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What is hybrid app development, and how does it work?

As the world moves to mobile, mobile application development has become one of the most lucrative industries in the world. This means that it is now more important than ever for businesses to download an app from the Apple Store or Google Play.

2 February, 2022
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As the world moves to mobile, mobile application development has become one of the most lucrative industries in the world. This means that it is now more important than ever for businesses to download an app from the Apple Store or Google Play. However, many people still don't know what it takes to develop a mobile app. The good news is that hybrid mobile app development is an option for those who want to create their mobile app but don't know how to code or have limited coding knowledge. Here's what you need to know.

What is hybrid mobile app development?

The process of developing a hybrid mobile app combines features of native and web-based apps to create a product that has access to all the benefits of both methods. The result? A product that can be accessed from any platform, at any time, and with great functionality and speed.

Hybrid apps are created using HTML, JavaScript, and CSS to make a user interface. The code is then compiled into an Android or iOS app with native capabilities. It allows for an app to be built using the programming language that is most appropriate for the specific tasks it needs to accomplish while also taking advantage of the features provided by both mobile browsers and devices. Hybrid apps are not natively supported by all devices, but they can be used on any device with the help of web browser plug-ins.

Some of the most popular hybrid app examples include Instagram, Evernote, Baskin Robbins, Pacifica, Uber, Gmail.

Hybrid app examples
Hybrid app examples

Benefits of hybrid app development

The benefits of using a hybrid solution are that it is cheaper than building separate applications for each platform. It is faster than designing and coding an entirely new app. It offers cross-platform functionality for users. This type of app development allows developers to build once and deploy across multiple platforms without rewriting their code each time.

Hybrid mobile app development has many advantages, including:

  • Increased speed in building an app as it doesn't require coding from scratch for each platform.
  • Reduced cost due to not needing as much programming expertise as needed with other types.
  • Improved performance of apps - it loads quickly and uses less data because it doesn't need to download all the resources from the server.
  • Saved time and money by reducing the need for cross-platform testing and debugging.
  • Greater flexibility - hybrid apps can be developed by using more than one language or framework.
  • Increased customer reach - they can be accessed from any device with internet access.
  • More control over design because it is not limited by the operating system.

However, the drawback is that some features may not work as well as they would in a native application because of the conversion process. They are more customizable than mobile web apps but not quite as powerful as native apps. Getting your hybrid app to run appropriately on each platform generally takes substantial work. They may not work well offline or with limited internet connection speeds, and users may experience lags when performing tasks in a hybrid app.

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Native vs hybrid mobile app development

Native and hybrid mobile app development are two different methods of developing apps for smartphones and tablets. Native apps are developed for a particular OS, such as iOS or Android. They use features available on those devices, such as GPS functions, wireless data connections, and touch-screen interfaces. The code is written in specific to that OS language. For example, an iPhone app will be written in Objective-C or Swift programming languages. In contrast, hybrid apps use web technologies like HTML5 to create their user interface (UI).

The user experience and functionality are optimized to work on that platform. A hybrid application can run on multiple devices by leveraging HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript.

The decision to go with one or another type of mobile app depends mainly on your business. If you're looking to build an app that'll run on multiple platforms (iOS, Android, Windows Phone), then hybrid app development is your best bet. If you're only interested in iOS or Android, then native app development might be what you're looking for.

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Frameworks for hybrid app development

The question then arises: what framework should I use? There are many frameworks out there, and they all seem to offer different features and benefits. A few of these include:

  • Ionic framework (most popular)
  • Apache Cordova (very popular)
  • Cordova React Native (popular among those who use React)
  • React Native Framework (most commonly used by those who use React and create apps in the JavaScript language)
  • Xamarin (another platform that is very popular, but not as much as Ionic or Apache Cordova)

Best way to develop hybrid mobile apps

Start with identifying the requirements for your app. These may include what type of device it will be used on, what operating systems and versions they should support, and any other specific features you want your app to have. This includes identifying which device functions are needed by the app, determining what content needs to be displayed to users, and choosing which data should be stored locally or online.

The design stage is the first stage in the process of developing a hybrid app. This is when the user interface (UI) is designed, as well as the flow and navigation for the app. The next stage is to build and launch. Once an initial prototype has been created, it's time to start coding!

The hybrid mobile app development process begins with the creation of an HTML5 page that defines the layout for all the pages on your site or application. This code is then compiled into a native iOS or Android project, which can be used by designers to build out each screen in Xcode or Eclipse. Before launching your hybrid application, the final step is to test it on different devices and operating systems. Once this has been completed, developers use Cordova to export the final product as one package for distribution on Google Play and Apple's App Store.

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On-time project delivery. Latest coding standards. Data security.

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Is hybrid mobile app development the future of mobile development?

Hybrid mobile app development is a new and innovative way to create apps. It combines the best features of native and web apps to produce an app that has the feel of a native app, to create app according to the digital product design principles, and includes some benefits of a web-based solution.

Hybrid mobile app development is the future of mobile development. It's not just a buzzword. There are many instances where large corporations have chosen to develop their next-generation applications using a hybrid approach because they offer a lot more flexibility than traditional native apps do.

If you're interested in mobile app design, you should check out the blog post telling about the best mobile app user flow practices.


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author

CEO and Founder of Merge

My mission is to help startups build software, experiment with new features, and bring their product vision to life.

My mission is to help startups build software, experiment with new features, and bring their product vision to life.

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