Mobile App Development: Quick Start Guide

In 2023 alone, the global community downloaded 257 billion mobile apps, and that number is expected to grow each year [1]. In 2024, the most downloaded mobile app was TikTok with 825.5 million downloads in a single year [2]. It’s amazing to think that prior to 2008, there was no such thing as an App Store [3]. 

Mobile app development has seen extraordinary growth as a subsection of the vast tech industry. Whether a user is interested in playing a game, finding love, testing a recipe, translating a phrase, or balancing their chequebook, there’s an app on their mobile device for that. 

Discover more about the mobile app development industry and find tips on how you can start your career in this field. 

How many mobile apps are downloaded? Mobile app downloads worldwide have increased every year since 2016, reaching 257 billion in 2023 [1]. In the first three months of 2024, users downloaded 8.4 billion apps from the Apple App Store and 25.6 billion apps from Google Play [4]. Statista projects that mobile apps will generate more than 781.70 billion USD in revenues by 2029 worldwide [5]. 

Demand for mobile app development services

The consumer demand is only rising for tech-savvy professionals ready to lead mobile app development projects. According to CompTIA’s Canadian Tech Industry and Workforce Trends 2024, the tech industry in Canada has continued to expand over the past few years and is expected to grow at twice the rate of overall employment through 2024 [6].

Demand for mobile app developers

The Job Bank expects a positive job outlook for mobile app developers across the country through 2027, with most provinces and territories having good to moderate job opportunities [7]. Provinces with the highest-rated opportunities include [7]:

• Manitoba

• Newfoundland and Labrador

• Nova Scotia

• Prince Edward Island

• Quebec

• Saskatchewan

What is a mobile app? Examples of successful mobile apps in today’s market

The following sections outline some of today's most well-used and successful examples of mobile app development.

YouTube

YouTube is a social platform that allows users to share videos about everything from lifestyle to travel to comedy to yoga. At least 70 percent of video viewers watch content on their smartphones, compared to 59 percent who use less mobile devices, such as smart TVs and computers [8]. YouTube mobile app users worldwide spend over 27 hours per month on the app as of November 2024 [9].

Angry Birds

Released as an iOS app in 2009, Angry Birds is now a franchise that stretches well beyond its beginnings. From the addictive, puzzle-style app also came a movie, a line of plush toys, cartoons, television shows, films, and even its own cookbook. The game has turned its company, Rovio Entertainment Corporation, into a thriving success.

Google Maps

The days of unfolding and folding a collection of glove box maps are moving on. Today, anyone with a smartphone can have a map in their pocket. Google Maps launched its mobile app in 2007 for Blackberry and Palm devices. In 2008, it was available for Android phones, and finally, in 2012, as an iOS app [10].

Google Maps has developed to be much more than an overview of street grids and highways. Today, Google Maps provides real-time traffic information and a platform for user reviews and business listings. 

Fortnite: Battle Royale

Fortnite’s survival game has become one of the most popular mobile gaming apps worldwide. Epic Games had a record 295 million users in 2024, including fans of Fortnight, one of its top 20 games of that year [11]. Fortnite also boasts a thriving community of streamers, holds virtual concerts, and releases several celebrity skins (in-game outfits). 

Revolut

One challenge that global citizens face is the ability to move currency—to get paid for work or to pay for services—in modern ways. The app Revolut has worked to solve that problem, and as a result, its valuation surpassed that of Barclays and Natwest [12].

The idea to provide a global financial app for people to manage their funds through a single platform anywhere on the planet was a disruptive concept for the financial industry. These breakthrough ideas are built by tech pros skilled at taking them and making them a reality. 

Zoom

If you didn’t use the Zoom app before the COVID-19 pandemic, you most likely did at some point in 2020 or later. The company counted more than 300 million daily meeting participants in April 2020, up from 10 million six months prior to that [13]. The explosive growth proved that hard work and creativity could fill a need exactly when people demand it the most. 

5 traits of a successful mobile app

Mobile apps have several traits that make them successful. Profit can be a driving force for some mobile app development projects, while many successful apps come from creativity and purpose. Ideas that provide entertainment, connection, or innovative solutions to common problems are solid foundations for a mobile app. Five traits of a successful app include:

1. Ability to meet the needs of a targeted audience

2. Creation of something that hasn’t been done before or doing it in a different way

3. Availability on both iOS and Android

4. Ease of navigation and usability 

5. Functional as well as visually appealing

How to develop your own mobile app

If you’re considering building your own mobile application, consider factors like the scope of your project, its specifications, and your technical knowledge to determine your next steps. Check out some tips below. 

Partner with a mobile app development company.

A mobile app development agency is an organization that provides mobile app development services. For example, they may have a team of user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) designers, marketing professionals, and project managers. In addition to technical help, some may provide guidance and strategic recommendations. Retaining mobile app development services may be a good approach if you have time constraints or do not want to be hands-on with mobile application development.

There are many different mobile app development companies on the market today. Make sure to research and compare options to identify which ones are trustworthy and best suited to deliver your project's needs.

Develop a mobile app yourself.

Mobile app developers are specialized programmers who know how to work with programming languages like Python and JavaScript. Sixty-nine per cent of mobile application developers have a bachelor's degree, and 24 per cent have a master's degree [14]. You can also teach yourself to code with online courses, boot camps, and Guided Projects. If you're completely new to development, consider a beginner-friendly course like Web Applications for Everybody from the University of Michigan.

How to develop a mobile app in 5 steps

Keep in mind that the software development life cycle (SDLC) is often iterative. Some steps may overlap with one another or take place several times. Microsoft documentation outlines the mobile app development process in five steps:

1. Inception: During this phase, you should refine your ideas into a more concrete foundation on which to build your app. This may include researching the market for existing competition, identifying the value your app intends to provide, and deciding which types of mobile technologies you want to employ (like geolocation or camera access.)

2. Design: The design phase requires you to plan and define your app's user experience (UX). You'll need to apply graphic design skills to determine the layout, functionality, and aesthetics of your user interface (UI).

3. Development: The application is built during this phase. A working prototype of the application helps to identify any potential setbacks or additional opportunities that come up during development.

4. Stabilization: You'll identify and resolve any bugs or defects in your application's performance during the stabilization phase. Additionally, you should evaluate its usability. You may need to return to the development stage or reevaluate elements of your design.

5. Deployment: When you have completed your application, it's time to release it to the public. Your deployment method depends on the platform you chose to develop your application for. For example, if you develop an iOS application, you might distribute it through Apple's App Store. Or, you may publish an Android application through Google Play, Google's official app store.

Develop a mobile app with Coursera

Mobile app development is a growing industry with lots of potential for you to design your own application. You can build a mobile application with an industry leader by enrolling in one of Meta's Professional Certificate programs. If you're interested in iOS development, build your own iOS app and gain access to the Meta Career Programs Job Board with the Meta iOS Developer Professional Certificate:

​​Or, gain access to the same job board while building an app for Android with the Meta Android Developer Professional Certificate: