How Long Does It Take To Develop an Mobile App? Time-Related Factors and Tips

Why you want to construct a mobile app reveals a lot about how long it will take to build! Isn’t this a touch paradoxical? Let us simplify things for you. As the number of mobile device users approaches that of the world’s population, every business person is scrambling to develop mobile apps. However, each firm has its own motivations for choosing mobile app development. When we ask people how they want to reach a larger audience, penetrate a new market, build brand recognition, optimize corporate operations, or adapt digitally, we get different replies. But how long does it take to develop an mobile app?

As you can see, the objective of mobile app development influences the app’s features and operation. The features and functionalities help you decide whether you require a complex app with a sophisticated design. And your project’s intricacy has a substantial impact on development time. 

But, wait! Even though app complexity influences development time, it is not the sole issue. 

There are a number of elements that influence mobile app development time. In the upcoming blog posts, we will examine them in more detail. After that, we will look at the average time it takes to create an app based on the development schedule.

What is the Average Time to Construct an App According to the Mobile App Development Timeline?

The mobile app development process can be broken into parts to help predict the project timeline. So, let’s look at each phase and how long it will take to complete. 

Predevelopment Phase: How long does it take to prepare for development?

Before the actual development begins, there are a few steps to take to validate the decision: whether investing in app development is the best answer for your needs. 

This period might be referred to as the warm-up or pre-development phase. During this phase, you will essentially explore and study your app idea from beginning to end with a team of R&D specialists. This phase comprises ideation, market research, and product strategy. 

Ideation shapes your app concept, market research identifies your target customer, and product strategy develops an effective product development plan. Let’s see how much time this step takes.

The pre-development phase might be anywhere from a few weeks to a couple of months, depending on the complexity of your idea and the amount of research required.

How Much Time Does App Prototyping Take?

After conducting market research and validating your idea, you’ll want to start shaping it with visualization techniques. Wire framing and prototyping are the best ways to visualize your mobile app idea. Wire framing allows you to construct the skeleton of your app’s displays, capabilities, features, and general layout

Prototyping, on the other hand, allows you to create a clickable version of your software. This is how you determine whether your navigation architecture makes sense. Furthermore, wire framing and prototyping help expedite the design step. Let us examine how long it takes to complete both visualization practices. 

How Much Time Does an Mobile App’s Design Take?

The prototype is an essential component of your project documentation. However, during the design phase, you build a comprehensive look and feel, polish user flow, and optimize your app’s business logic. Furthermore, you might wish to explore and use design trends to help your app stand out from the crowd. 

Not to mention that creating buyer personas will allow you to adjust your app’s UI/UX design to your users’ preferences. All things considered; the design phase might take 2 to 3 months.

How Long Does it Take to Code and Develop an Application?

This could be the most extensive part of the entire mobile app development process. All of your previous research and practices will pay off. All you need is the correct technological stack and competent mobile app developers.

You’ve probably been wondering, “How much does it cost to hire app developers?” Do not worry. Check out this site to learn all about hiring costs.

When it comes to app development time, there are three common tasks to consider. Because developing an app requires more than just writing code,. So let’s see how long this phase takes.

It is worth noting that the development time of an app varies greatly depending on its type. For example, establishing a social media app takes longer than developing a delivery app.

To obtain an exact estimate, you must speak with an expert who is knowledgeable about numerous sectors, particularly yours.

How Long Does Quality Assurance Take?

Once the development phase is complete, another critical stage occurs. This is when you must test your software from every perspective to ensure peak performance and zero errors. You may need to undertake two types of quality testing and qa services. Let us check into how long it takes to test your application.

How Long Might it take to Successfully Deploy Your App? 

Once your program has passed testing and quality assurance, it’s time to publish it to the appropriate app stores. Deployment is uploading your app to sites such as Google Play or Apple App Store, adhering to their criteria and restrictions. 

However, the store may take a few days to approve your app deployment request after determining whether it fits with its regulations. Let’s find out how long it will take to publish your app. 

Factors Influencing App Development Time

Each stage of the mobile app development lifecycle necessitates its own set of resources and attention. One phase may be quicker, while the other may take longer than usual. If you ask an expert, they will tell you that it depends on your project’s requirements.

