The market for mobile apps has been increasing exponentially. And its growth shows no sign of slowing down: according to an analysis conducted by Allied Market Research, "the global mobile apps market size was valued at $106.27 billion in 2018," and it is expected to reach "$407.31 billion by 2026". With an 18.6% expected growth in 6-7 years, the market of mobile apps is one of the most promising for 2022's investors.
This data isn't the most shocking of all: our own experience shows us how mobile phones have become part of our everyday life and are ever-present at home, school, work, and during our free time. We are so accustomed to managing every aspect of our life from our smartphones that we turn up our noses when we can't. For investors and programmers, this all translates into a great opportunity: app development has become a way of increasing a company's revenue, finding new clients, retaining old customers, managing customer support, and even starting a new business based entirely around the launch of a new mobile app.
When it comes to app development, however, there is a strong misconception: many users believe that developing an Android app is easier and cheaper than developing an iOS application. In particular, it is believed that the coding skills required for developing an iOS app are more complex and that launching an app on the Apple App Store is far more challenging than doing so on the Google App Store.
As we're discussing in this article, this isn't 100% true: the developing tools we have at our disposal today allow us to become iOS app creators more easily than before. The most important of these "developing tools" are no-code platforms. With these, even non-technical users can manage to develop an iOS mobile application with advanced features and launch it on the App Stores. Let's dig into more details!
Can I develop my own iOS app?
In this paragraph, we'd like to address the misconception we've mentioned above. Many inexperienced app builders believe that you can create your own Android mobile apps (for example, one that you can use to automate some processes within your business), but you can't do the same with iOS. In the same way, they think that developing Android mobile apps and launching them on the app store is easier than doing the same in the Apple environment.
These thoughts, despite being wrong, have a certain base: launching an app on the Apple App Store is indeed more challenging because Apple runs careful checks on apps, and only functioning and secure apps can end up on the app store. That said, if you develop functioning and secure iOS mobile apps, launching them on the Apple App Store is just as easy as launching them on the Google App Store.
The second theme when it comes to iOS development concerns coding skills. Is it true that developing an iOS app requires more complex coding skills? No, it isn't. Furthermore, as we're about to discover, with no-code platforms, you can actually develop iOS apps without writing a single line of code.
Benefits of creating iPhone apps
We've already mentioned that the mobile app market size is increasing widely, but there are other reasons you should become an iOS app builder. We'd like to address all the benefits of creating your own app before discussing how you can do it in the next paragraphs.
Create apps as a business model
The number 1 reason why you should create apps for iOS (and Android as well) is that you can earn a lot of money from them once they are available on the different systems' app stores. You can create an entire business around one app or multiple apps. When you develop mobile apps and you put them out there on one of the main app stores, the app itself is the product (or service) your company is providing to users. That is your source of income, and the revenue can be rather high.
The mobile app trend is here to stay.
When you think of an app idea or a business idea, you need to think about the future. A winning idea now can keep on making money in the next 2, 5, or 10 years?
Mobile apps are here to stay (see Mobile Apps' Market Size), and that's why they are an excellent idea for a new business. Please do not limit yourself to thinking about mobile phones because today, we use native mobile apps on tablets, computers, cars, smart home devices, and any devices where app stores are available.
It's easy
Creating native apps for Apple's App Store is easier than you think. The main thing you can learn from this article is how easy it can be to develop an iOS mobile app with no-code platforms. Of course, you need to pick the right no-code platform (we'll recommend the best to you!), but then, you can create mobile apps with all the features your users need and launch them on the App Store without writing a single line of code.
Customization
When you need to use your devices for a specific purpose, what you always do, and what we all do) is search the App Stores for the most suitable app. In this sense, mobile apps are pre-built services offered to users, and we have to adapt to their functions.
Finding the perfect app to manage and optimize your workflow is even more important when you need to manage a business. Sometimes, however, the perfect mobile app for your needs doesn't exist in any of the available app stores. This is where being able to create your own mobile apps becomes important.
