What is Cross-Platform Mobile App Development? — The Complete Guide
Well, there is no stopping the explosion of the mobile apps. And we all are well-aware of the reason behind the massive popularity of mobile-centric apps. The evolution of smartphones is the main reason behind this massive popularity of applications. From a simple alarm app to complex navigational tools, there is no denying the presence of the sheer number of apps in our smartphones.
And in case you don’t know, these apps are available on multiple platforms like the iOS and android. To emphasize the potentiality of both these platforms, developers design cross-platform apps. The cross-platform development environment empowers the developers to embrace the use of the same codebase across various OS.
In simple words, with a single application, you can design an app that can run on both Android and iOS platforms. In today’s digital world, there are innumerable devices supporting multiple operating systems worldwide. So to reach a larger audience, you would have to publish your mobile app on each of these platforms.
But as you see, the development of the app for different operating systems can be a difficult task. This is exactly where cross-platform app development comes to the fore. So with these things in mind, let’s take into account cross platform mobile development.
An Overview of Cross Platform Apps Development
In simple words, cross-platform app development refers to the process which provides developers an opportunity to create and design mobile apps which supports a wide variety of operating systems. Note that this type of application development is entirely compatible with various operating systems.
Cross-platform app developers design these apps with the help of a single universal language which can be deployed on any platform. So as you can see, the process of the development of apps is quite faster in a cross-platform environment. Developers also have to write the code only once which exudes practicality.
Demand for software products and services are always on the rise. Developing apps that can run on multiple platforms is quite problematic. For instance, developers usually face an array of challenges, from different OS to screen sizes of varying lengths. Cross-platform app development has emerged as a blessing for those who have multiple apps on different domains.
Many companies are now emphasizing cross platform app development to help start-ups and other organizations. In other words, cross-platform app development is the present and the future of the app industry.
Things to know about Cross-Platform Applications
Cross-platform applications refer to mobile applications designed to work on a large number of platforms like iOS and Android. As these apps comprise a single codebase, they are easier and practicable to improve. One of the primary highlights of this type of app development process is that it can give access to a vast array of target audience from any corner of the world.
Note that cross-platform apps have an unvarying UI and features that can comply with native app familiarity. The cross-platform applications are ideal for start-ups and medium-scale corporations as they can be developed rapidly and it takes less amount of time to deploy and promote them. There is no denying the fact that cross-platform apps are steering the growth of mobile app development towards prosperity.
As they can operate on multiple mobile OS, businesses can drastically reduce the cost of development. To be precise, cross-platform mobile development of apps can cater to various types of niches. This is the reason that the organizations can announce their items and products rapidly with the enhancement in excellence standards. These types of apps can reach the targeted audience in the quickest possible time.
It is worthwhile here to note that flutter app development can eliminate the dissimilarities that are usually prevalent in OS in the form of UX and UI. Moreover, this would help the app development company to drastically decrease the overall budget and allocation of resources related to app development. In simple words, cross-platform development of apps can cater to the unique needs of the users.
Differences to know about Cross-Platform App and Native App Development
To be precise, there has always been a debate to select between cross-platform and native apps. Note that both these app development environments have own set of advantages and disadvantages. However, they have their own uniqueness. When compared to the cross-platform apps, the native applications are a bit different and serve different purposes.
For instance, native apps, as the name suggests, can function on a single OS. On the contrary, cross-platform applications can function on different platforms. Furthermore, when the context is about superiority, native apps can easily outgun the cross-platform apps. This is because they achieve quicker and possess a greater gradation of dependability.
And as they are native to the platform they operate in, they can comply with the UI and the layout. But for start-ups, native applications can be expensive as they are dedicated to a solitary stand only. In case of native applications, the SDK allows one to the API of the smartphone without any issues.
And when the context is about cross-platform applications, there is no access to the APIs. Native applications are more consistent across the UI components which make them an ideal platform for companies to operate on. But developers are now discovering newer forms of cross-platform app development tools with the help of which they can make these applications more consistent.
The Advantages of Cross Platform App Development
Here are some of the advantages of cross-platform mobile app development which you should be aware of :
- You can Reach a Large Number of Audience
As we all know, a cross-platform app can be deployed on a variety of mobile OS. It has the ability to double the size of your target audience. In simple words, with cross-platform mobile app development, you can reach both users of Android and iOS.
- Uniformity across Various Platforms
As only one cross-platform app is developed common for all the platforms, it becomes simpler for the users to recognize the same UI elements for various platforms. This type of identical UI and UX elements can assist with the retention of the users even if they switch to different devices and platforms.
- Codes are Reusable
This is probably the best advantage of having a cross-platform application. Once developers write a code, you can use it several times to save resources and time. In short, cross-platform apps eliminate the requirement of writing code for each platform. You can also eliminate the time taken to research for the codes which is a great thing.
- Aids with Swift App Development
This is another key highlight of cross platform mobile apps development When compared to the other app development processes, cross-platform app development saves you a great deal of time. You can even develop a feature-rich application for a wide variety of platforms in less time.
Flutter as a Cross-Platform App Development Frameworks
In case you don’t know, Flutter is an open-source and free cross-platform app development framework. You can create cross-platform apps for both Android and iOS. What’s more impressive is the fact that Flutter is exclusively maintained by Google.
And when the context is about the top three most loved frameworks, Flutter comes third. Flutter comes equipped with hot reloading which allows the developers to see the changes in seconds and not minutes. Flutter doesn’t support Android and Apple TV which is quite an issue.
So as you can see, cross-platform app development has been rising in popularity since its inception. If your brand needs a wide coverage, cross-platform apps are the smartest choice.
Choosing the right cross-platform app developer would provide you with rich dividends in the future too. So consider cross-platform apps for your business today!
Originally published at https://multiqos.com/ on March 24, 2021.
