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Mobile applications have transformed the way people connect with one another. With the passage of time and technological advancements, many new variations have emerged. Not just in terms of lifestyle quality, but also in terms of how services are obtained. It’s all down to technology, specifically mobile phones. The number of people who use a mobile phone has increased by millions or even billions.
The COVID-19 outbreak affected the overall performance of the company and reduced the scope of enterprise-customer engagement. Mobile applications, on the other hand, can reach a specific group of consumers and provide better results for the company.
It is not a simple process to create user-friendly and effective mobile apps. Furthermore, developing mobile apps that reap the benefits of evolving technology is a challenge for the leading mobile app development businesses.
Depending on the market, mobile app needs may vary. Healthcare applications, for example, will have different functionality than an e-commerce or marketplace app. You must create an intelligent application based on the demands of the customers that fulfil the users’ requirements promptly. It implies that if a mobile application provides a solution to a user’s problem, your business app will easily find its way into app stores.
Both the Android and iOS systems have their own set of advantages and provide a wide range of capabilities. It is dependent on your needs as to whichever platform you seek. However, of the two, android app development has risen to prominence among users and consumers.
Due to the huge market share owned by the mobile operating system, the Android platform is the major target for enterprises when developing mobile apps. Its popularity stems from the fact that it is an open-source platform and is constantly updated with new features and updates.
Even when running the same version of the Android OS, Android devices tend to differ depending upon mobile hardware specifications. Thus, while designing Android apps, it is critical that developers construct mobile apps that can target a wide range of mobile devices operating on various Android OS versions.
Android is one of the biggest and leading OS platforms. Android is used to create a variety of applications for a variety of businesses. The key reason for this is that Android app are simple to use.
Furthermore, the Android platform is used by the vast majority of apps worldwide. Another factor is that Android is customizable as it is an open-source operating system. This means that anyone may modify the characteristics of the operating system. As a result, it is gaining more space in the app development industry.
According to a recent report from Statista, the Google Play Store launched roughly 81 thousand mobile applications in February 2022. In May 2019, 134.5 thousand new Android applications were launched through the Google Play Store.
Now the question is, how are Android applications developed? It appears to be a simple job, but it is not. As the mobile app development company in India, we’ve identified a few challenges of android app development that they experience during the Android app development process.
Here are some major mobile app development challenges.
While installing the most recent version of a mobile application, you may see an Android version incompatibility error. This is where the issue of software fragmentation comes into play. It is a difficult challenge faced by Android app developers during the development phase.
Every year, Google updates and launches a variety of Android applications with various new features and improvements. However, these current versions of Android are still behind in terms of acceptance and are not compatible with all Android devices. Android 6.0 Marshmallow, for example, has a larger market share than Android 7.0 Nougat and Android 8.0 Oreo at the moment.
As a result, while building mobile apps, developers must consider Android mobile apps that work with all versions of the Android operating system. They frequently find it difficult to make the app take advantage of the capabilities offered by both the newest and previous versions of the Android operating system.
There are a plethora of gadgets that operate on various operating systems. Keeping up with the changes is a huge problem for developers. However, the majority of Android developers use the most recent version. Users will profit from modern technologies, as we constantly emphasise.
But, when designing Android apps, does it produce the expected results? Since not all users employ the latest versions, they have a mismatch. This mismatch makes it difficult for developers to meet the company’s requirements. Second, OS customisation is a significant challenge for Android. As a result, each gadget has its own set of standards.
Hence, knowing the functionality of various OS versions is beneficial to Android app developers. It aids in lowering app uninstalling rates and ensuring that targeted users are not missed.
Another challenge is device diversification. There are hundreds of distinct Android smartphones available, each with its own screen resolution and ecosystem. Another biggest challenge faced by Android app developers is creating an app that functions flawlessly on all devices.
Android, unlike other mobile operating systems, is an open-source project. Google gives device makers complete freedom to customise and enhance the Android operating system. Thus, different Android smartphones have different hardware characteristics.
As of January 2022, Firebase was the most popular mobile backend software development kit (SDK) among Android apps, according to a study by Statista, with a 98 per cent integration reach. Only 3% of apps that used backend SDKs were using Sentry, which came in second.
The Android operating system allows smartphone makers to customise it and create devices that meet a variety of requirements. It implies that the same version published by two different companies might have different buttons, displays, keyboard types, resolution, storage, and other hardware characteristics.
For example, some Android smartphones have fingerprint sensors built-in, while others don’t. Hence, a developer cannot leverage the device’s fingerprint sensor to enhance the mobile app’s user experience. To accommodate the various hardware features of Android devices, he has to implement several authentications.
