The Best Way to Create a Mobile App for iOS and Android: 8 Steps

TL;DR: Mobile app development involves eight key steps: defining your idea and target audience, conducting market research, determining essential features, designing the interface, building functionality with workflows and data structures, thorough testing across devices, launching on app stores, and continuously iterating based on user feedback. Modern no-code platforms like Bubble now enable non-developers to build native iOS and Android apps using AI generation and visual drag-and-drop tools, significantly reducing traditional development costs and timelines.

So, you have an idea and want to build a mobile app?

You're in the right place.

Having a great idea is just step one — but we've got you covered with the other seven steps, too. Whether you're a true beginner or you've done some development but never for mobile, we'll walk you through everything you need to know to create a mobile app that works, scales, and can support your business or community.

What is mobile app development?

When you think of traditional software development, you probably think of coding. But today, development — for web apps or for mobile — can be done without code, thanks to no-code and AI development platforms like Bubble.

Types of mobile apps

Not all mobile apps are created with the same process — in fact, there are a few different ways you can make a mobile app:

• Web apps and PWAs (progressive web apps): Interactive apps that run in a browser (like Chrome or Safari). They can be accessed on any device and are fast to build. PWAs work offline and can be installed to your device through browser prompts or "Add to Home screen" options, though they are not distributed through traditional app stores.
• Wrapped apps are web apps that are "wrapped" in a container to make them more "mobile-like." It's still written with web code, but it's "wrapped" for mobile so that you can download it directly to your app via different app stores. (note: Bubble does NOT use wrappers — we build true native apps.)
• Hybrid apps are essentially the same technology as a wrapped app. Hybrid apps generally refer to an app that is designed using web-based programming languages, but is then built within a framework or container designed for mobile. With wrapped and hybrid apps, you get more access to device capabilities, and the app looks and feels more like a true mobile app, but performance is often slower and can be buggy depending on the wrapper. (Bubble's native apps avoid these performance issues by using React Native.)
• Native mobile apps are apps designed for a specific mobile platform (i.e., an iOS app or an Android app). They're written directly in the code designed for those platforms, can make use of all device features, and generally feel the smoothest and fastest.

Traditionally, native mobile development has been the most time-consuming and resource-intensive way to create apps, because you have to build and maintain completely separate codebases for each app. But Bubble “translates” your one mobile app for both iOS and Android using the React Native framework, creating true native apps without the performance compromises of wrapped or hybrid approaches.

With Bubble for native mobile, you can generate apps instantly with AI, then refine with visual drag-and-drop tools.

Different development approaches

Mobile development traditionally required choosing between speed and ease vs. performance and quality. Newer app development approaches eliminate this tradeoff.

In short, here are your options:

Many low-code and AI app-building platforms use wrappers to build mobile apps, which can help with speed and expenses, but still run into performance issues. Unlike these platforms, Bubble builds true native apps using React Native — giving you the best performance without wrappers.

How much does it cost to build a mobile app?

The cost of building a mobile app varies wildly, depending on:

• Your app’s type and complexity
• Your development method
• Your timeline
• Your own expertise

In general, hiring a developer or an agency is an expensive option. The average annual salary for a US app developer is between $100K–130K. Even if your app only takes a few months to build, you can still easily rack up tens of thousands in development costs.

Here are some general ranges pulled from app development statistics:

If you don’t have a lot of software development expertise or experience, Bubble provides native mobile app building tools that help you eliminate both expensive costs and unmanageable timelines and learning curves. Yes, you still have to learn the Bubble platform — but it’s designed to be accessible for non-developers, meaning anyone can learn and build on Bubble in weeks, not the years that learning to code would take. Plus, the AI Agent can teach you as you go.

In short:

• Hiring developers: Faster due to expertise, but still time-consuming and most expensive.
• DIY approach: Less expensive but requires development experience for timely completion.
• No-code platforms like Bubble: Give non-developers the tools to build quickly and affordably, with free building until launch.

How long does it take to build a mobile app?

As with costs, timelines for the app development process vary a lot too.

If you’re hiring a development team, a bigger budget will help you move faster (since you can hire more people to work on the app and get it done). In general, development team timelines can range:

• Simple apps: 2–4 months
• Moderately complex apps: 3–6 months
• Complex apps: 6–9+ months

If you’re DIY-ing your app, your timeline depends largely on your own availability and expertise. But with Bubble, that timeline might be shorter than you think, even if you’re not a programmer.

David Bressler — a marketing analyst with no programming background — built the MVP of his app, Formula Bot, in a single weekend on Bubble. It quickly gained traction, and in less than a year, David had scaled Formula Bot to a complex data analyst tool with over 1 million users, while only working on it “on the side” of his full-time job.

