Category: Mobile App Development

Categories
Mobile App Development

Cross Platform Mobile Application Development

Cross Platform Mobile Application Development

Mobile apps are considered mandatory for businesses like banking, car rental and eCommerce. Android and iOS are the most widely used mobile platforms. For better reach, a mobile application should run on both Android and iOS mobile devices.

Developing a mobile application can be done in two ways. Either develop an app individually for each platform – iOS and Android. Alternatively, develop a common app that can run on different platforms.

Cross-platform development refers to the creation of a mobile application that can run on multiple mobile operating systems. Cross-platform apps are developed using common technologies like HTML, Javascript, .NET and CSS.  The advantage of having a cross-platform app is it is easier to develop a single code base common to multiple platforms, quicker development time and it is cost-effective. Because of these advantages, the cross-platform framework is a preferred choice among small and large enterprises.

Cross-platform apps can be deployed on Google and Apple play store.

Cross-Platform Mobile Framework

To build a cross-platform mobile app requires a mobile app development framework. Though there are many options available, some of the popular frameworks include:

Ionic

It is an open-source framework to develop cross-platform applications for web, iOS, and Android using a single code base. Ionic is built on Angular JS technologies and allows the developer to use HTML5, CSS and Javascript. It takes less time, resources and effort to develop cross-platform applications using IonicJS. Another advantage of using Ionic JS is that it uses plugins allowing developers to create feature-rich mobile applications.  Ionic framework is the choice of developers aiming to create cross-platform applications without compromising quality.

Advantages:

  • Open source and Free
  • Less development time and effort
  • Built on Angular JS
  • Integrates seamlessly with native functionality

Disadvantages:

  • Less secure
  • Not suitable to build complex apps

React Native 

React Native created by Facebook uses javascript framework. Coding is easier as a single javascript code can be used for both iOS and Android platforms. This reduces development time and effort. The framework also supports reusing inbuilt components. Apps developed using React Native can easily integrate with existing mobile applications like GPS.

Advantages:

  • The open-source platform allows the integration of plugins.
  • Allows code reusability between platforms
  • Performance as good as a native app

Disadvantages

  • Javascript does not support decimals. So this framework will not be suitable to develop an app that requires mathematical computations.

Flutter

Flutter is a mobile app SDK by Google to develop applications for Android and iOS. This open-source platform recently launched in 2018 allows building highly interactive interfaces. A single codebase can be used for both iOS and Android development. This dart based framework comes with a library of widgets and tools. It supports Hot Reload which means any changes to the code can be seen immediately on the app.

Advantages:

  • Free and open source
  • App development with Flutter takes very less time
  • The widgets can be used to develop a visually attractive interface

Disadvantages:

  • Though Google provides libraries, some of the functions have to be built which is time-consuming.

Xamarin

Xamarin is based on the .NET framework and provided by Microsoft. It uses C# to create mobile apps. The code can be reused between iOS and Android applications. Xamarin can be used to develop user-friendly apps within less time. Updates and maintenance are made easier in Xamarin by updating the source file which is reflected on iOS and Android apps.

Advantages:

  • The same level of performance as in the native app.

Disadvantages:

  • It comes with license cost.
  • Xamarin based apps can occupy more space and takes more download time

PhoneGap

PhoneGap by Adobe is another popular cross-platform development tool. It is an open-source framework that allows developers to create mobile applications using HTML5, JavaScript and CSS. It allows creating app for different platforms using a single code base.

Advantages:

  • It gives access to device hardware such as camera, geolocation and accelerometer
  • Easy to develop as web developers need not have extra skills.

Disadvantages:

  • The performance of the application can be a little less when compared to native app.
  • It does not have enough UI widgets resulting in more development time.

A framework is an important tool for building a mobile application. Each framework has its own advantages. Depending on the requirement you can select the appropriate framework for developing the application.

If your business has end-users from both iOS and Android devices, it would be ideal to opt for hybrid apps. Techcedence has expertise in developing native and hybrid mobile applications and our experts can assist you in deciding on the best app development for your business.