With no-code platforms, you can create mobile apps with all the more or less advanced features you need to run your business and share it with your collaborators and employees. Furthermore, if you realize that your custom apps could be useful for other businesses, you could also monetize and create an additional source of income for your business.
How to create an iOS mobile app?
When you decide to become an app maker and build native mobile apps, you have two main paths to choose from:
- The first path is the most traditional one: you learn all the programming languages and coding skills you need (be careful to specialize yourself in those that are optimized for iOS app maker coding) and then move on to write every single line of code for your app, run tests, have your code checked by a colleague, have your code checked by Apple and then finally launch your mobile app on the app store.
- You use a no-code platform: an intuitive app builder that provides you with templates and drag-and-drop pre-built app elements to assemble. In this case, the code would be automatically generated by the no-code platform itself, and you are also supported during the launching phase on the app stores.
How to create an iOS mobile app with no-code platforms
Creating new mobile apps with no-code app builders has the advantage of making the app development process easier, quicker, and more efficient; in some cases, it makes the process possible for app builders that don't have advanced coding skills. But how do you create mobile apps with a no-code platform?
No-code platforms are many, and there are some differences between them. However, the basic app development process is always the same, and it looks like this:
- App template. The first step of your no-code app development process requires you to pick an app template between the ones that are available within the no-code app maker. Mobile app or web app templates have some pre-loaded features and tabs that you can customize, add or delete.
- Customize templates. At this stage, you can customize your mobile app template with colors, fonts, schemes, your logo, and all the other features that can make it appealing and that can represent your brand identity.
- Edit. Using pre-built apps' development elements, you can assemble the mobile app (or web app) that you want. You can add push notification features, payment modules, databases, and more. The customization of the app and interface happens through a drag-and-drop mechanism that makes the app development process very intuitive.
- Launch. The final step is the launch of your app. An intuitive no-code app builder can make the launching process more immediate.
Which No code app builder should you choose?
Finding an app maker software that allows users to create an app without coding is rather easy. It's finding the right one that can be challenging. So, what kind of features, or advanced features, should your no-code app builder have?
- Your app builder of choice should have an intuitive interface that allows users to customize your templates and add the advanced features you need, even if you don't have any programming knowledge.
- Your app builder should also provide templates and pre-built app blocks. This way, it doesn't limit your programming skills and creativity in any way. On the contrary, it enhances them!
- Your app builder should guarantee security even without any coding required. Security features should be included in the app builder's offer of features.
- Your app builder should provide access to the backend code it automatically generates. Only this way can you make sure you have full property over the mobile app or web app you are creating. Having access to sourse code also allows users with technical expertise to edit and export the code so that they can, if they want, reach a deeper level of customization.
- Your app builder should allow you to create as many apps as you want.
- Your app builder should allow users to create native apps. This is particularly important if you create mobile apps for iOS devices: you need to use a no-code app that lets you create native iOS mobile apps (see next paragraph for more details).
Can you create an app for iOS without coding?
As we've just seen, yes, it is totally possible to create an iOS mobile app without coding. With no code app makers, the entire process would become no code, from the initial creation of your developer account to the final launch of your mobile apps on the Apple App Store.
In this regard, it's important to distinguish between low code and no code app builders. With low code app makers, you are required to do some coding: you are provided with some templated and pre-build blocks, but there is still some coding to be done. With no code app makers, you can create an entire mobile app from scratch without any coding. This is important to know because, when you choose your app maker, you want to make sure it requires no coding at all rather than some coding.
Do I need a native iOS app?
Native apps are applications created for a specific operative system. For example, a native iOS mobile app is an app specifically created for iOS devices. A native app is more efficient in controlling the device's sensors, push notifications are more effective (issues related to receiving and sending push notifications are less frequent), and the app's overall performance is enhanced.
There are native apps for both iOS and Android; sometimes, the same mobile apps exist in two versions: for iOS and Android respectively. In this article, we are speaking about how to create Apple's apps. If you want to optimize your app performance, yes, you need to create a native app for the iOS system.
How can you create native apps for iOS?
