability and performance

Future-proofed apps often utilize scalable architectures such as cloud-native development practices or microservices. This ensures that the app handles increased workloads, and large user bases, and provides a scalable and high-performance user experience. In addition, future-proofing shields apps and software against unprecedented failures and misconfigurations which may accidentally impair user experience.

7. Competitive edge

Apps that adapt to technological advancements can maintain a competitive advantage in the market. Offering experiences and features aligned with the latest trends and contemporary practices helps differentiate the app from competitors and provides a competitive edge, thus attracting a wider market.

8. Talent acquisition and retention

Developers often prefer working with modern technologies and the latest practices and methodologies. Therefore, future-proofing mobile apps makes it easier to attract and retain gifted and talented developers. Most importantly, it ensures that the app’s development and maintenance are in the hands of experts.

9. Faster-to-market for updates

Flexible architectures and modular development approaches allow for faster and more flexible updates. Most importantly, this agility enables development teams to respond faster to market demands. For instance, it helps them implement updates faster and more efficiently, and address issues without frequent redevelopment issues or cycles.

10. Support for multiple platforms

Future-proofed apps can support multiple platforms and multiple operating environments or systems. Further, future-proofed apps adapt better to changes in mobile platforms. In addition, future-proofed apps ensure compatibility and accessibility across different platforms. For instance, whether it’s accommodating the rise of new devices or transitioning to new operating systems, future-proofing does it all.

SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION WITH AN APP DEVELOPMENT EXPERT TO GET A CUSTOMIZED QUOTE!

NS804 – Building Apps That Withstand the Times

NS804 is a leading developer of custom mobile apps. With expertise in both Android and iOS mobile apps, NS804 provides agile and modular development solutions. The firm helps keep your app scalable and adaptable. We specialize in building apps that can respond to the times and meet future challenges. Indeed, we believe in future-proofing your mobile app to provide timeless solutions and give you returns on investment.

Whether you’re seeking a custom mobile app for a small business or you’re looking for a robust mobile app for a large organization, we can provide you with scalable and adaptable mobile app development solutions.

Contact us today for future-proof mobile apps.

Completed App Portfolio: Developing Apps Across Segments

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , , , , , , , /by

If you’re an appreneur or business planning to hire a studio for your next app, you should look at their app portfolio. Perusing portfolios is a vital first step when evaluating potential development partners. And that’s because you need to know if one or more of these studios have completed projects similar to yours. 

Expect a more established studio to have a comprehensive app portfolio, whereas a newcomer’s catalog of apps will be sparse. NS804 is in the former camp, having built over 100 apps since 2012. Moreover, we’ve focused on categories like branding, business, communication, entertainment, productivity, and even web design. 

Our expertise in delivering quality apps across various segments makes us the ideal partner for appreneurs and organizations with demanding or unique briefs. We have the team, resources, and proven track record to tackle projects of all scopes. We’ve also received multiple awards for our efforts, with NS804 recently attaining the Clutch Champion Award for Fall 2023. 

While all this sounds great, it speaks to the competency and commitment of NS804’s ability to deliver. Even so, we’ll never dissuade you from shopping around. Do this by comparing the portfolios of the studios you’re considering working with, then add the most suitable candidates to your shortlist.

To simplify your evaluation process, we’ve prepared this post that details several apps we’ve built for clients over the years. We reveal what makes these apps noteworthy and how they fulfill client goals. If an app listed below aligns with your ideas or goals — be sure to note it down and discuss it with us. 

Bat Flaps

While NS804 has made plenty of business apps, we’ve also made games. To showcase our game development skills, we created Bat Flaps, where the player takes control of a cute-looking bat. Bat Flaps follows Flappy Bird’s footsteps closely with its simple control scheme and highly addicting gameplay. 

Arcade-centric mobile games generally do well on the app stores. So, Bat Flaps works as a proof of concept or even a template to build your next mobile hit. You can enhance and differentiate this concept by implementing gacha, rogue-lite, and role-playing game (RPG) elements. 

Whether you’re prototyping your game idea in Unity, Unreal Engine, or Godot, you may need the assistance of a professional studio to bring your game to market. The app stores have raised the bar and will no longer accept apps or games that don’t meet their requirements. Thus, QA testing takes center stage, but it’s a complex and costly process that requires the expertise only an established studio can provide you. 