Categories
Mobile App Development

Firebase Phone number authentication IONIC (Android):

Firebase Phone number authentication IONIC (Android)

This article explains how to do a phone number authentication in Android mobile app.

Step 1:

First sign into the below Firebase link using Google credentials.

https://console.firebase.google.com/

We can create new projects using ‘Create a Project’.

Phone number authentication - step 1

Disable the Google analytics toggle bar as we are not using Google Analytics and proceed to Add Firebase

Phone number authentication - step 1A

Step 2:

The created project gets displayed in the console. After selecting the project screen, the below screen is displayed.

Phone number authentication - step 2

Here we are going to add an Android App by selecting the android icon.

We should add an Android package name, because this is a mandatory one. SHA1 also can add for phone number authentication.

Phone number authentication - step 2A

How to get SHA1?

In the Mac system use the below command in terminal to get SHA1 key

keytool -list -v -keystore ~/.android/debug.keystore -alias androiddebugkey -storepass android -keypass android

Phone number authentication - step 2B

Step 3:

Download google-service.json file and add to the project folder.

Phone number authentication - Step 3

Step 4:

Next we can go to the Authentication section under project in Firebase console. Firebase has multiple authentication methods, we can enable the phone option and save it.

Firebase provides an option for Phone numbers for testing. We can enter a random number and provide a static password for it. In this scenario Firebase won’t send OTP every time, but will send the Verification code after that we can use the static OTP, which we already provided in Firebase.

Phone number authentication - step4

Step 5:

Here we needed to create a web app for Firebase config, and to this config add as a parameter in firebase initializeApp method.

<script>

// Your web app’s Firebase configuration

var firebaseConfig = {

apiKey: “AIzaS**********************”,

authDomain: “***-********.firebaseapp.com”,

databaseURL: “https://***********.firebaseio.com”,

projectId: “****************”,

storageBucket: “****************.com”,

messagingSenderId: “****************”,

appId: “1:****************:9****************f09”

};

// Initialize Firebase

firebase.initializeApp(firebaseConfig);

</script>

Categories
Mobile App Development

iOS Mobile Application Development Process

mobile application development

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.

Categories
Mobile App Development

Give your business that extra edge through mobile apps

mobile application development

The number of smartphone users (2.7 billion) across the world is growing rapidly. You can grow your business by taking advantage of mobile users. 

The increasing number of smartphone users has made it mandatory to consider having a mobile app for your business. 

A study on smartphone usage reveals that Mobile apps are expected to generate 188.9 billion US dollars in revenues in 2020.

What are mobile apps?

Mobile apps are software applications designed to run on a mobile device. They are different from a mobile website that runs on a mobile browser. 

Mobile apps need to be downloaded and installed on a mobile device. A mobile application doesn’t need a browser to run. 

The app pulls data from the internet. Some apps are designed to run offline. A mobile app has a touch interface for better interactivity.

Everything you need to know about mobile apps

The first step to building a mobile app is to familiarize yourself with the latest technologies that are being used.

Basically, there are three types of apps:

  • Native apps: Native apps are built for a specific platform, say iOS or Android. Since they are native to a particular operating system, they cannot be used on other platforms. For instance, an Android app cannot run on an iPhone device. Native apps have to be downloaded and installed from the app store. The advantage of native apps is high performance, the downside is higher cost as we need to create multiple apps for different platforms.
  • Hybrid apps: Hybrid apps use technologies such as HTML, javascript. They possess the features of both native and web-based apps. They run on multiple platforms (Windows, iOS, Android). They can be installed from the app store. The advantage is single code can be used for all platforms, the downside is they lack speed and performance.
  • Web-based apps: Web applications are basically mobile responsive websites written in HTML or javascript. They run on a web server. They need not be downloaded or installed on a mobile device. As they are available on the web, there is no additional cost to be spent for an app store. The drawback is that they may have design issues and can be accessed only through the internet.

Each of the above apps has its own pros and cons. Get expert advice to know which of these will work best for your business.

How does your business benefit through mobile applications?

