7 Mobile App Development Trends To Look Out For In 2024

The global mobile application market size in 2019 was valued at USD 154.05 billion and is projected to reach $407.31 billion by 2026, which is evident that mobile app development trends are continuously evolving. A huge number of mobile applications are designed and developed every year using the latest technologies. 2021 will be no different. 

Following the trends in the mobile app market is crucial if you are looking to up your game. They not only help you keep track of what’s going on in the industry but also open a world of possibilities for aspiring business owners.

Application development trends are making it easier for businesses to experiment with cutting-edge technologies and to introduce newer immersive ideas in the market that can act as real MVPs. 

There are 5.20 billion unique smartphone users in the world today, which proves the popularity and usefulness of smart devices in our lives. Therefore, users demand intuitive mobile experiences, consequently bringing significant opportunities for mobile app development companies around the world to attain recognition for innovation.

Having said that, advancements in technology never cease to amaze us. 2024 will be the year of personalized customer experiences, preferences, product efficiency, and ‘thinking outside the box’. 

Looking Back at Mobile App Usage Statistics 2020

Mobile applications are revolutionizing industries and businesses. They are not mere leisure, they are offering accessibility and convenience to a global audience. The mobile app market size in 2020 was valued at approx USD 170.52 billion.

Today there are 2.56 million apps available for users to download through Google Play Store, followed by 1.85 million downloadable apps available on the App Store. They are ranging from payments to ride-sharing applications, each has its own merits.

If we are to talk about free apps vs paid apps, statistics tell us that 98% of app revenue worldwide comes from free apps and with fewer people willing to pay for downloads. 

Moreover, mobile apps account for 57% of all digital media usage and an average mobile phone user has at least 40 apps installed on their phones. These numbers are quite impressive. Keeping in view these statistics, the future of mobile app development seems demanding to surpass customer expectations.

So to succeed, it's important to prioritize the ongoing mobile app trends. Below is a list of 8 mobile app development trends that will surely redefine the smart industry in 2024.

7 Mobile App Development Trends to Expect in 2024

Mobile (m) Commerce

M-commerce is one of the most prominent mobile app development trends that we will see more of, as we enter 2021. According to Statista, mCommerce market value is expected to grow to 740B by 2024. The pandemic accelerated the growth of eCommerce through mobile, it was one of the dominating trends of 2024 and is anticipated to rule in the upcoming years. 

As more and more people use their mobile devices for making a purchase, mobile development directed towards mCommerce is expected to grow at an unprecedented rate; making older buying behaviors obsolete. 

Failing to do so, can result in a significant impact on business conversion rates. A seamless user interface, effortless checkout, integration of mobile wallets, and user-friendly navigation are a few of the many factors to keep in mind, moving forward. These growing trends will allow developers to build even more intuitive mCommerce applications.

Augmented Reality

AR, being just a theory, coined back in 1990 is still going strong! Augmented reality is greatly impacting the app development industry since the launch of Pokemon Go back in 2016. It is one of the most immersive mobile app development trends of 2024 and is already shaping app development worldwide. 

AR allows developers to enhance real physical surroundings by overlaying them with digital visual elements. This technology is becoming extremely popular among users because of its appealing features. AR is providing immersive experiences in gaming especially, and evidently, it is bringing in more potential for mobile app development. 

AR will surely revolutionize the hospitality, gaming, healthcare, and other major industries of the world.

Foldable Devices

Foldable touch screens are a disruptive innovation in smartphones. Since foldable devices are under the spotlight, it’s finally time to cater to them. In 2021, mobile application development will massively revolve around foldable devices, among other things.

The new year will be high time for mobile app developers to offer user-friendly experiences through their apps for foldable screens. Additionally, mobile app development companies will have to shift their development strategies accordingly.

To support such devices, the app must be developed for two display screens which when unfolded, visually appear as one. Optimizing and designing a customized user interface to facilitate the folds will be one of the biggest challenges yet rewarding. 

Wearable Technology

App development for Wearable tech is trending even today. But the question is how developers might influence the future direction of the mobile ecosystem in terms of wearable tech. The answer is simple. By providing rather seamless experiences through wearables such as healthcare and fitness monitors, smartwatches, etc.

The popularity and market expansion of these devices is only expected to grow. The number of wearable devices is expected to reach over 1 billion by 2022, hence the wearable market is on the rise.

Designing and developing meaningful applications that sync with user expectations will be challenging due to size limitations, computing processes, user experience, redefined UI/UX designs, and integration with smartphones. Therefore functionality, speed, performance, security, etc are some of the lucrative factors to be considered in 2024.

Mobile App Security

Mobile App Security is every development company’s top priority as it can make or break businesses for obvious reasons. Everyone lives and breathes ‘the smartphone’, meaning users are not just scrolling social media but also regularly accessing their company-sensitive data through their smart devices. 

Keeping confidential information beyond the reach of bad actors is becoming increasingly important.

According to Ponemon Institute’s 2018 report, the average cost of a corporate data breach is worth $3.86 million. Moreover, security threats amid the pandemic will continue to rise as more and more attackers will likely attempt to capitalize on the sensitive information either its healthcare or remote workforce. 

So as we move into the new year, developers will ensure to fill in the security gaps and vulnerabilities in mobile application development. Mobile app security trends such as penetration testing will prove to be valuable.

Internet of Things (IoT)

IoT never goes out of style! The IoT market in the US predicted to exceed 500 billion dollars by the year 2022. IoT is changing the way people communicate and connect with their devices. 

This is one of the advanced technologies that is seen to be providing convenience in 2021 as well. The Internet of Things will become the most favored choice for mobile app developers in 2024. How? 

The pandemic has gradually increased the need for healthcare applications. Therefore we can see a surge in IoT-powered medical applications. Instead of actually having to go to the doctor users can check their medical health status from the comfort of their homes.

Medical data will be uploaded using cloud computing, which doctors can access to suggest appropriate medical treatment. That’s just one use case, the implementations of IoT are boundaryless. Along with home automation, mobile apps can be integrated with smart cars for added innovation.

On-demand Service Applications

This mobile app development trend is not new but we can surely see more of it as we step into the new year. On-demand applications are making lives simpler. We can get any service, anywhere, anytime.

These applications are leveraging the use of beacon technology to provide seamless customer experience within the vicinity such as food and grocery apps, ride-sharing, healthcare, and other related home services. 

Users globally prefer on-demand service apps as they are faster and easier to access. We can see many innovations in on-demand apps moving forward in terms of both simplicity and convenience. 

Country Specific-Mobile App Usage Statistics: Canada

The use of mobile devices continues to grow. The amount of time spent on mobile phones has significantly increased over the years. Similarly, mobile phone users are gradually growing in Canada as well. 

In the following infographic, we have gathered some of the popular app development industry statistics from Canada specifically. From the app revenue statistics, we can see an insatiable appetite of users for mobile app usage and downloading which as a result has created massive opportunities for the mobile app development industry.

The Bottom Line

Current and future trends in mobile computing are very dynamic. With the development landscape constantly changing due to changing mobile app industry trends, adapting to consumer preferences is the only way forward. These are some of the many trends that we see as we enter 2024.

Other latest developments in Virtual reality, instant apps, progressive web apps, Blockchain technology, etc. will continue to make our lives easier.

So, what do you think about the mobile app industry trends in 2024? Leave a comment below to share your thoughts.