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Mobile application industry is vast and is only expected to grow in the coming years. In fact, research suggests that the total value of the mobile app industry will increase to $188.9 billion in 2020.

With this growth, the market will be very profitable. You can make a mobile app for your own enterprise or you can start a career in mobile app developing.

You don’t have to go back to college and study for a computer science degree. Of course, you can do that, but it will take a lot of time and money. That’s why we have decided to lay out an actionable guide for you to become an app developer.

The very first step towards learning to develop a mobile application is to choose a major platform. You will find plenty, such as Android, iOS, Windows, Symbian, and Blackberry RIM. However, it’s clear that Android and iOS are dominating the mobile industry. Window 10 apps may still be relevant, but it’s still not the most profitable platform. Thus, it would be a wise choice to start your journey by opting either for iOS apps or Android apps.

One is entirely different from the other. You need to consider which one you want to specialize in. Of course, you can attempt to master everything, but that’s not recommended. It’s better to cover only one, and then gradually expand your horizon to include other app developing platform as well.

To be a mobile app developer, one must possess the required software development skills and knowledge.

But before you dive into the world of programming, it’s important that you answer one simple question

Where exactly are you starting from?

There could be three scenarios to it.

You are a web developer who is looking to learn mobile app development. In that case, you will find many useful platforms that will help you transit to mobile app development such as Appcelerator Titanium.
You may not have done any coding before, but you have a basic idea of how object-oriented programming works. In that case, it would be easy for you to understand and learn how developing a mobile app works.
You are an absolute beginner. In that case, it’s best to take up a short introductory course on computer science. You can easily find such courses online on sites like Coursera, edX, etc., and that too for free.

Once you have chosen your platform, the next you need to do it learn its core concepts.

For iOS,

You will need to learn either Swift or Objective-C. But how do you choose? That depends solely on the reason why you are learning mobile app development.

If you are learning to develop apps to create your own products, then Swift would be a wise choice. Swift was introduced in 2014 and since then, it has received mostly positive feedback.

However, if you are planning to become an iOS developer for a mobile app development company, the best choice might to learn Objective-C first. Primarily because tons of documentation is meant for Objective-C, and there are still thousands of iOS apps out there built with Objective-C. You may need it to maintain or fix the code.

Apple offers the iOS Developer Library, which is very well-documented. You will find many tutorials and videos to help you learn to code. It helps you break down the complexity of iOS development program into small basic parts for easy understanding. In fact, there are many great blogs on iOS development.

For Android,

To develop apps on the Android platform, you need to know Java or Kotlin. For those who have no clue how it works, you will need an introductory course to the programming language Java. The best place to begin is Google’s Android Developer Library. Again, these are extremely well-documented and have a comprehensive set of training materials.

Before you decide to choose Android, you should be aware of the fact that there are many different types of Android devices on the market. It can cause a bit of complication in the beginning. But once you get past it, you will have the potential to reach a wider market.

Furthermore, you can also subscribe to Android Weekly Newsletter to stay updated on the latest software.

Using Mobile App Development Software

One more alternative to developing an app for your own product is by making use of mobile development software. You don’t even require coding, and it usually has thousands of templates to get you started.

Knowing how to write code is simply the beginning of building an app. The best result comes from writing and practicing clean code and documentation. This is how you can organize your practice session:

Develop an App Idea

Start by developing an app idea. Find out the problems that people are facing in daily life. List them out, and shortlist the one that makes the most sense. And once you have decided, start mapping out your app.

Lay Out the Details of the App

Another important thing while developing a protocol is to make sure that your app is easy to understand. Users should be able to figure the navigation without any reference to other pages. Besides, you need to figure out the features of the app as well. It’s crucial that you build an excellent user interface if you want your users to stick around.

Collaborate or Hire the People You Need

When you are starting, it may not be possible for you to develop the complete app all by yourself. For instance, you may be good at coding but may lack the design skills. It’s better to take help from someone who is already an expert in the field.

Test Your App

Once you have completed developing the app, you need to go to the testing part. Bugs are unavoidable in first cut of any software.

You can have your friends download the app and let them play through it. If they notice any glitches, they can communicate the same to you. The feedback will help you learn what works and what doesn’t in an app.

So once you have mastered a single platform, it’s time to try your hand at other areas as well. Otherwise, you will miss out on customers if you don’t. Each platform has its own set of features and you will have to modify your app accordingly.

That was it. To conclude, we suggest that don’t just start to learn mobile app development straight away. Instead, take your time to think about a project you would like to work on while you will learn mobile app development.

How to Become a Mobile App Developer