Mobile app

A mobile app or application is a computer program or software application designed to run on a mobile device such as a smartphone, tablet, or smartwatch. Unlike programs meant for desktop computers, mobile apps are made to work directly on smaller devices and can do many different tasks.

Originally, apps were created to help with things like emails, calendars, and contacts. But because so many people wanted to use apps, developers started making them for all kinds of purposes. Today, you can find apps for mobile games, finding your location with GPS, tracking orders, buying tickets, and even controlling factories. There are now millions of apps available, and most need to connect to the Internet to work properly.

People usually download apps from special places called app stores, which are like digital marketplaces for software. The word “app,” a short way to say “application,” became very popular. In 2010, it was chosen as the “Word of the Year” by the American Dialect Society.

Apps come in three main types. Native apps are made just for a specific mobile system, like iOS or Android. Web apps are written using HTML5 or CSS and usually run inside a browser. Hybrid apps use web technologies such as JavaScript, CSS, and HTML5 but are wrapped inside a container that makes them act like native apps.

Overview

Most mobile devices come with some apps already installed, like a web browser, email client, calendar, a mapping tool, and an app for buying music or other apps. Sometimes you can remove these apps to free up space, or you can change the device settings to take them off.

People can get new apps from places called app stores. These stores might be run by the company that makes the phone’s operating system, like the App Store or Google Play Store, or by other companies like Amazon Appstore. Apps can usually be downloaded straight to your phone, but sometimes they can go to a laptop or desktop computer too.

Some apps are free, while others cost money — either all at once or through a subscription. A few apps let you spend money inside them for extra features or show advertising. The money made from apps is shared between the app maker and the app store.

Mobile apps started out helping with things like email, calendar, and weather. But because so many people wanted more, apps quickly grew to include all sorts of things, like games and tools for many jobs. As more and more apps became available, it got harder to find the ones you wanted, so many websites and magazines began reviewing and recommending apps.

People are using mobile apps more and more. In 2012, more people used apps on their phones than visited websites on them. Apps are also helping with health matters when set up the right way.

Market research firm Gartner predicted that in 2013, 102 billion apps would be downloaded, creating $26 billion in the US. By mid-2015, just the Google Play and Apple stores made $5 billion. Experts say the app market brings in over €10 billion each year in the European Union and has created over 529,000 jobs there.

Types

Mobile applications can be grouped in different ways. One common way is to separate them into native, web-based, and hybrid apps.

Native app

Native apps are designed for a specific type of device, like those made by Apple. This means an app made for an Apple device won’t work on an Android device. Because of this, many companies create apps for many different devices.

These apps are made to work best on the device they’re made for. They often look and feel great, and users can easily switch between them.

Web-based app

Web-based apps are built using web tools like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. They usually need an internet connection to work fully and store information in the cloud.

These apps work much like a website in a browser. They might not be as fast or have all the features of a native app.

Hybrid app

Hybrid apps mix parts of native and web-based apps. They are created using tools like Apache Cordova, Flutter, Xamarin, React Native, Sencha Touch, and other frameworks.

These apps can work on many different devices using one set of code. They are quicker to make than native apps but might not perform as well or look exactly the same on every device.

Development

Creating apps for mobile devices is different because these devices use batteries and have less power than regular computers. They also come with special features like finding your location and cameras. Developers must think about many different screen sizes and hardware setups because there are so many types of mobile devices.

To build mobile apps, developers use special tools called integrated development environments. They test their apps using emulators, which are like practice phones on a computer, before sharing them with real users.

Designing how an app looks and works is very important. This includes thinking about how small the screen is and how users will control the app with their fingers. The goal is to make the app easy and friendly to use.

Mobile apps also need to connect to other systems for things like security and data storage. This is handled by special parts called back-ends.

Some new ways for apps to talk to users are through voice assistants and chatbots, which let users give commands using text or voice instead of tapping on screens. These are becoming more popular because many people feel overwhelmed by having too many apps on their phones.

Distribution

See also: List of mobile app distribution platforms

The three biggest app stores are Google Play for Android, App Store for iOS, and Microsoft Store for Windows 10, Windows 10 Mobile, and Xbox One.

Google Play

Main article: Google Play

Google Play is an online store for Android devices, created by Google. It opened in October 2008. By July 2013, over 50 billion apps had been downloaded from Google Play. As of September 2016, more than 2.4 million apps were available, and most of them were free.

App Store

Main article: App Store (Apple)

Apple’s App Store for iOS and iPadOS opened on July 10, 2008. By September 2016, over 140 billion downloads had been made. In June 2011, there were 425,000 apps available, and by June 2012, this number had grown to 650,000.

Microsoft Store

Main article: Microsoft Store

Microsoft Store was introduced in 2012 for Windows 8 and Windows RT. It mainly offers apps designed for tablets and touch-based devices, but these apps can also work with a keyboard and mouse, as well as on desktop computers and laptops.

Others

Main article: List of mobile app distribution platforms

Other app stores include:

• Amazon Appstore for Android devices, opened in March 2011.
• BlackBerry World for BlackBerry 10 and BlackBerry OS devices, opened in April 2009.
• Ovi (Nokia) for Nokia phones, launched in May 2009 and later renamed Nokia Store.
• Windows Phone Store for Windows Phone, launched in October 2010.
• Samsung Apps, introduced in September 2009.
• F-Droid — a free and open-source Android app repository.
• Opera Mobile Store for various mobile platforms, launched in March 2011.

There are also many independent app stores for Android devices.

Enterprise management

Mobile application management (MAM) is about software and services that help businesses give employees the right apps and keep data safe. This is very important when employees use their own phones or tablets for work. With MAM, company IT teams can put work apps on personal devices, control who can see company information, and take work data off a device if it gets lost or if the employee leaves the company.

One way to keep data safe is called app wrapping. This takes a website and turns it into a mobile app, adding some rules about how it can be used. However, this method has some problems, like limited features and extra costs to change the rules. Another way is using native apps with special management tools, which gives companies more flexibility to update rules and apps as needed.