Béné

If there’s one example in our app portfolio that truly innovates on digital tipping, it’s none other than Béné. While several cashless tipping solutions exist, few do it better than Béné, especially those targeting the hospitality industry. The highly-rated app simplifies digital tipping and ensures hotel staff receive tips in their bank accounts and payslips. 

A significant hurdle with digital tipping is that it’s challenging to implement frictionless tipping due to the many differing digital wallets available today. For example, you may wish to tip with Apple Pay, but a hotel staff member has Samsung Pay on their phone or no digital wallet at all. But Apple Pay and Samsung Pay don’t quite get along, and you’ll need a third-party payment app to make this work. And if the staff member doesn’t have a digital wallet — you’re out of luck!

But this was a problem NS804 and our partners, 3ADVANCE, LLC and Red Canopy Holdings, LLC, wanted to solve. Instead of relying on disparate digital wallets for cashless tipping, we opted for a simpler and more elegant system. Hotel owners need to download the Béné app and commence with a staff registration process. Then, place Béné QR codes in all the areas within the hotel premises where staff serve guests. 

Now, if you visit a hotel that uses Béné, scan the QR code in your room, the bar, or the lounge to tip the staff member serving you. You don’t need to download any apps, as the QR scanner on your phone will suffice. Immediately after you scan the QR code, the staff member will receive the payment. The Béné app does all the heavy lifting in the background, which only the hotel owner and staff need to have installed. 

C5G

It’s no secret that we specialize in mobile app development, but did you know that NS804 has a solid track record in web development? The web design segment of our app portfolio showcases some of our work. But we’d like to draw your attention to C5G, an e-commerce website for a company dealing in wireless hardware. 

C5G makes it easy for customers to find affordable, discontinued, and rare wireless equipment. Furthermore, they work with co-sellers, resellers, and enterprise customers in this technology segment. We understood the goals and company culture of C5G and built a website that helps them sell 5G and LTE devices effectively.  

Given that the company sells a wide range of goods ranging from handsets to routers, we ensured the website had a clean visual design and was highly performant. Customers want to find products quickly without being bogged down by unintuitive UI and slow response times. C5G and NS804 can take pride in the result, as we’ve delivered an e-commerce site that sits among the best in its category.

CFO Sidekick

If you’re running a small or medium-sized business, you may struggle to decipher your numbers and what they mean for your growth. That’s nothing to be ashamed about, as running an organization of any size is difficult. We understand the struggles of this market segment and delivered a solution to make life easier for entrepreneurs. 

CFO Sidekick is an excellent addition to our business segment of our app portfolio. It’s designed specifically for tablets, as the larger screen real estate is necessary to view and work with documents, financial data, media, notes, and to-do lists. Moreover, it reads QuickBooks data and will let you analyze and work with all this data.

The intuitive nature of CFO Sidekick and its ability to deliver frequent and helpful tips will help keep you on top of your game. And the way crucial information is displayed will let you interpret even the most cryptic information to help you make informed decisions.

Clips & Cuts

Most of us are pressed for time and must plan our days carefully, especially when booking appointments. When closing an appointment with your dentist, bookkeeper, or barber, you must ascertain that it fits your schedule and theirs. Booking with a barber or stylist often proves challenging, given the high demand for their services and dealing with seasonal fluctuations. 

You may have experienced this issue attempting to secure an appointment before the work, school, or holiday seasons. There’s often little chance to have your haircut even if you’ve booked earlier. Worse still, the barber or beauty salon may alter your appointment for a later date due to increased demand. Undoubtedly, this is incredibly frustrating and may make you question the professionalism of the barbershop industry. 

But an effective solution we have in our app portfolio solves this pain point. We built Clips & Cuts as a booking platform, which lets users instantly close appointments with available barbers in their area. The app’s intuitive user interface (UI) makes it easy for users to peruse barber profiles, book appointments, view map directions, request receipts, and even leave ratings and reviews. 

Mamava

We worked closely with Mamava, Inc., known for its trailblazing lactation rooms and pods, to develop a mobile app that helps mothers find breastfeeding locations nearby. We wanted to make the experience as user-friendly and stress-free as possible. It’s often daunting for mothers to find the necessary facilities for breastfeeding when visiting new and unknown places. 

The Mamava app employs GPS navigation and smart technology to help mothers locate pods quickly and let them know if they are occupied or available. The app also utilizes the smartphone’s Bluetooth to lock or unlock the Mamava pods. We also understand that every mother’s needs are unique, so we put personalized content front and center and made it easy for them to access parental resources and support. 

