What are mobile applications? Getting started with mobile apps

From ordering food to managing finances and tracking fitness goals, mobile app options are seemingly endless. Whether they are native, cross-platform, or web apps built for mobile devices, mobile applications deliver engaging digital experiences, helping different businesses streamline their operations and enhance interactions with customers.

History of mobile applications

Many people think of mobile apps in the context of 21st-century web-based smartphones. However, they date back to the 1980s:

• In 1984, we saw the launch of the Psion Organiser. This was the "World's First Practical Pocket Computer.” It was loaded with apps such as a calculator and a clock.
• In 1994, IBM introduced a personal digital assistant called “Simon.” It could send and receive faxes and emails and, featured applications such as an address book, calendar, and meeting schedule. Many people think of this as the world’s first true smartphone.
• In 1996, Palm released the first Palm Pilot. It was invented by Jeff Hawkins, Donna Dubinsky, and Ed Colligan, who founded Palm Computing in 1992, and it included applications for contacts management, calendar management, task management, and note management, along with third-party apps, games, productivity tools, and utilities.
• In 2002, Blackberry launched its smartphone, featuring an email function. It quickly became the “must-have” device for the business person on the move.
• Apple launched its iPhone in 2007 and the App Store the following year. In the first 72 hours, over 10 million apps were downloaded. The Google Play store launched a few months later, signaling the start of the mobile app phenomenon we know today.

Types of mobile apps

If you are considering mobile application development, you should know that there are three main app types available, each offering different benefits depending on the development goal and requirements:

• Native apps
• Applications built using web technologies that can be installed and run on all devices, often referred to as progressive web apps (PWAs)
• Hybrid apps

Each of these mobile applications offers a different user experience and user interface.

Native applications

A native application is written for use on a specific platform or device, such as Apple's iOS or Google's Android. As of 2025, Apple's iOS and Google's Android account for 99.5% of mobile devices.

Because they’re optimized according to the platform, native apps can take advantage of device-specific hardware and software (for example, a camera or offline storage).

Benefits of native apps
They offer the mobile user a rich experience and high performance. However, a native application requires the user to download the app from a store. This is often a barrier to adoption.

Native apps limitations
Native apps are also, by definition, not cross-platform, with a mobile development process unique to each. For example, they are written in the coding language specific to the mobile platform. So, iOS apps are written in Objective-C or Swift, while Android apps use Java. This also presents a development barrier due to the complexity of mobile software development and the lack and cost of specialized developers.

Mobile web applications (also known as progressive web applications)

PWAs are offline-first mobile apps that offer a web-based alternative to traditional mobile applications. They’re fast, responsive, and work across devices without the need for the user to download the application from an app store.

Mobile web apps features and benefits
They’re fast, responsive, and work across devices without the need for the user to download the application from an app store.

Mobile web apps are easy to use (no app store) and are lightweight. And from a developer's perspective, they can be changed and updated faster and are easier to maintain than native apps. Unlike native apps, they use one codebase for all devices and are discoverable and retrievable by search engines.

According to Gartner, a mobile web application needs only a web browser to work. Unlike a native app, it will work on any mobile platform. Like native applications, PWAs can work offline, send push notifications, and access device hardware, such as cameras or GPS. The user experience (UX) is similar to native apps on mobile and desktop devices without downloading or updating hassles, with great benefit—they run well on top of poor internet connectivity. Examples of these apps include Uber, Tinder, and Pinterest.

Limitations
While access to device features has improved significantly, it is generally not as deep as what a true native app can achieve.

Hybrid applications

As the name suggests, a hybrid app combines aspects of native and web apps by wrapping a web app built with technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript inside a native application "shell" or container.

Like native apps, hybrid apps must be downloaded from an app store. Once installed on the mobile device, the shell uses an embedded browser to access the capabilities of the native platform.