His story isn’t an isolated one. Founders and small teams are consistently building apps in just weeks on Bubble that would have taken months using other development methods:

• CreateWith conference co-founder built a mobile app for their event in just weeks on Bubble — launching the app for this year's conference without high development costs.
• ChurchSpace launched their MVP three times faster on Bubble than they could have with custom code, saving an estimated 5 times in development costs.
• Artizen, a crowd-funding platform for artists, switched to Bubble from a traditional development team and launched 10 times faster — while also saving $125,000 a month.

What you need before you start

A little preparation before designing and building goes a long way. You don't need technical expertise, but having these basics in order makes the process much smoother.

• A clear problem to solve: The best apps solve a real problem for a specific group of people. Know what pain point you're addressing and for whom.
• A basic understanding of your user: Who are you building this for? What are their needs and expectations? A little research now saves a lot of redesigning later.
• A willingness to learn: Building an app is a journey. While platforms like Bubble remove the coding barrier, you'll still be learning how to think through logic and design. A curious and problem-solving mindset is your most important tool.
• A list of essential features: You don't need to build everything at once. Decide on the core features that make your app valuable for a first version. You can always add more later.

How to create a mobile app in eight steps

Traditional development follows specific steps, but Bubble's AI-powered visual builder is transforming these processes. Here are the basic steps for any app development approach, from idea to launch.

P.S. Rather learn by watching? Watch a deep dive on building a mobile app from start to finish:

Step 1: Define your app idea

Developing a good mobile app idea goes beyond a basic premise or category (i.e., "Duolingo but for _____"). With millions of apps on the app stores, creating one that stands out requires:

• A clear problem and solution: What (real, felt) problem does your app solve?
• A defined audience: Who's your app going to help?
• A strong product-founder fit: Are you the right person to create this app, and if so, why?
• Differentiation from competitors: How does your app solve problems differently (and better!) than other options on the market? Why will your defined audience choose your solution over another?

With your idea solidified, you can define the minimum viable product (MVP) that will solve the problem. That is, what are the most basic features and functionality needed to deliver on your app's promise?

Step 2: Perform market research

At this point, you need to validate and further solidify your ideas. The best way to do that? Market and audience research.

Your market research should include:

• Competitor analysis: What other solutions exist for the problem you’re targeting? Those can be traditional solutions, other businesses or services, or other mobile apps.
• Market gaps: Where do those other solutions fall short? These gaps in other solutions provide key elements of potential differentiation for you.
• User feedback: What pain points, unmet needs, or feature requests do users want? Look at competitor’s reviews, online forums, and social media for feedback from your target users. Or better yet — set up a survey or some focus groups to ask them yourself!
• Audience demand: How much do users want a different solution? How much do they want the solution you have in mind? It’s easy to think of a new solution to an old problem — but finding the solution that your audience wants is harder (yet, more valuable).

This research helps you understand your ideal customer and find product-market fit. Once you see what competitors are doing, what they're missing, and what your audience wants, you can create features that set your app apart.

Step 3: Determine your app’s features

Your market and user research can then help you define:

1. How your app is structured
2. The core “user journeys,” or ways that someone will move through your app
3. Essential features that must be included in v1

The best way to think through structure and features is through the eyes of your user. What are the users’ core problems? What core tasks or goals will they be using your app for? For example, core tasks on a travel app might be searching for a hotel, booking a hotel, viewing your reservation, and looking at hotel or check-in details.

Then, you can map out the user journey for each of those tasks to understand what screens and features you’ll need for each of those steps. For example, searching for a hotel might require:

• A search engine
• Search engine filters
• A loading page
• Results page with hotel properties details

Focus on these essentials for your MVP, then iterate based on user feedback after launch.

Step 4: Design your app’s interface

As you design your app's interface, keep in mind core mobile design principles:

• Keep it simple: Each screen should serve one core purpose, and use white space to keep screens uncluttered.
• Be consistent: A consistent style and design system makes your app visually appealing and more intuitive to use.
• Design with mobile gestures in mind: Keep in mind how your app will be used — minimal typing, easy-to-reach buttons, and navigation that makes sense for mobile gestures like swiping and tapping.
• Optimize for performance: Avoid resource-heavy graphics and animations in your design that can slow down performance on mobile.
• Follow native design conventions: Use platform-specific UI standards for iOS and Android to keep your app intuitive and easy to use.

Traditionally,

Traditionally, wireframing has been the first step in the app design process, but Bubble AI can generate your initial design in minutes — or you can skip wireframing and design directly in the same visual editor you'll use to build your app.

