Mobile app development for UK businesses

Do you need an app at all?

Many UK businesses ask for an app when a fast mobile website would do. An app earns its cost when customers return often, when you need device features such as the camera, location or push notifications, or when offline use matters. Booking systems, loyalty schemes, field-service tools and member areas are typical fits. A one-off brochure or a rarely used calculator is usually better as a web page.

We ask three questions on the first call: how often will a user open it, what must it do that a website cannot, and who will update it after launch. If the honest answer is a progressive web app, we say so. The PWA vs native app comparison explains the trade-offs.

iOS first or both platforms?

iPhone share among UK users is high compared with many other countries, so an iOS-first launch is common. Your own analytics, or your customer survey, should decide, not our opinion. React Native and Flutter let us ship both platforms from one codebase, so the extra cost of Android is smaller than a second native build.

Read the full mobile app development service scope for design, API and testing.

UK rules that shape an app

• UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. Apps collect device identifiers, location and account data. You need a privacy notice, a lawful basis and sensible retention. Apple and Google both require privacy declarations in their store listings.
• PECR. Marketing messages by email or text need consent, and your adviser should confirm how that applies to push notifications that carry marketing. Service messages, such as an order update, are treated differently.
• Children. If young people may use your app, the ICO's Children's Code applies to online services likely to be accessed by children. Decide early who your audience is.
• Accessibility. The Equality Act 2010 applies to services, including apps. We build with dynamic text sizes, screen reader labels and sufficient contrast.
• Payments. Digital goods sold inside an app usually go through the store's payment system, and physical goods and services can use providers such as Stripe. Store rules change, so we check the current guidelines.

We turn each of these into build tasks and tell you what your adviser must confirm.

Project phases

1. Scope and prototypeUser flows and a clickable prototype you can test with real customers before any code.
2. DesignScreens for iPhone and Android, following each platform's design guidelines.
3. BuildApp and backend in two-week blocks, each ending with a build you install through TestFlight or an internal Google Play track.
4. Store submissionListings, screenshots, privacy answers and review notes, prepared with your developer accounts.
5. Launch and learnCrash monitoring, analytics with consent, and a first update within weeks of release.

Review times at Apple and Google vary, so we leave room in the plan. Do not set a public launch date before approval.

Working across UK and India time

The UK is 5.5 hours behind India in winter and 4.5 hours behind in British Summer Time. A weekly demo at 10:00 UK time works for both sides. Between demos you use a shared board and a chat channel, and testers install builds on their own phones. Developer accounts, signing keys and cloud services are opened in your company's name, and we are added as team members.

Cost and ownership

Projects start at $1,500, with extra work at $30 an hour. Screens, integrations, user accounts, payments, admin panel and the need for offline use all move the price. Store accounts have their own fees, paid by you directly to Apple and Google. See the web app cost guide for comparable drivers and the UK web page for delivery details. You own the code, designs and accounts at handover.