How to Build an Android App? Tools, Process, Advantages

Android app development is one of the fastest-growing industries globally, thanks to its wide range of features like multilingual support, robust security, accessibility, affordability and multitasking. The Android operating system has dominated the whole global OS market, making businesses highly profitable.

As a feature-rich operating system platform, Androids offers the best compatibility with various devices, allowing businesses to achieve their desired goals and generate fundamental profit easily. With state-of-the-art features such as Near-field communication (NFC), custom home screens and automation, widgets and more, the Android app can be tailored to meet the needs of businesses.

Moreover, the latest study shows that Android has a global market share of 69.94%. There is an infinite potential in Android app development. Across 190 countries, there are more than 3.9 billion active android users, also more than 150 million Android smart smart television users and more than 60.4 millions homes are using android smart home automation.

What is Android App Development?

Android development is the process of building apps for various devices running on Android operating systems. Android Studio is the official integrated development environment (IDE) for native Android. It also provides a Software Development Kit with other tools and resources for the development, testing and deployment of the Android application.

Android Operating system has an extensive user reach, covers a broad range of devices and solutions. It is not limited to mobile applications, it supports apps for tablets, foldable devices, chromebooks.

Additionally, Android offers custom and tailored solutions for connecting devices, smart home automation, Internet of things (IoT), and Android Auto. With the ability to cater the wide industry needs through boundless customization, android is a versatile and powerful platform.

Why is Android the first choice for Business?

For all the business persons and entrepreneurs who are looking forward to app development, you already know there are a lot of operating systems available. However, among all of them, Android has secured its name as the most secure and easy-to-use platform.

Here are some of the popular reasons why Android is the first choice of business.

Faster Deployment

The Deployment of an Android application is way faster compared to any other platform. This is because Android apps are built with object-oriented Java and other available tools.

Target Multiple Platforms

The best thing about Android is that it can smoothly run on multiple platforms, helping businesses to achieve their goals. Also, this feature of Android makes it easier for the developers that they do not have to write different code for different platforms.

High ROI with Lower Cost

Android is one of the most dominant operating systems, with a wide range of applications available, making it easier to promote your app.

Investing in an Android app is more cost-effective compared to other platforms. This investment offers a higher return on investment (ROI) while keeping costs low.

Versatility & Scalability

In comparison to other platforms, it is easier for developers to create a scalable app that works on other Android versions without any issues. This feature makes Android the best choice for businesses that users can use over a period of time.

Best & Versatile Languages for the Android App Development

App development is not as simple as it sounds, and various factors come into the process when you choose the development languages you want to use.

In a nutshell, native applications are written in a programming language which runs on specific platforms (iOS and Android), while Hybrid applications use web-based technologies such as HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript.

Here are some examples of the most popular languages which are used for developing Android apps:

Java

Java is one of the popular programming languages of Android app development, supported by Android Studio and Google’s official Integrated Development Environment (IDE). It is a Versatile and powerful language that enables developers to create high-performance and robust applications.

Kotlin

Kotlin is a statically typed programming language that works on the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) and can be used to develop Android apps. It is fully compatible with Java language, from which you can easily convert your existing code to Kotlin.

C++

C++ is a popular programming language for developing high-performance applications. It is used to develop cross platform apps and games that easily run on Android and other leading operating systems (OS) such as Windows, iOS.

Python

Python is a broadly used, high-level interpreted language, popular for its easy-to-use and readability features. Also, it helps in automating the repetitive tasks in the app development process.

Getting Started with Android App Development

The Development process of an application for the Android platform delivers significant benefits and opportunities, presenting immersing advantages such as a wide user base, ensuring constant performance across various devices, with extensive community backing and intensive possibilities to integrate with advanced technologies like AI, IoT and AR/VR.

Android Studio: The Essential IDE

Android Studio offers as the go-to-integrated development environment (IDE) for creating Android apps, acting as a reliable partner in the process. It offers a wide range of tools specifically geared toward developing with great code editors and templates.

IDE supports a modular process within the structure of the project and utilizes flexible build configurations, simplifying the process of generating multiple APK’s fitted for different device types.

Choosing Your Programming Language

In Android app development, Java and Kotlin are the prime options for programming languages. Java has been the popular choice by developers for creating Android apps, on the other hand, Kotlin is gaining momentum within the development sphere with its contemporary method that offers more smooth coding practices.

Understanding the Android SDK

The Android SDK acts as an essential suite of tools for developers to incorporate in the android app. It provides an extensive mixture of tools for both development and debugging that smooth the app creation process.

In this blog, we will take you through the complete step-by-step process of building your Android app, from the very first initial ideation to its design and development, QA and testing, and deployment. With this blog, you will get a clear understanding of the development environment, core components and integration of the advanced features that can lead to bringing your app idea to reality.

Step-by-Step Process of Building Android Apps

Wondering how to build an Android app that not only stands in the competitive market but also attracts your target audience?

Let’s discuss more about market research along with other steps to build an app for Android OS, which includes — conceptualization, discovery phase, feature integration, wireframing, UI/UX design, MVP development, coding process to build an app for Android, testing, and launching.

Step 1: Ideation Process

The best way to build Android apps is by starting with the ideation process, where business owners must have an idea of their app’s functionality, essential features, and much more.

In the ideation phase of your Android app development process, you must answer the following questions:

• What is exactly your app’s goal?
• Who is your target audience or intended market?
• What platforms do you prefer? Android or iOS?
• How can you make your app unique?
• What will be your overall budget?