On the surface, Mamava may seem simple, but we built it using several technologies. Staying committed to delivering native and performant apps, we used Java with Android Studio for the Android version and Swift with Xcode for the iOS version. For the backend, we used Kumalos and built its admin layer with Node.js and HTML5.

PreVue

PreVue is a project we’re very proud to have in our app portfolio. Our client, Lucanus J. Grady, approached us with a forward-looking idea to reshape the dating app space. His experiences with popular dating apps left him disenchanted with the entire experience. Often, users doctor their images and biographies, leading to an inauthentic and dishonest dating environment.   

To solve these glaring issues, our client requested we help him create an alternative that utilizes short-form video. PreVue users must now record 22-second videos of themselves without filters or uploads, showing their true selves. Then, PreVue will match users on specific criteria, like what they say in their videos and the background images shown. 

It seems like such an obvious solution, yet PreVue is a rarity in today’s dating app space. More importantly, this app makes the dating experience more natural and honest while eliminating catfishing. While PreVue targeted college users in their early 20s, the app enjoyed significant traction with young professionals looking to build more meaningful relationships. 

Referral Buddy

There’s nothing more frustrating and rage-inducing than referring a business to customers but not receiving compensation for your efforts. Of course, this scenario applies to companies that actively engage in referral marketing. They promise to compensate you with money, free products, or exclusive offers but don’t deliver on this promise at the end of the day.

Now, this may happen because some companies are indeed dishonest. But in most cases, this happens because companies don’t know that you’ve actually referred customers to them. The problem is that customers seldom acknowledge your referral after using a company’s products or services.

So, how do you keep everyone accountable and in the loop when making referrals? Our client, Joseph Jablonski, thought about this problem intently and ideated a workable solution. He then approached us with his idea, and we encouraged him to forge ahead while assisting him during every step of the development process. 

We helped him create Referral Buddy, which tracks referrals between businesses and individuals and businesses. Referral Buddy tracks every referral, even those that don’t require a follow-up from the customer. The app’s clean UI makes it easy for non-technical users to issue requests from vendors and customers, complete referral forms, and receive compensation.

Rivvir

Contactless digital payment solutions are nothing new, but only Rivvir makes your life easier when ordering drinks. When attending music festivals or food and beverage events, you must wait in long lines to get your order. Of course, that’s not fun at all, and it’s an issue we attempted to solve with Rivvir.

Fortunately, our attempts proved successful thanks to the implementation of an easy-to-navigate UI and a streamlined ordering process. It’s simply a matter of picking a drink on the app, swiping the ticket, and getting the beverage from the quicker VIP line.

But Rivvir doesn’t only help customers with the ordering process since it’s an all-encompassing solution. We’ve also made life easier for beverage vendors by building an iPad app to help them keep track of their stock and sales. The cohesiveness of the ordering and stock control apps makes Rivvir the ideal solution for the next big special event in your town. 

In Conclusion

The projects listed above represent only a tiny slice of the apps we’ve released to this day. Several apps received critical acclaim, media coverage, and high ratings on the app stores. And even the apps that flew under the radar introduced new ideas and innovations, making them stand apart from the competition. 

Take the time to check out the remaining apps in our app portfolio and read up about us on Clutch.co and various media outlets. And when you’re ready to tackle your next project, contact NS804 to help you build the app of your dreams!

Mobile App Development Mistakes: Impact Of Choosing The Wrong Developer

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , /by

One of the costliest and most disastrous mobile app development mistakes you could make is to hire the wrong developer. Unfortunately, it’s an easy trap to fall into, given the plethora of app studios and freelancers vying for your projects. These entities will try to convince you they can complete your projects quickly and cost-effectively. 

In some cases, this is true, yet it’s the more established and experienced developers who make good on these promises. You can check if they’re up to the task if they have a comprehensive portfolio of completed projects, positive customer feedback, and even acquired awards for their work. Established mobile app developers like NS804 tick all these boxes, as we’ve built a reputation for creating phenomenal apps for our clients and have the acclaim to prove it. 

However, many developers are not in our position and are willing to oversell to secure client work. While we can all understand why they do this — it’s not in your best interests to work with them — and here’s why. 

With freelance developers, many are in the process of learning fundamental skills and building up their portfolios. It’s common for newcomers to follow several Udemy app development courses and then set up an account on Fiverr to sell their services to unsuspecting clients. These individuals are neither professionals nor comprehend software development best practices.

Then, many overseas and fly-by-night studios offer competitive rates but have poor code quality and less-than-stellar support. The potential cost savings, if any, will lead to a frustrating and stressful app development experience. As a busy appreneur or business leader — you don’t want this — so avoid the following mobile app development mistakes listed below.

 

USE OUR APP COST CALCULATOR TO ESTIMATE THE COST TO BUILD YOUR APP!

 

Misunderstanding The App Industry Leads To Costly Mobile App Development Mistakes

About a decade ago, anyone with rudimentary coding skills could release a fun and quirky application in the app stores. The barrier of entry was so low that bedroom coders and startups released tons of apps at negligible cost. Of course, the quality of these apps was often questionable, but these early efforts helped developers earn money and stardom. 

Most app users during that era were willing to put up with subpar apps since smartphones felt novel. Thus, they would download and try out the latest apps regularly, which created a near-endless demand for new apps. But the allure would fade since too many cruddy apps started ruining the user experience. 

Eventually, users became picky about what apps to install and soon lost interest in low-quality or uninspired efforts. Smartphones and tablets also became more standardized, leading to a homogenized look, feel, and feature set among brands. While consumers never truly lost interest in smartphones and apps, they did lose some excitement. But this is not necessarily bad, as it signals a maturing market. 

Sadly, many who wish to enter the app industry today haven’t fathomed these changes. They assume that the barrier of entry is still low and that a simple app developed in a few days or weeks could lead to vast fortunes. 

They haven’t considered the increased demand for quality from users and the app stores. App development today requires testing, a better user experience (UX), and a greater focus on marketing. Then, there’s the high cost and effort associated with user acquisition (UA), which is unavoidable in today’s super competitive app marketplaces. Therefore, it’s better to partner with a reputable studio to help you navigate the app industry as it is today. 

The App Stores Have Raised The Bar To Deter The Wrong Developers

Apple and Google don’t mess about when it comes to increasing trust with users. Both tech giants have taken bold and long-needed steps to diminish the number of low-quality apps from reaching the App Store and Google Play. They’ve long been aware of the glut of buggy, poorly developed, and opportunistic cash grabs filling their app stores.

Besides, many apps from unscrupulous developers also pose significant security risks, which have no place in app marketplaces. There’s always been a troubling amount of apps with malware and trojans available that unsuspecting users download onto their devices. Considering that many users do banking on their smartphones, these infected apps threaten their financial security and privacy. 

One of the most detrimental mobile app development mistakes you could make is to hire such a developer on a lark. The damage to your reputation and business would be monumental, not to mention the legal action against you from users. The developer you hire may not even be malicious but overlooks potential security vulnerabilities that could lead to a similar outcome.

Due to these issues, Apple and Google have constantly improved security measures in their respective app stores, operating systems, and software development kits (SDKs). But they’ve also raised the bar on what they expect from developers with tighter regulations. 

A good example is Google Play’s recent requirements for new Android app developers and those with personal accounts. These developers must have 20 or more people test their apps for at least two weeks before release. Understandably, many developers are venting their frustrations on Reddit and attempting to build test groups on Discord. But studios that have set up effective mobile app testing pipelines won’t face any issues with compliance.

Mobile App Development Mistakes Due To Unsuitable Tooling

You may work with a developer who uses no-code tools to build your app. The developer may insist on using such tools due to the increased speed they offer or because they lack programming experience. Either way, this isn’t necessarily a good idea, as no-code platforms often introduce performance bottlenecks.

While newer no-code app builders offer performance improvements, they still don’t produce apps that hold up to native-developed apps. And if your brand’s reputation hangs on the quality of your app, you shouldn’t cut corners. Work with a studio like NS804, renowned for building apps using native languages like Swift for iOS and Kotlin for Android. 

The snappy performance, consistency, and native user interface (UI) make the additional cost and effort to produce native apps worthwhile. It’s also much easier to debug, test, and scale native-built apps than those made with no-code solutions. 

One of the drawbacks of no-code solutions is that they’re rather esoteric and often made by smaller niche tool developers. Thus, documentation, code examples, and support are not on the same level as that provided by Apple and Google. It’s also harder to find tutorials and other training materials from third parties and online teaching platforms. 

