What are the best ways to get started in mobile app development?

Additionally, gaining strong grasp of software development principles is crucial before diving into mobile app development. Understanding concepts like data structures, algorithms & programming paradigms will greatly benefit your app development journey. Moreover, keeping up with industry trends & best practices is essential. Mobile app development is dynamic field, so consider following relevant blogs, attending conferences & participating in online communities like Stack Overflow & GitHub to stay updated on latest techniques. Lastly, don't underestimate importance of building a portfolio. Practicing your skills by working on personal projects or contributing to open-source projects can demonstrate your proficiency to potential clients.

Getting started in mobile app development requires a combination of learning key skills, selecting the right tools, and gaining practical experience. First, focus on acquiring a solid understanding of programming languages commonly used in mobile app development, such as Swift for iOS and Kotlin or Java for Android. Online courses, tutorials, and coding bootcamps are excellent resources to build your foundational knowledge. Next, choose a development environment and familiarize yourself with relevant software development kits (SDKs) and tools. For iOS development, Xcode is the primary IDE, while Android Studio is commonly used for Android. Explore the official documentation provided by Apple and Google to deepen your understanding.

To start in mobile app development, begin by selecting a platform (iOS, Android, or both) based on your target audience. Learn the relevant programming languages, such as Swift for iOS or Java/Kotlin for Android. Familiarize yourself with development tools and environments. Understand app design and user experience principles. Build a simple app project to apply your knowledge. Engage with online courses, forums, and communities for guidance and support. Stay updated on industry trends and practice consistently to refine your skills.

There are several frameworks available these days for mobile apps and choosing one of them could be difficult. Consider these points while making your decision: - Which platform are you most interested in Android / iOS or both ? - Want to go with native or hybrid ? - What languages are available for each ? - What is the market demand for that particular tech stack ? - How frequently the language and frameworks get updates from their creators ? Each framework has its pros and cons and one may look better over other but always think in terms of long term i.e would you still be working on it after 5 years ? While you can always explore and switch to new tech anytime in career but it is best advised to keep your self specialised in any one.

Although choosing a cross platform tech seems more profitable, one should never ignore the fact that no cross platform tech can achieve what native tech can do in terms of flexibility, performance and capabilities. Choosing the right platform is important as it will decide the types of app that you are going to be developing in the future. Not to forget that even native platform, for eg. Native android development, has different options. For starters always choose the one which has easy support and then gradually move towards the latest tech

It is not only platform and the language, but also other tooling. If you are familiar with Visual Studio Code, you don't want to use exsessive amount of time to learn Xcode and Android Studio and you can still write apps. In the end, you might need these IDEs as well, but using tools you know, may really speed up development work. For many developers, it might be too high wall to get through when you need to switch to Macos, Xcode, Swift and iOS Developer Console when you write your first simple iOS app. Starting with tools you are familiar with, makes that high wall to multiple smaller steps that you can take to get over.

Maintain your portfolio from day 1. From developing your first app to any learning project, even the most simple ones, should be pushed to Github account with proper description stating what tech stack used, project details with any video or screenshot demo and room for improvements. Share it with community on LinkedIn, Medium etc, highlighting your skills and willingness to learn and explore, and open to suggestions.

Building a portfolio is a tangible reflection of a mobile developer's journey. Starting with foundational apps like calculators or quizzes can ground your skills. Advancing to intricate projects, or even refining existing apps like Instagram with personal tweaks, showcases growth. Adherence to best practices like version control, code testing, and error debugging is essential. Integrating tools such as Firebase or Flutter widgets can enhance app functionality. A polished portfolio, whether on a website, GitHub, or LinkedIn, should spotlight app screenshots, videos, achievements, and testimonials. It's more than a display of technical prowess—it's a narrative of your commitment and innovation in mobile app development.

When I have 23 years of mobile app development history, I really courage you to start app development from scratch and to find simple application idea that you can feel excited about. After that it might be good to contribute to bigger open source project to get more experience.

The best way to get started is to start building apps. I always find official docs as the best source to learn, however there are some plenty of online courses which can help. Choose a framework - Ios native, Android native, Flutter or React native. Follow official docs and create a basic app. Explore different api's and try adding more features. Take help from youtube videos, medium blogs or forums like stackOverflow if you get stuck. To start with, learn 1. UI fundamentals (Text, Button, Editable, Image, List, grid etc) 2. State management (recommended design pattern/framework) 3. Persisting data (Using local storage) 4. Third party integrations ( networking libraries, firebase etc) 5. Remote network calls. 6. Testing & debugging

Another important aspect of Mobile development is understanding the user needs. Unlike web development, user is always looking for quick actions to perform specific use cases on Mobile App. So, CX and UX plays equally important role and should be thought thoroughly before jumping into actual development.

The best ways to start in mobile app development involve a structured approach. First, choose a platform (iOS, Android, or both) and acquire the necessary development tools and software, such as Xcode for iOS or Android Studio for Android. Learn programming languages like Swift for iOS or Java/Kotlin for Android.