Before designing a mobile application, Android app developers must constantly consider the customer experience of the app on multiple devices.
The development of a seamless mobile application boosts app performance and raises brand recognition. Without completing the testing procedure, no mobile application is released into the market. As the Android operating system becomes more compatible, applications built on it should be subjected to a variety of tests.
Every device has its own testing environment, and testers must employ different testing methodologies at different times. Testing methodologies are dependent on the design of an app that is produced by app developers, even if there are test automation solutions that perform testing automatically.
Developers must test user interface performance, code efficiency, device computability, and other factors. It needs extensive knowledge of testing and debugging tools.
The application’s User Interface (UI) is essential for improving user retention rates. On a single page, it enhances the app’s appearance and functionality. However, when you hire the greatest android app development firm, you get the most. A good user interface not only displays your brand’s identity but also has a larger influence on users.
However, the benefit of OS customization forces professionals to consider whether to stick with the norm of custom UI.
If experts opt for a customised UI, they won’t be able to access many functions. They must adhere to specific criteria. Only an app with a well-designed user interface will be compatible with a variety of devices. And thus, selecting the finest app development firm requires extensive investigation.
Most developers do not follow any standard UI (user interface) development rules or procedures since Google has yet to disclose any standard UI (user interface) design standards or methodology for mobile app developers.
Since developers create unique UI interfaces in their preferred manner, many apps work and seem different across platforms. The Android app’s direct user experience is frequently impacted by the UI’s variety and incompatibility.
Smart developers choose a responsive layout as it ensures that the user interface is consistent across all devices. Furthermore, developers must thoroughly test the app’s user interface using a combination of emulators and real mobile devices.
One of the most difficult challenges for developers is creating a user interface that allows the app to give the same user experience across a variety of Android devices.
There are a variety of programming languages available that developers may use to create a wide range of mobile apps. Among these, Java and Kotlin are the most popular programming languages for developing Android apps.
Although Java is the oldest programming language, it requires more lines of code, whereas Kotlin does not. Both languages come with features that make it easier to create error-free mobile apps faster. Choosing which one to start with is therefore another one of the common mobile app development challenges for developers.
Java is a more established programming language, whereas Kotlin is a more recent language. Java is a simple language, but it requires a lot of code and storage. It aids with the rapid development of apps and works well with both native and cross-platform apps. Android is written in Java, and developers may leverage its libraries to create apps.
Unlike Java, Kotlin has capabilities that make Android app creation and maintenance easier. Both Android 8.0 Oreo and Android Studio 3.0 come pre-installed with support for both programming languages. However, Kotlin is currently not supported by a huge number of existing Android app development tools and frameworks.
As Kotlin is a current language, developers must understand this complex coding, despite the fact that it has fewer lines of code than Java. Java libraries may also be used in Kotlin. These programs can be created without errors faster than java apps, however, they have a poor compilation performance.
As a result, choosing the correct programming language for Android app development is difficult for mobile app developers.
It is yet another challenge of the Android app development process for app developers. The use of APIs in mobile app development will cut down on development costs and time. Third-party APIs can be used by developers to improve app compatibility requirements.
APIs are used to make app development more convenient. It’s because APIs may be used to produce work that meets corporate objectives. Apps will be able to get the authentication and functionalities they want by using APIs.
However, integrating additional APIs is a difficult process. Android developers, on the other hand, may create a single API that works across all Android versions. It is not simple for developers to complete this task in developing a user-friendly app.
Also, it might be challenging for developers to provide compatibility, such as APIs and devices, at times. Developing an app while dealing with API issues is a significant and difficult step for developers.
More than 40 per cent of app developers stated maintaining non-intrusive ad content is one of the biggest challenges app developers face when attempting to monetise their apps. This issue scored top among mobile app monetization challenges of app developers from the United States and the United Kingdom in a June 2019 survey by Statista. Concerns about app monetization attempt having a detrimental impact on the app experience and leading to churn came in second.
Many developers use third-party APIs to improve a mobile device’s usefulness and compatibility. Unfortunately, not all third-party APIs for developing Android apps are of excellent quality.
Some APIs were designed for a specific Android version and would not operate on devices running a different version of Android. Developers are frequently faced with the burden of figuring out how to make a single API operate across all Android versions, which is often a daunting challenges in Android app development.
An app should be designed in such a manner that it gives the user a sense of safety. The developers here make every attempt to provide this step. As previously said, Android is an open-source operating system, making it simple for manufacturers to customise it to their individual needs.
