Perspectives

So you want to build a mobile app

Mobile apps have evolved significantly over the years. Having delivered apps across transport, health, gaming, and more across our careers, it’s exciting how tools and best practices have matured—making testing easier and allowing seamless cross-device experiences.

Now in 2025, it might seem like mobile is a solved problem; perhaps even a smaller version of web. However, while the landscape has matured, expectations have risen, competition has intensified, and pitfalls remain. And understanding the differences between mobile and web is essential for a successful launch.

So let’s dive into the unique challenges, context and patterns currently shaping mobile app delivery.

Understanding user context and behaviour

Mobile users behave differently from web users: they’re often on the move, have shorter attention spans, and expect fast, seamless experiences. The world has moved on from the expectation that everything you can do on web should be available on a mobile.

During user research, we commonly find features that people won’t use on a mobile app, even if it’s offered. Mobile just isn’t their chosen form factor or workflow for that task.

Mobile experiences are more contextual. The environment in which your audience will be interacting with the app can be a key factor in its design and functionality. Will users have a reliable data connection? Will they be primarily using your app during the day or night? Will they be in one place, or on the move?

The stakes are higher too: a slow-loading or confusing app can be deleted within seconds, and it only takes a minute to leave a negative app review. Where possible, you should delay barriers like logins or paywalls, to encourage engagement and exploration from an early stage.

Ultimately it’s best to listen to and test with your users. And by that we do mean all your users.

Accessibility: creating an inclusive experience

Statistics show that over a billion people globally live with some form of disability. In the UK, one in five people have a permanent accessibility need. On top of this, people can have temporary needs arising from illness, or simple situational needs such as being a busy new parent and having only one hand free to use their phone.

Fail to make your app accessible, and you could turn away a sizeable portion of your potential user base – harming your product’s reach and popularity, and even your reputation.

Also keep in mind that, when designing and developing for users with accessibility needs, it’s often the case that you’re making your app more intuitive and easier to understand for all users. Clear hierarchies of information in your content are important for users of screen readers, but they can also make your content easier to digest for everyone. Simple English in your copy doesn’t just benefit audiences with accessibility needs, but also those with different ages and literacy levels.

As well as language and assistive technologies (for example screen readers, voice control), catering to a broad spectrum of needs means considering contrast in colour schemes, the use of imagery, limited dexterity or mobility, and other details. A lot of this can be addressed through the designs. For example, supporting users with limited dexterity by positioning navigation and key actions lower on the screen, or by offering alternative interaction patterns to swiping or dragging.

Beyond the designs, you should also consider development standards and accessibility testing. As we’ve talked about before, the web accessibility guidelines (WCAG) are good place to start for mobile, despite mobile having its unique issues and quirks. Note that it will take time to develop and test to these standards, and project plans need to account for this.

Finally, when it comes to testing and validation, it can be hard to reliably find and recruit people with accessibility needs. So consider budgeting for external accessibility audits too, to guarantee that users with real accessibility needs will test and give feedback on your app before release.

The role of form factor

Form factor is one of the most significant considerations when developing for mobile. Designing for smaller screens means rethinking layout, interactions, and navigation. Touch interactions, the use of imagery, and how elements like buttons are positioned on-screen all need to be optimised for different devices.

It’s troubling how a well-designed app working perfectly on large form factor devices such as an iPhone Pro or a recent Pixel can work so badly on the smaller iPhone SE, with text being unreadable or buttons being squeezed into the path of other touch points. And let’s not forget how the layout changes with features like text size modifications, for example large text for elderly users or those with vision impairments.

Good mobile design revolves around scalability. Scalability means everything from accounting for varying screen sizes and resolutions, to considering how interaction patterns will adapt to future applications and the growth of the design system. As for testing for scalability, it is key to include a range of emulated and physical devices in your testing plan.

We’d recommend creating a device matrix, to cover both different form factors and operating systems, and to do so early in your project. This, along with testing for factors such as text size and orientation, will stress-test your layout choices, content hierarchy and even interaction choices. It should help you catch and fix any issues with your layouts early, before they become embedded.

Driving engagement through features

Mobile apps offer opportunities for direct engagement with users that aren’t easily replicated on web. Features like push notifications, location services, and camera access can enhance user experience if done right. But it’s important to be selective. Overuse of notifications or excessive requests for permissions can irritate users and lead to uninstalls.

No one wants five notifications a day about a store that always has a sale, and it only takes a minute to permanently disable notifications for your app. So it’s best to start with what’s useful to the user, and build trust:

What does the user care about?
Users are likely to care about order updates (such as stock, delays, and deliveries) before marketing and sales updates, so implement those first.
Can context give the user a more personalised experience?
Examples could be a shortcut to their loyalty card when they are within 500m of a store, or understanding their habits at particular times (such as their daily commute) and providing them quick access to things relevant to that.

Really do think carefully about how to build that engagement. Too many apps send too many notifications that we all ignore. The goal is to be one of the apps people don’t click “clear all” on, and that starts with being useful. Always measure the impact of these features. If something isn’t driving engagement, it’s better to remove it.

Remember that users value transparency: make it easy for them to control what data they share or how often they receive notifications.

Keeping up with technology

Mobile technology keeps evolving. Recent updates like live activities on iOS or advances in Android camera tech like ID verification and facial recognition are great examples of how new OS and hardware capabilities unlock the potential for new app features. Keeping up with these changes ensures your app remains current.

