What is an Android app?

An Android application is a piece of software that can be used on the Android operating system.

Android apps can help you reach the most possible users, as they make up the majority of the mobile market share.

When we hear about Android, we tend to think of smartphones, but there are also other devices compatible with Android, such as Smart TVs, laptops and more.

Android apps can be downloaded and installed on your device from a number of different app stores, such as the Google Play store and official third party distributors. They often serve a specific purpose, such as Google's Gmail app for emails.

Apps can be built to serve both Android and iOS operating systems, but the processes are slightly different.

Android apps are built with a variety of open source coding technology, such as Java or Kotlin. This means that Android app development is quick, flexible and low cost.

The process of Android app development

First of all, you need to define and analyze your business idea to make sure your app will add value and stand out in a crowded market.

Next, devise a strategy for building and promoting the best possible app, taking into account usability, design, stability and functionality before building a wireframe.

A wireframe is a blueprint of the app's overall structure and identifies all the tools you need to build your application before adding UI designs.

Next, the usability of the app is coded and navigational features, list views and data collation are included, with ongoing testing and validation to identify and remove bugs.

Now you're ready to publish your app. It's important to remember that mobile application development is an ongoing process, and requires performance maintenance.

Technologies used in Android app development

Native Android application development is mostly written in Java, a dynamic and stable cross-platform coding technology.

There are lots of other technologies available to use, each serving a different purpose and allowing for custom Android app development.

Google's Android team recently announced that Kotlin is an officially supported coding language, so you can choose between Google Java and Google Kotlin.

You can use RxJava to build asynchronous and event-based programmes using observable sequences.

Other technologies, like Flutter, Swift, React Native and Eclipse, offer alternatives.

The business impact of Android apps

With 74% of the mobile market share, Android apps can have a huge impact on KPIs, increasing your business exposure to the biggest possible audience.

You can also use your app to promote customer loyalty, with in-app notifications, promotions and personalization.

Mobile applications can also be used to reach out to new potential customers, with tools such as registration/booking forms, accounts, newsfeeds and other information that can be used to drive engagement and increase sales.

As Android apps are available on several platforms, they increase accessibility for users, as well as increasing your business's accessibility to them, so you can reach them wherever they are.

Android mobile applications drive brand awareness amongst the largest mobile market, so they're a vital part of a successful digital business strategy.