But don't think that drag-and-drop means you'll lose customizability — Bubble lets you generate designs with AI or use a visual editor with intuitive drag-and-drop tools — switch seamlessly between the two based on what you need. Bubble's editor gives you full control, down to the pixel, so you can design your app exactly as you've imagined it. Plus, you don't have to convert your design later into code for the final build. You’ll add functionality in the same editor, with the same drag-and-drop functionality. Fewer steps, faster process — and no repeating the work you already did.

Step 5: Build your app

With your design in place (whether AI-generated or built visually), you can build out or refine the functionality of your app: the features, the workflows, and the data that makes it work. Soon, the AI Agent can will be able to help generate workflows and data structures for native mobile apps from natural language, just like it can for web apps today. For now, it can tell you how to wire them up yourself.

Here’s your checklist for building:

✅ Start with data structure: What types of information (data) does your app need to store? Building your database allows you to set up and organize data types, which will help power the workflows and actions of your app. For example, if your app allows users to log in, your app might need to store data like email addresses, user names, or phone numbers. The AI Agent can show you how to create data types and fields from your description, complete with privacy rules.

✅ Build workflows: Logic powers the features of your app. Workflows connect your app’s UI to the data. For example, when you click the “search” button, your app filters through the data and takes users to a results page. Or when they click on the “home” button, it takes them to the home page. You can ask the AI Agent how to build workflows from natural language (like "When this button is clicked, send an email") in the visual editor with an if-then structure.

✅ Set up integrations: What other tools, apps, or software will your app connect to? For example, are you going to use Stripe to accept payments? Or maybe you’re creating an AI-powered feature in your app with OpenAI or Claude. You can connect other tools and services using plugins — on Bubble, it just takes a few clicks to add integrations and expand functionality quickly.

The AI Agent can already help you with all of this — generating workflows, data types, and expressions from natural language — in web apps, and that's coming soon for mobile apps, too.

Step 6: Test and refine your app

You’re almost ready to launch! But first, you’ll want to test your app thoroughly to get rid of bugs, ensure functionality works as expected, and make sure it meets your users’ expectations.

Bubble's mobile preview and BubbleGo app let you test your app as you build, which is a great way to check for obvious bugs and make sure it looks great on every screen size. (BubbleGo lets you test out your app on mobile, even before it’s launched!) But you still don’t want to skip the traditional testing stages:

1. Initial testing and debugging: First, you’ll test the app yourself. Carefully check each screen and all the workflows of your apps for errors. Use the preview mode to test it like a real user, walking through different scenarios and user journeys to make sure they all work. Bubble’s built-in Debugger and Issue Checker can help you automatically find errors and bugs with workflows and elements — and figure out how to fix them.

2. Internal testing (aka alpha testing): If you’re working with a team or within a larger organization, recruit team members to test out your app as well. It can also be helpful to test different user types within your app. On Bubble, search for a specific user in the database editor and click “Run as” to test it as that user. This can help you make sure that access permissions, security, and customized views work as expected.

3. Beta testing: In beta testing, you’ll invite a small group of external users — usually people in your target audience or power users — to test out the app or new features and report any issues or unclear areas. This is a great time to run usability testing, but you can get broader customer feedback from beta testers, too.
4. Soft release: A soft release is optional. If you do one, you’ll release your app to a larger — but still limited — group of users before launching publicly. A soft release can help you build demand for your app, test out and ensure scalability, continue to find and fix bugs, and improve features before launching to a big audience.

In each wave of testing, here are five key areas to think about:

Step 7: Launch your app

Congrats! At this stage, you’re ready to launch your app. Launching your mobile app requires submitting it to the Apple App Store and/or the Google Play Store. Both have their own app store guidelines that are independent from Bubble — but when you build on Bubble, we’ll make the process of publishing and deploying your app as easy as possible.

On the App Store: Apple’s review and deployment process is fairly rigorous, and requires several steps, including:

• Signing up for a Developer account and verifying your identity
• Paying an app registration fee (to Apple)
• Configuring and packaging your app for deployment (Bubble does this for you automatically!)
• Submitting your app for review
• Publishing and making it available to users

On the Google Play Store: The process is more automated and usually faster than on the Apple App Store, but it still requires similar steps, including setting up an app and project in the Google Play and Google Cloud Console, configuring app settings for Android, deploying your app for testing and review, and then launching your app.

Don’t worry, though! Bubble helps you through the entire process, and automatically packages your app for publishing and deployment on both app stores, as well as launching to the web. Instead of navigating all the steps to deployment manually, you get one-click deployment and then just wait for the app stores’ approval — one more way that Bubble makes everything just a bit (ok, a lot) faster.