If your mind is hesitant to absorb, the last phrase of the preceding paragraph states that your attention to detail is appreciated. We discussed elements influencing development time at the beginning. 

So, without further ado, let us get you acquainted with how to manage elements that influence the cost and time required to create an app.

The App’s Complexity

The app’s complexity greatly influences development time–sounds cliche! But how can you determine whether your app is complex or not? Let’s examine three levels of complexity, including feature examples and estimated development time.

Keep in mind that these are merely estimates, and development time may vary depending on team size, project scope, project needs, and development approach. 

Platform Selection:

The platform is where you will launch your app and make it available to the platform’s audience. Android and iOS are the two most well-known and commonly utilized platforms, and practically all businesses seek to have their apps available on both. 

Let’s explore how big of a difference there is in terms of time required to develop an app for a specific platform.

How much time does it take to make an application for Android?

You build Android apps using Google’s Java or Kotlin technology. An Android app’s development time can range from two to nine months or more, depending on the needed features and complexity. Compatibility with different devices, connectivity with Google services, and adhering to platform-specific design rules are all unique issues.

How long does it take to create an iOS application?

Apple Inc. introduced Objective-C and Swift, which are the programming languages you should use to create iOS apps. An iOS app’s development time typically ranges from 2 to 8+ months, depending on the same elements as an Android app. Specific issue for iOS development may include ensuring compatibility with Apple devices, adhering to iOS design requirements, and integrating with Apple Services.

How much time does it take to make an application in Flutter?

Flutter is more of a cross-platform SDK and UI framework than a platform for deploying apps. It allows you to create an app for both iOS and Android. It will allow you to construct a code-base that can be reused to create apps for different platforms.

So, with Flutter development, you can have your app ready in 2 to 9 months and launch it on both the Apple Store and Google Play simultaneously.

Team Size and Expertise:

The size of the team and its level of experience have a direct impact on an app’s development time. A larger team with multiple skill sets can divide the workload and focus on different elements of the project at the same time, which speeds up the development process. 

Furthermore, experienced individuals who understand app development may work more efficiently, making informed decisions and avoiding potential traps, lowering overall development time.

Outsourcing the project to a reputed app development company can help speed up the app development process and get it to market faster. Outsourcing allows you to take advantage of the knowledge and resources of a professional team that specializes in app development. They also provide IT staff enhancement services to help you grow your existing team.

They can deliver high-quality apps in less time because of reduced processes and effective operations. You can considerably cut development time by sending your project to a reputable outsourcing partner. Furthermore, it allows you to get your software to market faster while maintaining a high-quality end product.

Actionable Tips to Shorten Your App Development Time 

Now you comprehend the interplay between the mobile app development schedule and components, which significantly influence the duration required for app construction. Let’s examine strategies for minimizing the duration of the development process.

Define clear project requirements

Mobile app development is a continual process, you see. Any adjustments made in the middle of the process disrupt the subsequent phases, lowering the overall development speed. As a result, you must make the effort to document all of the specific requirements ahead of time. The more precise the project requirements, the faster the software will be ready for market.

Develop an MVP

Do you not have enough time to develop a full-fledged mobile application? Go with MVP development to test the market faster and attract stakeholders/investors! The Minimum Viable Product is your app’s first version, complete with critical functionality. 

You define and prioritize the key elements required for your app’s functionality. By focusing on must-have features first, you can release a functional version of your software faster. Later, you can create and roll out new features depending on market feedback and grow the app.

Choose a cross-platform solution

Using cross-platform technology such as Flutter can also help you cut down on development time. As previously said, you may design Android and iOS apps in one step, saving time equivalent to developing a whole application. 

Consider outsourcing

If you have limited time or in-house skills, consider outsourcing mobile app development to a trustworthy and experienced business. Outsourcing allows you to harness specialist expertise, gain access to a larger labor pool, and take advantage of established processes, thereby cutting development time dramatically.

Parting words

Estimating your app’s development time in advance provides advantages. For example, you can save time and money by optimizing your workflow. Given that app development costs are proportional to development time. This essay also goes into detail about how to estimate the cost of developing a mobile app.

However, if you are unable to determine the app development variables, do not hesitate to see our expert. We may also provide you with a pricing estimate, depending on your specific requirements.

Want to accelerate your Mobile app development time? Talk to Us