How long does it take to develop a mobile app?

Let’s explore the different components of a mobile application, to understand how long it takes to develop a mobile app. I am afraid there isn’t a definite or absolute answer that works for all.

Most of the applications on the app store differ from each other, but they usually converge with respect to the technical building blocks being used for the apps. The complexity can range for a super simple app developed in a few weeks to super complex apps that take many months or even years to develop. To help you figure out the time needed to develop an app, we have elaborated on the 4 stages of the app development process.

The 4 Stages of Developing a Mobile App

1. Conceptualization and Feasibility Analysis (2-4 weeks)
2. Scope Analysis and Design (4-8 weeks)
3. Solution Architecture and Development (3-6 months)
4. End to End Testing and Beta Launch (3-8 weeks)

Stage 1: Conceptualization and Feasibility Analysis (2-4 weeks)

You need to get your basic research on the pain-point that your app solves, the target audience, differentiator, revenue model etc. done before starting development. After-all you wouldn’t want to develop an app that does not have a market.

This is a period to evaluate both the business feasibility and the technical feasibility of your app idea. If you are entering a known segment then assess what the competitors are doing and adopt things that work for them. Depending on how unique your app and your target audience is, it may take between 2 to 4 weeks at a minimum to go through this stage.

Approach this stage nice and slow to gather as much data as possible and analyze to deduce strategic decisions. It might also be good to have a technical person onboard as well to assess technical feasibility.

Stage 2: Scope Analysis and Design (4-8 weeks)

Once you affirm the business model and utility, then it is time to dive into the technicalities of your app. This stage comprises 3 phases

• App Specifications
  A well defined specifications document would help guide the team in developing a good application. There are a number of ways to arrive to this document ranging from use cases, story boards, process maps etc. Depending on the different components and the complexity, the specifications document may take anywhere between 2 to 4 weeks
  
  
• Project Plan
  A project plan helps sketch out the overall timeline, milestones and the launch plan. The project plan would help track the progress of your app project and it would not be wise to start a project without a project plan to measure progress. The project plan becomes easier to create if you define the specifications documents is well, and comes at the tail end of the app specifications phase
  
  
• Wireframing
  Once the specs have been defined, the next phase is to chart out the Wireframes. A Wireframe is a visual guide of the skeletal framework or a blueprint of the screens, of the mobile application or the web application. The wireframes can be simple hand drawn screens or black & white screens created using professional wireframing tools. Generally wireframing might take only under a week.
  
  
• Mock-ups
  Mock-ups are screens representations of the desired end result and cover all major user flows and screens. The collection of mock-ups can also function as the prototype and allow you to identify major flaws if any. Creating mock-ups is generally a 1 to 3 week activity depending on the complexity, quality and uniqueness involved.

Our experience pins the scope analysis and design stage at 3 to 8 weeks for a small to medium sized project but this can go to several months for a larger requirement.

Stage 3: Solution Architecture and Development (3-6 months)

This is the stage where all the action happens, and you get from planning into the execution. The way you approach development would also depend on the software development methodology that you go for, like Waterfall, Agile, Hybrid Agile, SCRUM, etc. It would also be ideal to use a project management tool like Asana, Open Project, Basecamp etc. to properly organize the whole project execution.

The different components of a mobile app solution are the front-end, the backend, the API’s, third-party integrations, as listed below

• The Frontend
  The front-end of your solution is what the users use to interact with your solution. This could be the mobile app interface or the web-based application. The time taken the front-end would depend on the number of screens involved, the UI/UX elements and any logic involved.

• The Backend
  The backend is the code that fuels the front end of your solution. This is where the core logic within your solution resides with along with the application and user data.

• The APIs
  You can skip this section if your app is an offline app or doesn’t need a backend and is standalone. However, if your app partly or fully cannot function without data coming in and going back to the backend, then you would need to build the APIs. API development and backend development is usually goes hand in hand, done by the same team.

• Third Party Integrations
  Third-party products and services are common software solutions for functions like maps, emailing, sending SMS etc. And usually these integrate to the backend to extend the functionalities and a part of the backend development.

Obviously, some of the elements within development can be done simultaneously, while others in a linear fashion if there are dependencies. Also throwing in more software developers wouldn’t always help in shortening the development duration.

Stage 4: End to End Testing and Beta Launch (3-8 weeks)

Mobile app testing is tricky, as there are numerous mobile devices with different screen sizes, screen resolutions and OS versions. It is absolutely essential that your app solution goes through functional testing, performance and load testing, security testing. Also, it is recommended to launch your app to an initial closed group of beta testers to help you identify issues and fix them, before the app the released to the general public.

The testing time needed would directly be proportional to the number of platforms you are launching your app on, your target OS versions, screen sizes and screen resolutions. The testing period can take anywhere between 3 and 8 weeks which would also include bug fixes as well.

Conclusion

It might seem that developing an app is difficult and time consuming, but all it just takes is some planning. The mobile applications space holds a lot of potential and with a carefully sketched out strategy and project plan, you launch a successful app. Read through 5 critical mistakes to avoid when developing a mobile app to get it right the first time