12 Top Mobile App Development Trends In 2024

 

Mobile application development is an area of endless opportunities, a place to breed ideas and let innovation drive creativity. But at the same time, it has become an area of disrupting technologies, changing requirements, and trends for the companies operating in the market. This period should be known as the period of uncertainty yet creativity.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been difficult for many businesses, but the mobile development industry is still growing with the global revenue estimated to hit $44.3 trillion by 2027. The lockdown resulted in a period of change in preferences. People are more focused and attracted to mobile-first, contactless, and connected services. This calls for an update on the latest trends, what’s working and what won’t work, the practicalities of the changing trends, and why you should know about them. This article will cover all this and many other things.

Read more on: Mobile App Development Technologies You Should Look Out For

Here are 13 Mobile app development trends for 2024 that you should be aware of:

5G the New Normal

5G is the new hype in the internet world. Mobile companies are rolling out a phone that has 5G and it has been used as a marketing tool to increase sales. The increase in sales shows that consumers are interested in 5G technology and therefore mobile app development should incorporate 5G into their apps.

5G is promising as it has awfully superb downloading speed alongside other features.  In fact, Opensignal reports that 5G was between 1.6 and 15.7 times faster than 4G on download during trials. 5G has improved security features and an increased number of connections per square kilometer, support for this will come out to be the hottest mobile app development trend in 2024.

5G proves to be the trend everyone will be picking on because it will enable the incorporation of new functionalities into mobile applications. Industries like gaming and the ones that require high-speed internet in Chicago or any other city can leverage 5G to promote and come up with improved mobile app trends. It will impact AR/VR technologies, live streaming, the IoT industry, and many more but in a positive way.

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Voice Technology to Give the Touchless Interface

No one would have predicted voice technology to come such a long way and become the most look-after trend in 2023-2024. It has grown to make to the list of most anticipated trends in mobile app development and especially in the IoT industry. 

Why do users love it so much?

Voice search has become the go-to feature for many users. Voice search is a dream for all the people who never liked typing and have smart speakers. That has made their life more convenient for them as they can essentially search for anything without having to type it in. It has made browsing a pleasant experience for shoppers and enhances retailers’ marketing.

VUI or the voice user interface, is changing the traditional ways of approaching UI. It combines voice recognition with predictive learning making the app interactive for the users. They can interact with the app using their voice. Due to this, consumers' whole experience is more tailored, and customer retention is higher. Shopping consultants are consultants that help you during shopping. They help you find stuff in the marketplace, discounts, and coupons, answer queries, and help users with suggestions.

During the lockdown and the period after, people started relying on voice devices such as Alexa and Google Nest. In the U.S., about 66 million people have smart speakers at home and the audience for voice solutions is expected to grow. It is pertinent to cater to this growing trend if you are looking to capture the market and earn customer satisfaction.

The Growing Audience for Instant Apps and Progressive Web Apps

The world of mobile applications is tricky and always changing. High conversion rates and maintaining those can be a pretty tough task to achieve in such an unpredictable world. You don’t get much time but seconds to convince users to install and keep your mobile application.

Instant apps are the growing trend of 2024 which enables users to try an app without having to download it first. They save your data capacity and users aren’t required to install anything to make them work. It opens up simply by clicking on the link that the developers post and there you have it.  NY Times along with some others is using instant apps to stay at the top of the mobile application development trends. 

Accommodating Foldable Devices

The return of foldable devices has shifted the focus of mobile app development to make uniform apps across all screens. Mobile companies are producing foldable phones that are highly priced but it has successfully piqued people’s interest. If you don’t know already, foldable devices have the functionality to work as a phone as well as a tab and you can adjust it accordingly.  Industry giants like Samsung have taken up the foldable mobile devices trend and so have Huawei and Motorola. People have exhibited great interest in Samsung’s Galaxy Z fold series and this calls attention to the emerging trend surrounding it. This trend presents a challenge for mobile app developers as they have to make apps considering the folding devices and how the app is going to function on their chosen device. This presents an opportunity as the devices get more reasonable prices, and the mass population will consider using them. Businesses should cater to this trend and make their apps uniform across all screens to keep the customers. 

Biometric Identification/Authentication

Biometric authentication is the use of fingerprint or facial recognition methods to identify the user to maintain the user's privacy and security intact. Recently, companies have started using technology to provide more security to users when they use wallets, etc.  For instance, apps like Apple Pay and PayPal use facial recognition to provide customers with an extra layer of security to keep their accounts and information secure. 

If you work in Fintech, healthcare, or any of the app industries, an added layer of security for data and money protection will win your customers’ trust and loyalty. 

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Beacon Technology 

After its introduction in 2013, Beacon technology has come a long way. In recent years, there has been exceptional growth, and in 2024, it was deployed 400 million times. It is an exploding trend that people are catching up with because of the newness it has; combining online and offline experiences together. 

According to GeoMarketing, there currently are 3.9 million proximity sensors deployed globally that use beacon technology. These are small transmitters that connect to smartphones via Bluetooth. They can give a more personalized experience and can be installed at airports, shopping malls, hospitals, and other places. It works to make the whole experience more personalized and convenient for the customers by giving them the exact information on their phones when they enter these places. They can receive real-time navigation, discounts, promotions, and suggestions on mobile apps.