Hybrid apps benefits
Like web apps, hybrid apps are easier to develop than native apps. They also don’t have to be written anew for each platform. Both factors make it much easier and cheaper to access the development skills needed to create a hybrid app. This may be a critical aspect, considering the acute global shortage of developers. A key benefit of hybrid apps is that no further validation is needed once they are approved for inclusion in an app store. This assumes any upgrade makes no change to the native code.

Limitations
Hybrid apps can perform more slowly than native apps as they are limited by the speed of the embedded browser. It can also be difficult to achieve a consistent look and feel across different platforms. Debugging them is complex, and most require an internet connection to run. Some users may also be put off by the need to go to an app store to download the app.

Regardless of the type of mobile app you choose, factors like performance, scalability, customer expectations, and business goals should be considered to ensure a successful and sustainable mobile app strategy.

Web app vs mobile app: The key differences

Choosing between a mobile application or a web app starts with identifying business goals, UX requirements, user needs, and technical considerations. But it’s also important to understand the differences between a web app and a mobile application and their impact on business needs, development resources, and long-term business strategy.

When choosing the right approach, if you need a fast, cost-effective solution with broad accessibility, a web app may be the best choice. However, if your app requires high performance, deep device integration, or offline functionality, a mobile app is often the better option.

Benefits of mobile apps

Building mobile apps is not just about creating software. It’s about delivering smooth and secure experiences while driving business impact. Whether they target customers, suppliers, third-parties, or employees, the advantages of mobile apps are many, especially when finding the right balance between speed, cost, and flexibility.

Here’s how apps on mobile can create value for your business.

Enhanced user experience

Mobile apps in general provide intuitive UX, greater portability, and access to device features such as push notifications and targeted content. This results in higher user engagement and overall satisfaction.

Offline accessibility

Many apps on mobile can function offline or with a limited internet connection. This ensures that users can access critical features anytime and anywhere.

Improved developer efficiency and productivity

Mobile app development streamlines operations by automating tasks and integrating with existing systems, enhancing dev productivity, and promoting team collaboration.

Reduced development costs

Developing mobile applications can be costly and resource-intensive. However, modern development tools like low-code help reduce costs. You can leverage pre-built components, automation features, and cross-platform capabilities to streamline development and accelerate app delivery—all while maintaining high quality.

Expanded reach

Because mobile apps allow businesses and users to stay connected all the time, you can drive engagement and build a long-term relationship with your customers by leveraging features like push notifications or in-app messages.

Examples of mobile apps

There are all kinds of mobile apps. The most well-known are consumer apps that loosely fall into six categories:

• Lifestyle (fitness, food ordering, rideshare)
• Social media
• Utility (flashlight, camera)
• Games and entertainment
• News and information

In addition, most businesses offer customers, suppliers, partners, and employees. Here are some examples of mobile apps for business.

Banking mobile apps

Banking mobile apps enable users to manage finances, process payments, track expenses, and access financial data anytime from smartphones or tablets. They offer intuitive interfaces that access and process data and information from different resources. Security and compliance features are critical components of these apps because they handle sensitive financial information and must meet regulatory requirements.

Check out the application library for examples of banking mobile apps built with OutSystems.

Citizen mobile apps

Citizen mobile apps connect residents with local government services digitally. They enable bill payments, service requests, issue reporting, and emergency alerts. These platforms provide access to city information, public transit schedules, and community events, making government more accessible while streamlining communication between municipalities and residents.

Learn how Faroe Islands built an application to improve citizen experiences

Insurance mobile apps

Insurance mobile apps allow policyholders, agents, and brokers to manage coverage, file claims, upload documentation, and track claim status on-the-go. Mobile apps for policyholders provide digital ID cards, premium payment options, and policy information access. These apps streamline customer service with in-app messaging, appointment scheduling, and personalized insurance recommendations based on user profiles. Insurance mobile apps for agents and brokers enable them to manage documents, schedule appointments, track policyholder history, and more.

