An app is more than screens on a phone. Behind almost every useful app is a backend: an API, a database, an admin dashboard, push notifications and analytics. Planning that part properly is what separates an app that grows from one that gets rebuilt.
Native or cross-platform?
- Cross-platform (React Native, Flutter): one codebase for iOS and Android, faster delivery and lower maintenance. Right for most commerce, booking, service and content apps.
- Native (Swift for iOS, Kotlin for Android): best for games, AR, heavy media processing or deep use of device hardware, at roughly twice the build and maintenance effort.
- Progressive web app: a mobile-friendly web app installable from the browser, a good first step when you don't need the app stores.
What a first release includes
- Discovery and user flows for the main journeys (sign up, browse, buy or book, account).
- UI design for iOS and Android, in Arabic and English if you serve both audiences.
- The app itself, plus the backend API, database and an admin dashboard.
- Integrations: payments, maps, SMS or WhatsApp notifications, analytics.
- Testing on real devices, a security review, and App Store and Google Play submission.
Timeline and cost drivers
A focused first release usually takes 8–12 weeks. The biggest cost drivers are the number of user types (for example customer, driver and admin), real-time features such as chat or live tracking, payments, offline support, and integrations with existing systems. Budget for ongoing maintenance too: both stores require regular updates for new operating-system versions.
App store requirements to plan for
- Developer accounts for Apple and Google, registered to your company.
- A privacy policy and accurate data-collection declarations in both stores.
- Account deletion from inside the app if users can create accounts.
- Review time: Apple's review can add a few days to each release.
Mobile app security
Most serious mobile app vulnerabilities are in the backend API, not the app: missing authorisation checks, exposed keys and weak session handling. We build and test against the OWASP Mobile Application Security Verification Standard (MASVS), and test the API with the same rigour as the app.
Users judge an app by its screens. Its success is decided by the backend nobody sees.