iOS Mobile Application Development Process

Mobile applications are transforming the digital world. There is an exponential rise in the number of apps being developed and deployed.  Mobile apps are developed primarily for two dominant players – iOS and Android. 

iOS is the second most popular mobile operating system. The iOS platform is used across iOS devices such as iPhone and iPad. Developing applications for iOS involves using an iOS SDK and a different set of tools. The apps are uploaded to an apple store for customers to download.

iOS Mobile Application Development Cycle

The different phases of Mobile application development include Planning, Design, Development, Testing, and Release.

Planning

Planning is an important phase. Before developing the application, it is necessary to ascertain the time required to develop the product. A suitable project development approach has to be selected. Due to frequent changes in the mobile platform, developers prefer agile methodology for mobile app development.

Research and Analysis

There are millions of Apps available in the market. To make your app unique and downloadable it is necessary to do market research. Identify the purpose of the mobile app and the target audience. Analyzing your competitor app can help figure out what are the features to be added or removed in your application.

Design

Design involves creating a prototype or wireframe which helps to picture the flow of the app and helps to develop the application in a structured manner. The wireframe includes all possible screens and the complete functionality is captured as part of the design. Apple provides a style guide for the UI. Designers can adopt these guidelines to develop great apps that integrate seamlessly with Apple platforms.

Coding

The coding phase is the actual mobile application development phase. This phase involves choosing the right technology to build the application. iOS application development tools include:

• iOS SDK – It is a software development kit used to build native iOS applications.  It includes tools like XCode IDE, iPhone simulator and compiler for developing applications.
• XCode – XCode is Apple’s IDE and it includes everything to create amazing apps. Although there are other IDEs for iPhone app development like Coderunner and AppCode, XCode is preferred by developers as it is provided by Apple.
• Programming language – iOS developers can choose either Objective C or Swift to develop an iOS app.  Swift launched by Apple is the primary language for developing iOS apps. Prior to Swift, Objective C is used to develop iOS mobile apps. It is still preferred to build robust and secure applications.
• TestFlight – online service for testing mobile applications. It is used by developers to test the beta version of their app and get users feedback before launching the app in the App store.

Other factors to consider while developing the application:

• Mobile app with heavy visual elements like animations is more complex to develop
• APIs that need to be integrated with the app like push notification API
• The App should be developed to use minimum memory while functioning

Testing

It is crucial to test the application before the launch.  Bugs and errors should be fixed prior to the launch of the application. The developers must test the application for performance and security issues. The app should be tested by actual users on different devices (iPhone versions). The more you test your app for bugs and device compatibility the better the chances of app store approval. Beta Testing is also mandatory. TestFlight provides an online testing environment to test your app.

Compliance with App store guidelines

Apple has laid out clear guidelines on their site about creating an app. All iOS app has to meet the requirements for the design, technical, content, security and privacy aspects. Developers should adhere to the guidelines while developing the app. Make sure to review the guidelines before submitting the app for review.

Submitting to the app store

To submit to the app store, register for the Apple developer program account and submit your app version for review. Mostly the app will be reviewed in 1 to 3 days and you will be notified about the status. While submitting the app the following information has to be provided – website URL, privacy policy and company name. Publishing the app in the app store involves annual charges (approx. USD 99)

Avoid common mistakes

The App will be reviewed for content, performance, and technical aspects. Apple follows stringent review guidelines. Over 40% of the app is rejected due to common mistakes mentioned below:

• Crashes and bugs
• Broken Links
• Placeholder content
• Offensive / Objectionable Content
• Requesting permission to access data
• Incomplete information
• Misleading users

Releasing your app

After review and approval, the app will be released in the App Store. You can opt for either manual or automatic release. Automatic refers to a phased release where the app is released in phases to a percentage of random users. In a manual release, the app is made available to potential users within a day after releasing the app.

iOS Mobile application development is less complicated provided the development team follows the app store guidelines. iOS mobile apps generate high revenue per user and also the cost of development is less.

Hire an experienced iOS mobile application development company to kick start iOS mobile app development. Contact us to get a free quote.