Step 8: Iterate and grow your app

You’ve come a long way, but publishing your app is truly just the beginning. After your app goes live, there’s still a lot you’ll need to do to maintain, improve, and scale your app.

Here’s your checklist for maintaining and growing your app:

✅ Gather feedback continuously. Ongoing user testing and feedback is a crucial part of improving and growing your app. Your users are the best people to tell you how you can improve — and what features to build next! In-app surveys, support emails, app store reviews, and built-in analytics can all help you understand how users are using your app and what they want to see next.

Not sure where to get started? Use a plugin like Mixpanel for analytics and event tracking, or Hotjar for heatmaps, session recordings, and user feedback to integrate user data right into your Bubble editor.

✅ Stay up-to-date on security and privacy. Each platform has their own security requirements — not to mention regional or global security requirements, or regular compliance standards that apply to your app. It’s a lot to keep up with, but Bubble makes it a lot easier by building in security and privacy to your editor. You can add and edit privacy rules visually (no need to code them!) and our partnership with Flusk gives you automated security checks, enhanced enterprise privacy, and more.

✅ Make regular updates. Fix bugs as they appear, improve UI and design based on usage, incorporate new features and functionality, and respond to user feedback. Not every update has to be user-facing, either — updates to your infrastructure, databases, logic, or other backend features can provide critical performance support and upgrades.

For smaller, regular updates, use over-the-air (OTA) updates to push changes and bug fixes live, without needing to re-submit to the app stores or making users download a new version. Not all mobile app frameworks support OTA updates, but Bubble does! Plus, Bubble offers built-in version control to make it easy to track changes, work on multiple major updates at once, and roll back to previous versions if needed.

✅ Scale your backend as needed. As your audience (and database) grows, you may need to scale your backend to keep up with your app’s demand. This is a good problem to have! But it still requires a lot of maintenance — such as adjusting your database architecture, setting up backend monitoring, and distributing traffic effectively. On Bubble, hosting is managed by Bubble — so your app is secure and infinitely scalable, without much work on your end.

✅ Maintain changelogs and update announcements. Finally, make sure you keep your users up-to-date on ... well, what’s up-to-date. Check out Bubble's product updates if you need some inspiration.

Build your mobile app on Bubble

Getting a great mobile app idea? Easy. Making it real? A lot more complicated.

At Bubble, we're bringing mobile app development to everyone — regardless of your background or experience. With AI generation for instant app creation and a visual editor for precise control, Bubble makes it easy to build a mobile app that can scale.

Unlike traditional development, Bubble is fast and accessible. Unlike basic app builders, you get full control and scalability without code.

The result?

• You can build anything you imagine — from simple personal apps to complex enterprise apps.
• You can build for web and mobile all in one place — build once, launch everywhere.
• You get best-in-class, enterprise-grade security. Don’t worry about leaking or exposing sensitive user data — Bubble offers SOC 2 Type II and GDPR compliance, automated security and vulnerability testing, and more.
• You can launch and update quickly with OTA updates and automatically packaged apps ready for submission when you are.
• You get to build with confidence, knowing you have a scalable backend, built-in hosting and security, and a trusted platform that supports everyone from hobbyists to major enterprises.

Frequently asked questions about creating mobile apps

Can I create my own app for free?

Yes, you can. Many platforms, including Bubble, offer a free plan that allows you to build your entire app without any upfront cost. You typically only need to upgrade to a paid plan when you're ready to launch your app to the public or need more server capacity.

Does owning an app make money?

It certainly can. Popular ways to monetize an app include charging a subscription fee, showing advertisements, offering in-app purchases for special features, or taking a commission on transactions that happen in your app. An app's ability to make money depends on the value it provides to users and a solid marketing strategy.

What's the difference between creating iOS and Android apps?

Traditionally, building for iOS (Apple's operating system) and Android (Google's operating system) required two separate projects using different programming languages. Modern iOS development primarily uses Swift (though Objective-C is still supported), while Android development has been Kotlin-first since 2019 (though Java remains supported). However, modern platforms like Bubble use cross-platform frameworks like React Native, allowing you to build your app once and launch it on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store from a single project.

Do I need a Mac computer to create iOS apps?

If you were coding traditionally, you would need a Mac to use Apple's software (Xcode) to build and submit your app to the App Store. When you build on a platform like Bubble, you don't need a Mac. The entire building process is done in your web browser, and Bubble handles the technical packaging and submission process for you.

How do I protect my app idea from being stolen?

While it's a common concern, the reality is that ideas are less valuable than execution. The best protection is often to build and launch a great product faster than anyone else. For formal protection, you can use Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) when discussing your idea with contractors or partners. For specific legal advice on patents or copyrights, it's always best to consult with a lawyer.