Should you want to update or scale your app at a later stage and be unable to work with the same developer, you’ll be out of luck. You will need to rewrite your app entirely from scratch, preferably in a native programming language, to avoid this same issue in the future. You can diminish the potential for mobile app development mistakes by ensuring the developer you hire uses the tooling, programming languages, and best practices recommended by Apple and Google.

The Wrong Developer Relies Heavily On ChatGPT

You’ve probably heard of ChatGPT and the impact of the artificial intelligence (AI) platform on programming and other disciplines. As a tool to help developers write boilerplate code and conjure up solutions, it’s a fantastic time saver. But as some kind of silver bullet for developing complex, robust, and mission-critical apps, the answer is not so straightforward.

While ChatGPT can make all types of apps, even complex ones, it won’t necessarily deliver the best and most solid apps. That partly depends on how well the developer understands ChatGPT’s large language model (LLM) and what prompts to enter. Then, the developer’s comprehension of the code that ChatGPT generates also comes into play. 

If the developer can understand, tweak, and implement the code to fit the app project, the results will impress while cutting costs. But if the developer hasn’t taken the time to learn the nuances of ChatGPT, it will have the opposite effect. It’s also crucial that the developer has a good comprehension of the programming languages used in development, especially after the introduction of new updates and standards. 

Nevertheless, the developer should have the skills to complete apps without ChatGPT or any other AI platform. An overreliance on these platforms isn’t ideal, as the developer must know and trust the codebase. As impressive as these AI platforms have become, they don’t always generate the right solutions.

So, never trust a developer who relies exclusively on these AI platforms to make your app. Or a developer who gives a single glance over the AI-generated code before inserting it into your app during production. And you certainly don’t want your banking or internal business app to have code that hasn’t been thoroughly inspected and tested.

Partnering With A Developer With Little Mobile App Development Experience

It’s not uncommon for developers to jump across industries for various reasons. For example, web developers often become disenchanted with building websites and decide to try their hand at mobile app development. They may assume this route will be more fun or earn them more money. 

While web developers possess several skills used in mobile app development, it’s not always a smooth transition. App development is often more challenging than web development due to the differing hardware considerations and increasing requirements imposed by the app stores. The Android platform alone requires that developers test on a wide variety of devices, while web developers only need to test their websites on several browsers. 

Web developers use languages like JavaScript, PHP, HTML, and CSS to build websites. While it’s possible to develop mobile apps with JavaScript, it’s not a first-class citizen and will seldom deliver the performance of native languages. Another shocker for web developers is the higher costs and more involved procedures associated with app development. 

If you’re considering hiring a web developer who has recently transitioned to mobile app development, think twice before proceeding. You don’t want to work with someone likely to make common mobile app development mistakes. It’s also unlikely that this developer has enough expertise or understands the nuances between Android and iOS.

Instead, opt for an established app development studio that has dedicated Android and iOS developers on the team. You’ll have the peace of mind that your app builds will be equally good on both platforms. And when you need to roll out updates and patches, you have a team on hand to do the heavy lifting.

 

SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION WITH AN APP DEVELOPMENT EXPERT TO GET A CUSTOMIZED QUOTE!

 

Working With A Developer Lacking The Necessary Resources

Mobile app development is not cheap, so every competent developer must have the necessary resources to complete their projects. These resources include the funds, staff, office space, hardware, and development tools available to the developer. If the developer lacks these, they won’t be a good candidate for your next project.

But how can you tell if the developer has the necessary resources to tackle your project? It’s not possible to know every aspect of the developer’s business, but there are a few tell-tale signs you should look out for. 

Check if the developer operates from an office that you can visit if you’re nearby. If you can stop by the developer’s premises to meet the team and discuss your project, that’s a positive sign. And if the team lead gives you a tour of the office and a rundown of the development process, that’s extra reassuring. A well-run and properly equipped development studio means you’re dealing with a credible developer. 

But be sure to ask the developer what contingency plans they have in place should they fall behind schedule. Consider all scenarios that may cause delays, including outages, app store policy changes, API updates, staff turnover, testing issues, etc. Mobile app development mistakes often happen when teams haven’t prepared for unforeseen events or allocated the relevant resources to deal with these issues.

In Conclusion

Mobile app development mistakes often happen when dealing with inexperienced or incompetent developers. But you can avoid regretful outcomes by working with an experienced and established studio that has built a reputation for delivering high-quality apps. Contact NS804 today to learn why we’re one of the best app developers in Richmond, Charlotte, Denver, and beyond!