The best no-code app builders let you create native apps for iOS and Android, meaning that they have a specific setting where you need to specify which operating system you're creating the mobile apps for. This is all you have to do to build native apps with no-code app builders; the app builder itself does the rest.
How much does it cost to create mobile apps for iOS?
The costs related to the iOS mobile app development process can vary depending on a lot of aspects. For example, your own coding knowledge makes a huge difference: if you can take care of the required coding on your own, you can save some money, but if you need to hire an expert app maker or developer, the costs can become very high.
In particular, costs become the highest when you need to hire not a single app developer but an entire team of developers. Based on these variables, it has been estimated that the costs for developing iOS mobile apps can vary from $40,000 to as high as $730,000!
Can I create an iOS app for free?
Creating mobile apps from scratch can never be considered a zero-cost process. Even if you have all the required coding skills and knowledge, even if you don't need to pay for a no-code service or app maker to utilize, you should, in any case, consider the costs of the tools and equipment you are using.
Furthermore, building a mobile app from scratch and writing the required code line by line is a very time-consuming process, and if it's true that time is money, then, no, creating an app from scratch is never free.There is a way to reduce the costs and deal with budget constraints (if there are any): the solution we've discussed so far is using no code app makers.
Of course, using a no-code app maker would have a cost (usually, no-code app makers require a paid plan). Still, it is almost insignificant when compared to the extremely high cost of traditional Apple app development. This is one more reason to rely on no-code app makers.
Why choose AppMaster iPhone app creator
We've highlighted many times in this article how important it is to pick the right no-code app builder for your purposes. This is why we thought of concluding this guide on creating an iPhone app by recommending AppMaster as your iPhone app creator.
We've already discussed the features that you should seek in your mobile app maker, and AppMaster meets them all. However, AppMaster's features and characteristics go even beyond.
AppMaster is an intuitive app builder that allows users to create as many apps as they want, and they can all be native to specific devices (in this case, Apple devices). If you need to develop a mobile app for both iOS and Android, you can do it entirely on this platform because it allows users to create multiple apps for the Android or iOS operative system.
Creating a native app for iOS is more important than it seems: AppMaster, in particular, with its functions and advanced features, allows users to control the Apple devices' hardware. For example, instead of controlling an NFC sensor, with AppMaster, you configure controls and functions for the specific iPhone's NFC sensor. The same stands for cameras, BLE sensors, and Face ID.
As you may already know, one of Apple's devices' strengths, compared to Android devices, is that the same company that creates hardware also creates the software that controls it. This way, the software is always specifically created for those components (while with Android, you have one software that is supposed to be able to control and adapt to different components mounted on different devices). With AppMaster, you have the same advantage: you create an app (software) to control and work with that specific hardware component, optimizing the app's performance.
AppMaster's advantages for developers are also the following:
- It provides a server-driven approach that lets you update the professional web app or mobile apps you're working on in real-time. In today's world, when the web is constantly changing and platforms are always evolving, it is extremely important to avoid static software tools, whether they are web apps or mobile apps. On the contrary, you, as a programmer, need to be able to update, change, and edit the software you have launched in real-time. This way, you provide your audience with the best service possible, winning the competition.
- An app created with AppMaster is not only easier to launch but also to market. This is because AppMaster itself provides some marketing tools for your mobile apps, web apps, and websites. AppMaster's team calculated that by exploiting AppMaster's marketing functions, you could reach your targeted audience in ten times shorter time than other no-code tools.
- Last, but not least, AppMaster is well integrated with many other platforms. With the integration of your favorite tools, you can receive push notifications and customize your push notifications, but also create social media reports and auth for your mobile apps or projects. Zoom, Discord, and Microsoft Azure are just some of the integrations that AppMaster supports.
Conclusion
With this article, you've learned anything you need to know about how to create your iPhone mobile apps and launch them on the app store. The no-code approach and AppMaster as your no-code app builder are the main resources you should take into consideration to enhance the creative and development process, reduce costs, and reach your goals faster.