Explore the OutSystems app library for examples of insurance mobile apps

Construction mobile apps

Construction mobile apps streamline workforce and project management, enabling real-time collaboration, document sharing, and progress tracking from any job site. They facilitate equipment tracking, safety inspections, time tracking, and material management. These apps integrate with Building Information Modeling (BIM) output, provide digital blueprints, automate reporting, and enhance communication between field workers and office personnel.

Discover the mobile app that construction company Monadelphous built with OutSystems

Healthcare mobile apps

Healthcare mobile apps enable patients, clinicians, and payors to schedule appointments, access medical records, and communicate remotely. They offer medication reminders, symptom tracking, telehealth consultations, and secure messaging. These platforms integrate with wearable devices, provide prescription management, personalized health insights, and help coordinate care between specialists while ensuring HIPAA compliance.

Explore the healthcare mobile apps built with OutSystems

How to develop mobile apps

Whether you’re a mobile app developer creating a new product or a business investing in custom mobile application development, building a successful mobile app requires following a structured process. Here are the key steps when developing a mobile application:

Define goals and needs

Before you start development, identify the app's core purpose, its target audience, and what functionalities are required to align development efforts with business goals.

Choose the right approach

Select the type of mobile app—native, hybrid, or mobile web apps/PWAs. Consider your performance, scalability, and integration needs, and pick the programming language and tools based on the platform selected (Android, iOS, or cross-platform).

Design

Create seamless UX and UI designs that focus on enhanced usability, navigation, and engagement across devices.

Development

In the development stage, you build the application and ensure secure authentication, data storage, and API integrations are implemented.

Mobile app testing

Once the app is built, you should rigorously test the application’s functionalities and performance. This is the stage to perform tests at the security level to ensure that issues are identified and resolved before the launch.

Deployment

Publishing the application on the App Store or Google Play Store, following the platform-specific guidelines.

The importance of mobile app security in 2025

With businesses increasingly relying on mobile applications, security has become the number one priority. Vulnerabilities can expose sensitive information that leads to compliance risks but also compromise user trust. To prevent this, your mobile app development process should follow the best security practices to protect both the business and users.

An effective mobile app security strategy safeguards your applications against threats such as:

• Data breaches: Occur when sensitive, protected, or confidential data is copied, transmitted, viewed, stolen, or used by an individual unauthorized to do so. For example, a breach might expose user login credentials or credit card numbers stored within the app's database.
• Malware: Malicious software is designed to damage, disable, or gain unauthorized access to a computer system or mobile device. An example is a Trojan horse app disguised as a useful tool that actually steals personal data in the background.
• Unauthorized access: When a user or program gains entry to an app's features or data without proper authentication or permissions. A common example is an attacker exploiting a flaw to access another user's account without knowing their password.
• Code tampering: This involves an attacker modifying the app's executable code to change its behavior or introduce malicious functionality. This could be used to bypass licensing checks or inject code that steals data during runtime.
• Credential theft: The act of stealing a user's identification and verification information to gain access to their account. A typical method is using phishing screens that mimic the legitimate login page to trick users into submitting their details.
• Device compromise: The security of the mobile device itself is compromised, often through a malicious app or system vulnerability, which then affects all data and apps on it.

Prioritizing secure development practices helps mitigate risks associated with mobile applications, and organizations can build high-performing apps that are resilient against cyber threats.

See how OutSystems ensures mobile app security

Building mobile applications with the OutSystems low-code platform

OutSystems is an AI-powered low code application development platform that allows you to build web and mobile apps fast. With OutSystems low-code for mobile app development, you can:

• Build a mobile app: These are applications that users install on their phones, have access to the device’s sensors, can work offline, and have a UX designed for a native experience.
• Build a responsive web app: These are applications that users can access from their mobile browsers without installation and that use web responsive technologies to automatically adapt to multiple devices and browsers.
• Build only your mobile backend: Use OutSystems as the backend for your custom-built native mobile app, using traditional tools such as XCode, Android Studio, or Visual Studio and respective native languages.

Want to give it a try? Explore all the OutSystems capabilities for low-code mobile app development, or schedule a demo.

Mobile Application frequently asked questions