However, because of its openness and large market share, Android is a regular target for cyber-attacks. Despite its security measures, there remains a risk of malware entering programmes and redirecting users to other URLs without the creators’ permission. As a result, developers should make every effort to create a secure app. This, however, is the most challenging part.
Android is particularly vulnerable to targeted security threats because of its large global market share. Google releases security patches and upgrades on a regular basis to address security flaws in the basic Android operating system. However, modifications implemented by device manufacturers to stock Android have resulted in too many security issues.
Such security problems are not addressed by Google’s security updates or fixes. To safeguard the app and user data, developers must employ a combination of strong security measures and powerful encryption technologies.
However, addressing growing Android security risks makes it difficult for developers to make the Android app and user data secure.
Security breaches and bugs including mRST, Stagefright, FakeID, ‘Certifi-gate,’ TowelRoot, and Installer Hijacking have affected the security of large numbers of Android mobile devices. To keep user information private and out of the hands of hackers, developers must incorporate powerful security measures in their apps and employ the most up-to-date encryption technologies.
The Google Play Store has millions of mobile apps to choose from. The latest data from Statista shows that over 3.29 million mobile applications were accessible on the Google Play Store in the first quarter of 2022, with the majority of them being free to download. The number of mobile applications accessible to Android users via the Google Play Store increased steadily between the beginning of 2019 and the end of 2021, peaking at 4.67 million in the fourth quarter of 2021.
In the app store, a new mobile app with revolutionary features is introduced every day. You won’t be able to meet your customers’ demands until you design an application with cutting-edge features.
As a result of this tendency, developers are under pressure to create an app that stands out from the crowd and attracts users’ attention. They may engage users and aggressively push the app in the market by using distinctive app icons and visuals, high-resolution photos, and social media adverts.
However, in addition to applying app store optimization, most developers nowadays actively advertise their products. As a result, Android app developers frequently struggle to make their apps stand out from the competition and attract users’ attention. In order to stand out in a crowded market, developers must create unique apps.
The other major issue that Android app developers face is this. When a developer submits a new Android app to the Play Store, Google, unlike Apple, does not impose strict quality control guidelines. Developers face several patent-related challenges as a result of the lack of quality evaluation criteria.
Some developers will have to adapt and rebuild their applications in the future to avoid patent issues. However, the Google Play Store has a big number of apps that are clones of other mobile apps in terms of concepts and functionality.
Since they are unaware of certain patent regulations, developers frequently add specific features and functions to their Android apps. There have been several cases where Android app developers have been sued for infringement of a patent or a copyright law.
So, each Android app developer must exercise caution and attention in order to comply with current patent restrictions.
However, when you hire the finest Mobile app development, you won’t have to worry about any of these issues. Developers can easily handle all of your problems due to their knowledge and authority.
As per Statista research, As of March 2023, 97 percent of apps in the Google Play app store were freely available. The number of free apps on the Google Play Store and the Apple Store alike has been consistently higher than the number of paid apps. By comparison, in March 2023, free Android apps on Amazon Appstore were roughly 82 percent, while paid apps accounted for a share of 18 percent of the total apps available in the store.
Smartphone users usually express concerns about mobile applications reducing the battery life of their devices. The app’s performance should not degrade battery life, and the app’s storage should not surpass the device’s storage capacity. If your app consumes too much battery and begins to overheat, you risk losing consumers since no one will want to use your app for these two reasons.
When an app’s performance does not deplete energy or storage, it is considered successful. It is possible to reduce the app’s use if it is overheating and consuming too much power. No one wants to maintain an app that causes them pain. Developers should create an Android app that uses less battery power while providing a decent user experience with all the new features.
To make a mobile app successful, a developer must handle a lot of challenges of the android app development process. These challenges faced by app developers, however, may vary from one mobile app to another. To identify and overcome these major challenges of android app development, each developer must apply a specific app development approach.
Though these problems help developers become specialists in the field of app development, it may be difficult to deal with all of these complexities to deliver perfect, strong, and successful mobile apps. However, if the developers have extensive experience with application development, they will be able to quickly overcome these obstacles.
This blog will assist app developers in identifying common Android App Development Challenges. By taking into account all of the issues and addressing solutions for each one, one may create an effective application.
Fullestop, being one of the best Android app development companies with a team of in-house experienced developers overcomes any challenges by providing reliable apps.
An app must be fit and sophisticated in order to compete in the app market. When you have a detailed idea for your brand, we ensure that it takes shape by satisfying all of your requirements. With us, developing an Android app is faster and easier than you may imagine.
