Android app development
Android app development in Kotlin and Jetpack Compose: we design the interface following Google's design guidelines, test the app on smartphones from different manufacturers and on different Android versions, publish it to Google Play and provide technical support after launch. A native app runs fast and uses the camera, NFC, location, Google Pay and other Android smartphone capabilities.
Android app development
01
What a native Android app is
A native Android app is a program written specifically for Android in Kotlin or Java in Android Studio, the official development environment, and published to Google Play. The code of such an app works directly with the camera, NFC, sensors and other smartphone features.
02
When to choose native Android development
A native Android app is the better choice in five cases:
High performance requirements. The app processes video in real time, applies camera filters or recognizes objects. Native code takes camera frames directly, without an intermediate layer, so processing is faster and there are fewer delays
Use of device hardware. The app works with payment terminals, barcode scanners or sensors. Manufacturers release Android libraries for them, and a native app connects to these libraries directly. In Flutter and React Native, developers first have to write an intermediate module in Kotlin for such a library, which means extra hours of work
Complex background processes. The app must run in the background for a long time, for example to record a trip route. Android allows this only for a foreground service with a persistent notification and tightens the rules with almost every new Android version. In a native app, we account for these changes ourselves and do not wait for updates to third-party plugins
Corporate devices. The app runs on data collection terminals, kiosk-mode tablets or MDM-managed devices. These capabilities are available only in the Android API, and a native app uses them without workarounds
Focus on the Android ecosystem only. Your customers use Android smartphones, and an iPhone version is not planned. Cross-platform development brings no savings here. If you will need an iPhone version within the next year or two, it is more cost-effective to build a cross-platform app from the start
If you need both Android and iPhone and the budget and timeline are limited, cross-platform development is usually more cost-effective.
Discuss a task03
Android app development
We develop the Android mobile app in stages: we design the screens, program the app and the backend if needed, test it and publish it to Google Play.
Kotlin and Jetpack Compose
We program the app in Kotlin and build the screens with Jetpack Compose. You get the source code, and because the app uses standard Android tools, another team of Android developers can continue developing it.
Material Design interface
We design the screens according to the Material Design rules from the Google guide, so the app feels familiar to Android smartphone owners from the first launch.
Different screen sizes
We adapt the interface to smartphones with different screen sizes so buttons and text are not cut off at the edge. If you decide you need it, we design a second layout for tablets and foldable smartphones so the interface does not stretch on a large screen.
Website and server connection
If you have a website, the app gets data from it through the API, the website's programming interface. If the website has no API, we add one. If there is no website or it cannot be extended, we develop a backend on Laravel or Django that stores the app content, lets you manage it and exchanges data with your internal systems or services.
Testing on Android devices
We test the app on the smartphone models and Android versions listed in the technical specification. Before publishing, we give you each version to check on your own smartphone.
04
Key Google Play requirements
We take the key Google Play requirements into account at the design stage so the app does not need to be reworked after review:
- in most countries, digital goods and subscriptions to digital content are sold only through Google Play Billing, the store's payment system with a Google commission
- physical goods and services are paid for outside Google Play Billing, for example by card or through Google Pay
- the app requests only the permissions its features need, such as access to the camera or location
- if users can create an account in the app, we give them two ways to request its deletion: in the app and on a web page
- in the Google Play Console, we state which data the app collects and shares with third parties and add a link to the privacy policy
05
Android app features
An Android app can include system capabilities and Google services:
Biometrics
Sign-in and payment confirmation by fingerprint or face. Not all smartphones support confirming payments with face recognition.
Google Pay
Customers pay for goods and services with a card saved in their Google account, without entering the card number.
Google Wallet
Bonus cards, tickets and coupons in Google Wallet: customers show them at the checkout or at the entrance right from their smartphone wallet.
Sign in with Google
One-step registration and sign-in with a Google account, without a separate password.
Push notifications
Messages, for example about order status and promotions, arrive on the smartphone even when the app is closed. They are delivered by Firebase Cloud Messaging, a Google service.
Google Maps and location
Your sales points or offices on Google Maps, directions to them and a search for the nearest location based on the customer's position.
Home screen widgets
Customers see data from the app without opening it, such as order status, bonus balance or a schedule.
NFC
A smartphone with NFC reads tags on products or equipment and works as a contactless pass on compatible readers.
06
Publishing to Google Play
We register the Google Play developer account in your company's name, so all legal rights to the app and its store page belong to you. For an organization account, Google requires a D-U-N-S number, a free company identifier in the international Dun & Bradstreet registry, and verifies the organization's details. A D-U-N-S number is not issued immediately, so we start the account registration before development is complete. Before publishing, we fill out the Google Play app page and the content rating questionnaire. If Google rejects the app, we revise it based on the feedback and resubmit it for review.
07
Android app development cost
The cost of Android app development depends on the scope of work. Besides the general factors described on the mobile app development page, the scope of work depends on:
Smartphone models for testing. We test the app on each model from the agreed list, so each added model increases the testing scope and the cost
Minimum Android version. Some app features are not available in older Android versions, so we program and test a replacement or a simplified option for them. The lower the minimum version, the more such features there are and the larger the scope of work and the cost
Tablets and foldable smartphones. For a large screen, we design, program and test a second interface layout and its behavior when the device is rotated or folded, so the interface work and the cost grow
We give a preliminary estimate after the brief.
Discuss a task08
Android development FAQ
01Can we add an iPhone version later?
Yes. The website API or backend developed for the Android app will work for the iPhone too. We will offer two options: a separate iPhone app in Swift or a single cross-platform app that replaces the Android version. We compare them by cost and timeline before the work begins.
02Which smartphone models is the app compatible with?
The app is available on Google Play for smartphones with the selected minimum Android version and newer. We choose this version and the list of test models together with you based on your customers' smartphones and put them in the technical specification.
03Why does an Android app need regular updates?
Every year, Google Play raises the target Android version that apps must be built for. Without an update, the app is no longer shown to new users on smartphones with a newer Android version. That is why after publishing we offer mobile app technical support.
09
Order an Android app
Why clients trust RIVERIT with Android app development:
- In business since 2015. Over this time, RIVERIT has completed 100+ projects for businesses, including mobile apps.
- In-house Android development. We program apps in Kotlin and Jetpack Compose and build backends on Laravel or Django.
- We study your business before we start. We look into the market, processes and competitors and plan the user path so the Android app brings you profit.
- Managed AI-assisted development. A framework defines the architecture, and tests check every change.
- Experience with websites and servers. We maintain websites and administer servers, so the Android app, website and server work as one system.
- Project manager. The manager in charge keeps you informed about the work and agrees on the stages with you.
- Support after publishing. Once the app is on Google Play, we provide technical support for it: we respond to requests within one hour during business hours and fix critical failures outside business hours, if your plan includes this.
Describe your task in the form below to order an Android app. After the brief, we will suggest native or cross-platform development and give a preliminary estimate.
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