Tech Space

At a minimum, your app development team should include a:

• Product manager: Develops technical spec documents, roadmaps, deadlines, requirements and guides the team.

• UX/UI designer: Designs the graphics, icons and animations. They ensure the app is both engaging and highly intuitive.  

• Mobile developer: Codes functionality and integrates APIs, databases and more.

• Quality assurance analyst: Tests the app to make sure it runs smoothly on every device. They’re in charge of finding any bugs, UX writing errors and more.

• Digital marketer: Help your app launch successfully by using search engine optimization (SEO) and setting up mobile analytics. 

With more than 2,20 million apps available to Apple users, 3.4 million available to Android users and as of November 10, 2022, AppGallery established itself and has surpassed over more than 220,000 HMS apps since Q2 2018 global launch. It’s important to fully understand what you’re up against when it comes to competitor features and customer requirements so you know how to make your product stand out. 

Now that you understand what’s missing from the market and what your target users are searching for, you can develop key features that other development teams have neglected. 

Once requirements have been gathered and key features have been outlined, it’s important to have a user interface (UI) and UX designer develop a mockup,  template, and sometimes tutorial of what to expect from the app. 

Ensure the mobile app and mobile platform are both secure through:

• Encrypted data: It’s a good idea to use proper encryption of sensitive personal data scattered throughout your app’s software. Proper security steps include encryption of the local database, cache, or API communication.

• Authorized APIs: Application programming interfaces (APIs) are an essential part of the backend of programming development. Make sure the APIs you use for your application meet the verification standards for the platform that your app is on.

• Strong authentication: Ensure the app employs the correct cryptographic key management and appropriate user session authorization—or tokens. Tokens are often assigned to each device and contain different expiration times for sessions.

• Tamper-detection software: To stop hackers in their tracks, consider including mobile-specific security features like tamper-detection software and other third-party software. For example, interprocess communication (IPC) is a safety measure that enables communication among other apps and systems. There are many other Apple- and Android-specific software and other UI security features that can help with anti-tampering tactics.

• Constant testing for potential breaches: Most importantly, make sure to test for breaches constantly. Throughout the entire development process, consistently review your code. Identify potential security flaws before a hacker does when the app goes live.

There are a few components to consider as you start coding. First, there is both the front end and back end to code. Front-end development refers to the “face” of the app—what the end-user will see. Back-end development is about the “behind the scenes” code, which dictates how the app functions. 

Some things the QA team should think about when testing include:

• Front-end vs. back-end functionality: For the front end, does the mobile app look like it’s supposed to from the user side of things? For the back end, does the app function as it’s supposed to? For example, if a pop-up message is supposed to disappear when the user clicks on it, does it? Is the little “X” to click it away properly displayed?

• Device compatibility: The app needs testing on whatever operating system it’s meant for (iOS versus Android, or both). Further, the QA team should confirm compatibility with different versions of operating systems (e.g., Android 7.0 versus Android 10.0). There are also device-specific considerations, like if the app display fits the screen size.

• App integration: If the app’s core function has interaction with other features, such as the phone’s camera or another app like Google Maps, is this integration functional?

• Application type: If the app’s purpose is to work as both a mobile and web app (making it a “hybrid” app), it needs to be tested for the full range of functionality across both platforms.

• Installation and storage: Does the app download correctly to the intended device and operating system? Also, keep an eye on app size. An overly large app will take up a lot of room on the end user’s phone and may deter them from downloading the app at all.

• Security optimization: Mobile app security is a hot topic. Check safety by ensuring secure source code, performing penetration testing and conducting input validation. Additional steps like confirming the implementation of HTTPS and SSL/TLS security layers are also advisable.

After rigorous testing, the app should pass inspection by a test group user before launching the app. Although the development team should have based features on customer needs, having someone who doesn’t know the app can help provide invaluable user feedback to ensure it is ready for many users with different experience levels. 

Lastly comes publication to the app store. The regulations that your app needs to follow depend greatly on the app store where you’re applying. Different app stores have different requirements for apps submitted to them.