If your business is ignoring mobile users, then you don’t have a clue about what you are missing out on. It is a myth that only large businesses need a mobile application. But in reality, small and mid-size businesses see tremendous benefits through the mobile app. A mobile app for your business can help you stand out from your competitors. Here are some of the advantages of having a mobile app.

Better visibility

Gone are the days when people used their PCs to connect to the Internet. Now, People spend more time on their smartphones rather than on a desktop computer.

Target young customers

More than 92% of Millennials own a smartphone. They get connected to the internet only through a mobile device. If your business is targeting young consumers, don’t have a second thought in building a mobile app. Millennials prefer using an app instead of calling to buy a product or a service.

Increase customer engagement

Pamphlets, advertisements and billboards can reach only a limited number of people. With the mobile app,  your customers are just one click away. You get a chance to be connected with the customer 24/7. You can engage your customers with info about new products, offers and deals thereby increasing sales.

Brand outreach

Users get to see your app icon whenever they see the apps installed on their mobile. It is also easy to share the app among users. This creates brand awareness and gives free marketing for your business.

Personalized notifications

It is easy to send a notification to users who have installed the app on their mobile. You get to know your customer’s geographic location and demographics. The notifications can be customized based on this info which will result in enhanced customer experience.

Better analytics

You get better insights into how users interact with the app. You can take advantage of this data and get to know your customer’s likes and preferences.

What are you waiting for? Having a mobile app can never be a wrong decision. Contact us now to make an informed decision about building a mobile app for your business.

Categories
Mobile App Development

How to optimize your mobile app and improve downloads?

How to improve mobile app downloads

There are thousands of mobile apps added to the app store every day.  As of 2019, 2.5 million apps were available for download in the Google Play Store and 1.8 million apps in the Apple App Store. A statistical study shows that 204 billion mobile apps were downloaded by users in 2019.

A mobile app is successful if it reaches more users. This article briefs about how to optimize your app to boost visibility in the app store and increase the downloads.

What is Mobile App Store Optimization?

App Store Optimization (ASO) is the process of optimizing your mobile apps to rank higher in app store search results such as the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.  ASO aims to increase the visibility of your app for more users to download it.  Improving ASO can help you to get more downloads for your app.

App Marketing strategies have to be adopted to optimize your app to the app store. Here are some tips to improve your app rating and make your mobile app discoverable among millions of apps.

How users find mobile apps?

Before we get into how to optimize an app for the app store it is important to understand how users find and download a mobile app. Most users search for an app using keywords in popular app stores such as the Apple store and Google Play store.The app that ranks higher in search results gets a greater number of downloads as users don’t scroll down to look at the entire list. If users don’t find your app on search results for keywords related to your app, the probability of download is zero. So, it is important to do ASO for your mobile app.

Choose the right app name and title

Enough time should be spent to arrive at the right app name. When searching for an app, the user first gets to see the app name and icon and it is important to create the best impression. Do enough research on the search keyword by analyzing your competitors. Optimize your app for the app store by including relevant keywords on the title. Brainstorm with your team and ensure that the app name and URL have the core keyword describing your app and the service you are offering. The titles should adhere to various app store restrictions like 30 characters for Apple and 50 characters for Google.

Description

Describe your app in simple and plain language easy for a novice user to understand what your app is offering. The description should be updated with every new update.

Why Ratings matter?

Apps with high ratings are ranked higher, trusted by users and downloaded more. 50% of the users check the ratings before installing an app. The ratings are crucial as they have a positive influence on how your app ranks in the app store.

Reviews

Reviews give detailed customer insight about your app. Apps with Positive reviews gain user trust. Negative reviews can be taken as feedback for product improvement. Though reviews and ratings have a similar impact, ratings are the first thing that grabs the user attention.

More number of reviews and how recent they are can give better visibility of your app in search results. Getting reviews from users might require some effort. Prompt the user to leave a review after a successful booking or a transaction. Never interrupt a task and prompt for a review.