Similarly, limitations with bandwidth or connectivity are less of an issue today than they were a few years ago. This opens possibilities for richer features that were previously limited. Everyone knows about AI, but don’t forget about AR/VR, which can have interesting applications in retail apps, for example.

Make sure someone in your teams is attending key Apple and Android events. Even better, do a watch party and get some pizza in for your team. Keep an eye on major release dates for beta testing and other important lifecycle stages. You might catch early issues or, more positively, opportunities to build something new!

Navigating app stores: approvals and entitlements

Submitting your app for review with the Apple App Store or Google Play Store isn’t just a box-ticking exercise. It involves navigating complex entitlements, privacy regulations, and specific requirements for each store. The review process can cause delays, so plan for approval timelines and consider submitting early builds, even for TestFlight.

Any app store approval can take at least a week, and if your app is rejected it can easily take one or two additional weeks for changes and re-submissions.

Be aware of the common reasons for refusal, such as:

improper use of permissions such as location services
not getting user consent appropriately
not having GDPR-compliant methods for people to opt in, opt out, or delete their account

Watch out for bugs and crashes. If an app store reviewer experiences a crash while using your app, it will get rejected.

If your app requires access via a login or two-factor authentication, make sure you provide a test account for the app store reviewers, otherwise they will reject your app as untested.

Entitlements can slow you down too. If your app needs to enable certain functions, such as those listed here for iOS apps, you will need to request an entitlement. These need to be justified and approved by Apple (or Google for Android), and this can take weeks.

User feedback: a goldmine for growth

A big advantage of mobile apps is the direct feedback loop with users. Analytics, app store reviews and in-app feedback tools offer insights that can guide your next release or long-term roadmap. However, a strategy for gathering, monitoring and responding to this feedback is essential. Not engaging with feedback can leave your app out of touch with user needs and lead to escalating negative reviews, harming your app’s reputation.

Creating a good mechanism to capture feedback within your app is ideal. If you make it easy for users to express sentiment and feedback before resorting to app store reviews, it gives you an opportunity to engage directly and, if there’s a problem, a chance to turn the situation around.

Engaging with all feedback and reviews, including the negative, can lead to better reviews in the future and improved user retention. Responding to user comments, fixing issues, and implementing suggestions shows that you care about your users, which can foster loyalty. Users are much less likely to leave negative feedback they can see has already been listened to.

Alongside app store reviews and in-app feedback, there’s the more detailed feedback available from analytics. This data about your users’ behaviour and interaction patterns can highlight potential issues in your user journeys, as well as providing insights such as your most popular features and your conversion rates.

Planning for the right time and costs

Building a successful mobile app involves far more than just development. Your pre-production plans should account for all the things we’ve talked about above: app store approvals; accessibility audits; testing across multiple devices; user research; monitoring mobile OS releases, and more. On top of that, there are the usual activities for any digital product: validation and testing strategies; pipeline setups; performance checks; security measures; beta testing; and so on.

These activities all add time and cost beyond your normal development and testing. As a rule of thumb, if this is your first mobile app launch, you should plan for a minimum of four weeks before development begins for these activities, and another four weeks after development is complete, prior to launch. This depends on scale and scope, and your mileage may vary, but often this is enough to get you underway and cover critical pre-launch activities without flying by the seat of your pants!

Things don’t stop after launch either. Keep in mind that the well-established, well-rated apps took several iterations of consistent development and feedback to get where they got to. Your plans should, ideally, allow for multiple production versions of your app, with time and budget for engaging with users and analytics between releases. Post-launch is also a critical time for communicating about your app, completing maintenance, and fast feature development and bug fixing – to keep your newly gained audience happy!

The more you put in, the more you get out

Building a successful mobile app can be an incredibly rewarding challenge, and the result gives you unique access to your customers. But treating it exactly like your web builds won’t be effective.

Make sure you consider user-centred design and accessibility early. Think carefully about how to engage customers thoughtfully and get their feedback. Finally, don’t be hasty: plan properly to give yourself adequate time for ramp up and pre- and post-release activities.

Do all this and you’ll be well on your way to delivering a product that meets user expectations and stands out in the marketplace.

Sean Judge

Client Director, FSI

14 March 2025

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About the AuthorSean Judge

Sean is a Client Director in Softwire’s Financial Services and Insurance vertical, the company’s largest private-sector consulting specialism. He helps major organisations deliver complex digital solutions, drawing on experience in product management, delivery and agile coaching to build high-performing teams that achieve real outcomes. He has led major transformation initiatives across the sector, including international product development and backend modernisation at IPF, new digital insurance experiences at Sky, and engineering and product teams supporting Leeds Building Society and Covea. Beyond financial services, Sean has overseen some of the UK’s most used mobile apps, including NHS Login (35m+ users), Sky Bet, Virgin Red (2m+ members) and TfGM’s Bee Network (1m+ downloads). His expertise across the full app lifecycle has also strengthened Softwire’s mobile capability, adding value for clients. Outside of work Sean, has a toddler (Atticus), and dogs Link (a Dalmatian) and Rose (a rescued greyhound that he fostered during the pandemic and then adopted). When he’s not with his family, you’ll find Sean doing some downhill mountain biking, or at the driving range learning how to play golf…so his young son doesn’t beat him as soon as he can swing a club.