Beacon technology is already being used in Apple’s and Macy’s stores and the apps work in synchronization with what the brand has to offer.  Mobile app developers should take up this challenge to develop apps that bring offline and online experiences together to enhance the overall experience of the customer. Beacon technology can be used for monitoring the spread of Covid-19 as well. Google and Apple have devised a mechanism to track the number of positive cases.

Recreational Mobile Phone Usage

People used to be less on their phones before the pandemic. They used to spend like 3 hours on their phones daily which went up to 4 hours and 6 minutes during 2024 and most of the time was spent on mobile apps rather than browsing. Leisure was the first area that did go digital and people really got hooked up to it and aren’t willing to give up on it.  This is an area that presents an opportunity for businesses as users prefer to spend time on mobile apps more than any other platform. 

Read about every trend that’s happening in the IT industry before everyone else.

Debunking Fake Information 

Recent years have seen the rise of false/fake information masquerading the truth on social media and it doesn’t seem that enough is being done to counter the spread of false information using these platforms. People can’t possibly filter out the information being presented to them and it falls on the apps to introduce mechanisms to filter out the right information from false information.  The most needed and hot trend of mobile app development, therefore, is the implementation of fact-checking algorithms into social media mobile apps.

Media platforms have been asked by the concerned organization to introduce such a mechanism and that’s why businesses would have to come up with solutions addressing this very issue.  AI-based solutions are in-demand but it still is a work in progress and an opportunity for developers and creative heads to come up with something that can cater to this issue faced by the majority.

The Reemergence of On-Demand Apps

The pandemic has caused the reemergence of on-demand apps. The apps lie dormant in people’s phones unless they need to use them for the purpose they serve. 

Some of the most known and widely used on-demand apps are the following:

Uber, A widely used ride-hailing app. Rinse, a laundry service app. Grubhub is an app for food delivery like Uber Eats. Instacart, a grocery delivery app. Airbnb, is an accommodation booking app. And there are countless others that serve the same purpose. 

Read more on: ON DEMAND APPS FUTURE, BENEFITS AND APPLICATIONS

Neomorphism in UI Design

The plain UI with minimalistic design is considered standard in app design but that won’t keep the consumers hooked for a long time. Designers are always on the lookout to add new forms of Interface aesthetics into their design. One of these is “Neomorphism”. Neomorphism allows the imitation of three-dimensional objects with the objective to enhance aesthetic impressions of the software products. Though it can enhance aesthetics, it makes the UI more difficult to scale. The reason why neomorphic rarely takes place in mobile app development but pseudo-3D elements is mostly added to enhance the plain minimalistic interfaces. It is a growing trend in mobile app development to make the interaction between the app and the user more wholesome and fulfilling.

The World of Gaming is Changing

Video games have maintained their popularity over the decades. From being extremely simple to extremely interactive, games have come a long way. The reliance on games has increased manifolds during the pandemic when many of the famous YouTubers started live-streaming games and people started playing in groups. 

The popularity of games like PUBG can be attributed to the interactive UX and UI. These games have allowed people to kill their boredom by bonding with people from around the world and playing games together in teams. This trend is going to get bigger and anyone who is going to be clever about it will see huge success.

The Newfound Reliance on Online Shopping

M-commerce or online shopping is not a new thing but definitely something which has picked up exponentially during the pandemic. It has to be the one area in mobile app development that has seen the most growth during the pandemic with a 25.5% CAGR. The lockdowns and the pandemic have forced people to buy online and many of these new users will keep buying online even afterlife gets back to normal. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that online shopping has become the new normal and will continue to reign even after the pandemic recedes.

From the success of online food and grocery delivery apps to retail apps, this latest mobile app development trend is not going anywhere any time soon. It has come out to be one of the most promising and steadfast trends in mobile app development.

In case you want to read more about mobile apps, you can visit our blog category of mobile apps specifically tailored to your customer demand and industry trends.

The Final Takeaway

These are some of the growing trends in the mobile app development world. The pandemic has increased the reliance on online far more than anyone would have imagined in the normal world. The social behaviors and attitudes have changed and people will continue to rely on these apps to deliver them the essential services they did during the pandemic. This has opened an opportunity for businesses to come up with new and innovative ideas that can add to people’s convenience. Anyone entering their ideas around the customers is one shot away from success. 

Moreover, if you are looking for an expert application development company, Contact us today!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a future for mobile app development?

Yes, mobile app development has a promising future due to the increasing usage of smartphones and tablets worldwide. The demand for mobile apps is continuously growing in various industries such as healthcare, e-commerce, and entertainment. Emerging technologies such as AI, AR, and VR will also fuel the growth of mobile app development in the future.

What is the trend in mobile development in 2024?

Mobile development is expected to become more focused on providing immersive and personalized user experiences. There will be a continued shift towards cross-platform development frameworks and cloud-based solutions.

Emerging technologies like 5G, AI, and AR/VR will play an increasingly important role in shaping the mobile development landscape in 2024.

What is the latest Android development trend?

The latest Android development trend is the increasing adoption of Kotlin programming language for Android app development. Kotlin is a modern, concise, and safe language that is fully interoperable with Java, which is the traditional language used for Android development. Other emerging trends include the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning in Android apps, the incorporation of 5G technology, and the rise of foldable and flexible screen devices.