Step 2: Discovery Phase

In-depth market research and strategy-making are two crucial steps to create an app that one should never skip. With an established mobile app development company, you can create effective strategies or determine ongoing industry trends. It further identifies the void and looks for better solutions to make the app unique.

You also focus on conducting competitor analysis to build an app for Android because it will help you understand their weak points or strengths. Once you know your targeted audience’s preferences or requirements, you can accordingly integrate features or design the app to deliver a smooth UX.

Step 3: Integrate Essential Features

To develop an Android app, consider integrating core features that will fulfill your target audience’s requirements. You must ensure that your app is not only easy to navigate, intuitive, or personalized but also has potential features that will set you apart from the competition. Some must-have features to build an app for Android are good image resolution and fast loading time.

If you want more downloads for your Android app, you should add a search option feature that will keep the users engaged. You can also allow users to enable push notifications that will provide them with the relevant information. Also, if you have a high budget, implement a face recognition feature for security purposes.

Step 4: UI/UX Design

An ideal Android mobile application consists of various factors, like easy usability, functionality, and most importantly – UI/UX design – must-have steps in app development. The first factor that will entice your target audience is the app’s beautiful interface. UI services will help you create a visually appealing design for the app. In contrast, the UX product design will convey your brand’s image and identity.

The mobile app design process consists of in-depth research and analysis to help you understand how your audience will interact with the app. Additionally, it helps in laying out the optimal user journey or identifying the pain points.

Step 5: MVP Development

Before you figure out how to make an app for Android, you must focus on its MVP development first to know what essential features you must integrate into the full-fledged app. The main objective of MVP app development is to attract early adopters to validate the app idea in the initial phase.

Integrating essential features in MVP development requires less code for writing and testing. As a result, it becomes easy to make any changes and try new ideas and it also reduces the Android app development cost., an MVP development company can help your product market faster and effectively.

Step 6: Front-End and Back-End Development

Building your Android app with the help of professional developers, front-end development refers to the user interface of the app. Back-end development, on the other hand, dictates the overall functionality of the app.

There are three significant approaches to build an app for Android- platform-specific, cross-platform, and hybrid app development.

1. Platform-Specific – Mobile applications are specifically designed for particular platforms. That means, the code will not be reused between Android and iOS, making an expensive development process.
2. Cross-Platform – For this approach, the application will be built using a single codebase that will be compatible with multiple platforms. Building an Android app for cross-platform is a cost-effective solution.
3. Hybrid – It is a combination of both platform-specific and web applications. It allows developers to write the application code using web technologies and implement it within a native shell.

Step 7: Testing and Launching

Once you build an app for Android, the final and important step is followed by testing, and launching. Mobile app testing services for Android eliminate the risk of bugs or glitches and also help you stay updated with the ongoing market trends.

There are various types of mobile app testing followed as:

Functional testing

To build an app for Android, you must ensure functional testing where the QA team tests every single feature to ensure that the app is functioning as per the project requirements.

Usability testing

The purpose of usability testing is to ensure a cordial user journey, which means, users should be able to navigate through the app without any glitch or unnecessary interference.

Performance testing

It is a process to analyze whether the app is functioning properly and see how it responds in terms of responsiveness and stability.

Security testing

The purpose of security testing is to ensure that the user data is protected from any unauthorized access along with other security threats.

Compatibility testing

This testing type ensures that your Android application is compatible with different operating systems and devices irrespective of the screen size, resolutions, etc.

Load testing

The practice of load testing highlights how easily and faster the app features or functionalities are accessible to users after clicking on the app screen.

The Key Advantages of Building Android App for Your Business

Build an app for Android and upscale your business to the next level, as it is one of the most powerful marketing tools. The bottom line is that an Android app development can give your business a significant market reach and the exposure you expect.

Here is a list of the top advantages you will get from building an Android app:

Expanded Market Reach

Build an app for Android because it has an extensive market reach as compared to any other operating system. That means you can easily get a large customer base, helping in building a brand identity.

Access to Multiple Devices

Another advantage to building an app for Android is the deployment of the app on a wide range of multiple devices. Android apps are not only used on devices but on other platforms like Android TV.

Ease of Customization

Android apps have ease of customization since it has wider support for third-party tools and plugins. Its customization feature ranges from simple modifications to complex ones including the user interface.

Excellent App Security

Android application security offers the most secure operating system utilizing Security-Enhanced Linux (SELinux) that enforces access control. As a result, it helps in preventing any unauthorized access or data breaches.

Reduced Time to Market

Android makes launching your app as quickly as possible, Google Play Store is considered an effective app marketplace because its requirements are less demanding and the approval process fast.

Develop an Android App with the Expertise of Appventurez

With the complete breakdown of the app-building process, you should have a clear picture of creating your own Android app.

Appventurez as a leading android app development company; our expert developers are well-versed with the advanced tools for Android app development. For more than a decade in the building industry, we have built high-performing Android-based applications, like Ezipay– a fintech app that enables an easy digital transfer, and Clear– a healthcare application that promotes a healthy lifestyle.

Serving a global clientele, we deliver innovative solutions across all leading industries, nurturing long-term relationships built on trust, trust, and excellence. Our commitment to providing transparent consultations, regular updates, and exceptional post-delivery maintenance sets us apart in the app development industry.