Thumbnail images

Icons used for the app should attract the attention of the users and improve the click-through rate.Use impressive icons to create the best impression among users. Screenshots can be added to description as Images are powerful than descriptive text. Add different screenshots and do A/B testing to figure out which screenshot is attracting more downloads.

Regular updates

Get your app updated regularly based on customer feedback. Users are looking for apps that are constantly evolving and such apps are ranked higher in the app store. Improved app versions attract more reviews and higher ratings.

The challenge with updates is persuading users to download the updated version, which can be achieved through user notification and adding what’s new field on the product page.

App Localization

Now that you have the correct app name, title, perfect description all in English, but some of your target users might benon-English speaking audience.  If you’d like to promote your app to a specific market, you can have the metadata in a local language. This can improve your app visibility among native speakers.

Social Media Promotion

Market your app through social media to create awareness and improve brand recognition. Present your app features in your marketing content and encourage users to download the app.

All the above strategies can boost your app download. The volume of download is directly proportional to the app store ranking.

There are millions of app in the mobile world if you want to stay ahead of the curve implement some of the techniques above.

Categories
Mobile App Development

Mobile App for Business Continuity

Mobile App for Business Continuity

Businesses worldwide have taken a hit due to the global pandemic. This article talks about the impact of the COVID 19 crisis on small brick and mortar retail businesses and how technology can help to combat the challenges. Small and medium retail businesses like clothing, book or department stores have run out of business and are facing an extinction-level situation. The future looks bleak for traditional offline stores as a crowded shopping experience is unlikely for some time. Post the pandemic, many shoppers will still be reluctant to visit stores to avoid the crowd.

To ensure business continuity the world has adopted mobile technology. Mobile apps have helped to keep the situation normal and have changed the routine drastically. Earlier, people visited offices to pay the electricity bill or book tickets or to buy things. During this lockdown, there is a huge spike in mobile app downloads. Statistics show that App Store and Google Play have 33 billion app downloads in Q1, 2020. Due to the pandemic, mobile app download, usage and consumer spending hit a record high in 2020. The downloads include gaming app, social media app, health and fitness app, banking app, medical, eLearning app, video conferencing app like zoom, Google meet, Microsoft Team, etc.

As the mobile app industry is thriving and consumers are spending more time on their smartphones, consider having a mobile app for your business or service. Allow your customers to order online through the app and pick up in-store. Customer preferences, shopping history gets stored on the app allowing personalized shopping experience. This blend of online and offline models will be convenient and super-fast. A mobile app will be beneficial for any business, it can be a grocery store, medical clinic, pet clinic or a fitness centre. Leverage technology to provide a personalized experience for your customers through virtual sessions, virtual tours, virtual showroom, chat sessions with experts, etc.

The pandemic has created an unprecedented impact on the global economy. Businesses should not hesitate to try new approaches, new commercial models and new technologies to engage their customers and meet the demand. This switch over to technology is a difficult situation for retailers but some of them have already started implementing and thriving back in business.

Find a mobile app development company that helps you reinforce your business with the right technologies. Techcedence has been delivering excellent mobility services for various domains. Contact us with your requirements to transform your business into the digital world.

Categories
Mobile App Development

Telehealth Applications – A step towards virtual healthcare

Telehealth applications

The term Telehealth is defined as health services provided using telecommunication technology.  Telehealth refers to remote healthcare services through telephone, video conferencing, fax, emails and computers. Telehealth services primarily aim to provide access to doctors, physicians from anywhere, anytime.

Telehealth overcomes geographical boundaries and provides accessible, convenient healthcare for patients remotely.

Telehealth is not new to the medical field and has been in practice for decades, Patients have been consulting with their family physician through telephone. Due to the global pandemic, Telehealth has been at the forefront encouraging people to avoid personal visits and consult doctors through healthcare portals.

Telehealth Portal

A Telehealth portal is ideally an online platform that offers telehealth services by connecting doctors and patients. Telehealth services are offered through online video conferencing platforms or mobile app. These platforms offer patients 24/7 access to healthcare through online appointments and virtual visits. There are many healthcare platforms available that connect patients to doctors. The platforms are flexible and come with numerous features like uploading a lab report, and inviting a member of the family to be present during the consultation.

Availing telehealth services is simpler than it sounds. Patients have to register themselves on the online portal and request a visit.

If patients don’t want to have face-to-face interaction, they can opt for consultation over the phone using a toll-free number.

Advantages of telehealth over the traditional system

  • Easy access to specialty care from rural or remote areas.
  • Diagnose common health problems without visiting a doctor
  • Public holidays, late night, weekends don’t hinder consultation with a physician
  • Telehealth is preferred during the patient’s inability to commute due to health conditions or bad weather or a pandemic.
  • Prevent spreading of contagious illness
  • Avoid long hours of commute to visit the doctor and spending waiting time

While telehealth platforms offer numerous advantages there are some limitations:

  • Doctors have to rely on patients for temperature or sugar level
  • Checking blood pressure or access to the lab is possible only through a physical visit
  • Difficult to determine the cause of the problem without a doctor’s physical examination.
  • Poor internet connectivity might delay or affect your virtual consultation

How the Telehealth Applications Works?

Telehealth applications are based on video chat technology so ideally a patient would need a smartphone or iPad or laptop for a virtual consultation.

  • Patients have to register themselves with a telehealth application
  • Submit basic information about their medical condition and symptoms
  • Patients can schedule an appointment from listed doctors and seek consultation. They can also reach doctors for emergency needs without an appointment.
  • Pay for consultation through the payment gateway
  • Once the appointment is accepted, virtually consult with a doctor over video conferencing
  • The consultation happens through video chat or telephone calls.
  • The application allows the sharing of prescriptions, lab reports, and pictures online to aid diagnosis or treatment.
  • Patient records and doctor’s prescriptions are saved for follow up consultation.
  • Patients can provide a review of their virtual consultation experience.

The telemedicine applications are HIPAA compliant and ensure to keep the patient information secure from data theft.

Apart from consultation, some telehealth applications also assist with disease management. Patients can get a second opinion from specialists across the world to make an informed decision about their health.

To summarize, Telemedicine applications is a win-win for both doctors and patients and is undeniably an alternative to a physical doctor visit. The technology has saved time and money for patients and reduced the overhead for hospitals and clinics.

If you are looking to set up a digital healthcare platform, consult an experienced software development company to evaluate your idea. Based on your requirement and audience, they can develop a telemedicine website or a telemedicine mobile app.  

Categories
Mobile App Development

Geolocation Apps. Why it is loved and how it works

Geolocation apps

Are you thinking of integrating Geolocation technology, in your business? Would you like to change the way your business serves for the better? Well, lots of applications are based totally on geolocation, playing a significant role in the growth of many businesses.

The skillful use of this seemingly simple ability to determine a user’s location has already redefined how one shops, travels, or meets with other people. Geolocation has become a regular part of life for millions of people and has inspired countless businesses to take their services to the next level.

Geolocation apps have a very high potential for marketing as well as for business in general giving users information at the right time and right place, improving the client experience.

  • The retailers can easily reach the customers in nearby proximity through their location-based apps by advertising their special offers and deals.
  • Location based marketing and business is also the latest and the easiest way of grabbing the attention of new prospects and converting them into your customers.
  • Location-based advertisements have been there since long, and they also have contributed to the growth of businesses tremendously over the years.

Developers can implement indoor or outdoor geolocation apps based on the described geolocation technologies for providing a better user experience.

This is why it’s essential to perform market research, to help you define which type of geolocation app you should build for your business.

But remember that you will work with such sensitive information as users’ location, personal conversations, travel details, and many more. That’s why you have to remember that ensuring data safety is one of the most critical parts of this technology. Therefore, working with a good software development firm is of top priority. So that you can make sure that your app uses multi-factor authentication, encrypts communications, uses SSL certificate, Network Security Configuration for Android and App Transport Security for iOS, and doesn’t store any unencrypted data on the user’s device.

Geolocation technology has become an integral part of almost every business today. So what are you waiting for? Take your business to the heights of success by implementing it in your business now!