2021 Trends for mobile app development that are expected to create a buzz

Anuj Atrey
15 min readFeb 25, 2021

The recent years have been a roller coaster ride for technology, wherein, we have only seen it grow with people trying their hands at various things to only make it better with new techniques. In today’s time when technology has become everything and not even a single person exists without owning a mobile phone, we know how much has been done in this field. From creating web applications that assist you to do all your work, to getting the internet installed on the wearable devices that tell you your heart rate and physical conditions, we truly have come a long way.

Each year sees its own challenges and growth when it comes to technology and trends of developing applications, be it web-based or mobile-based, these trends keep changing year time and year. Therefore, the technical staff has to stay up to date with it so that they can easily amend the already existing applications or software with the latest technology.

The dependency on web and mobile application development work has increased to an extent that there is an app for almost everything. You think about it, and look upon the App Store, and voila, it already exists in some form or the other. However, users are smart and prefer to choose only that application that caters to all their needs and is viable with the latest technology. It is not only about the application alone here, there are other things assisting it, like the speed, format, design, etc. that totally affect the choice of the users. Therefore, one has to be accurate about what they want in the app and whatnot, so that the users are utterly satisfied and get the latest product on their platter.

To stay ahead of times and the others, it is essential for the developers and the technical staff to stay abreast of what is happening and the technical world. If they are working on an already existing web and mobile application development company, they should know about the time it needs any new update or addition. Latest technologies like the IoT (Internet of Things) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are some things to look forward to. Each company prevails for an infinite term thinking about the future prospects, and since technology is the future of everything, one has to pay all the more heed to it.

One should always know that the trends keep changing and newer apps will always come up with something new, therefore, you must break the monotony of your application and make it up to the mark with new additions every now and then. Secondly, design plays an important role in the success of any application, which makes it mandatory for the developers to keep an eye on newer and better designs that can simplify things for the users. It is very important to retain the users and bring about loyalty in them towards the application, therefore, keeping up with the trends is very important. One wrong step can lead to things falling out of place.

How can you keep up with the new technology and new trends that are introduced in the app world? All you have to do is follow the trends for yourself and keep a watch on the users to learn about the things that impress them the more. Also, it is best to integrate the latest trend into the app at that very moment before it loses its charm and becomes stale.

Do you think you can retain users by offering them nothing new, but the technology and features that have been on the app forever, or would they are thrilled to learn about something new being introduced in the app they have on their devices? Well, answer it for yourself! You wouldn’t want some to be mundane and lose their charm when the users or customers are offered something new and better than what you have to offer to them. While technology is being updated every now and then, you have to learn to embrace these changes and give your loyal customers something new from time to time,

There have been some serious changes in the technological trends when it comes to applications. The year 2020 saw a paradigm shift in these trends as people were all using applications remotely and the features had to installed in a way that could cater to the needs of remote users. However, 2021 is going to see some more changes and certain trends will stay from the previous years.

Have you also been pondering over the trends that would get a go-getter from the developers and users? Well, here we are to help you know the trends that would make it to the top of the list in the coming year.

Take a look at some major trends that can help you beat the competition and stay ahead of the others.

1.Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)

An app that can easily perform all functions and is loaded with enhanced features is something everyone would rather enjoy using, than the one that takes ages to load. There are several advantages that one can draw from Progressive Web applications, such as:

- Allow the admin to send push notifications to the user’s devices.

- Is easily operational even when the device is not connected to the internet.

- Offer a lighter application that enables the users to easily download anything from the app.

- The bounce rate of these applications is low.

- The applications are more reliable as they work as native apps only.

It is essential to launch an application that is user-friendly and enhances the experience with features that not only solves all their purposes but also is downloadable and accessible on any device. The trend of PWAs has been prevailing in the technology industry for a long and the web developers and investors see a very bright future of the same. Another benefit that one can clearly see in this technology is that the app development time is comparatively lesser than the time spent on developing native apps. After the app is fully developed it just has to be uploaded onto the servers without having to buy a license for the same from the app stores. This saves a lot of money for the admin.

2.Artificial Intelligence

This one is definitely here to stay for the coming year and for the years following. While the human brain can process one thing at a time, Artificial Intelligence requires minimum manual effort as the system understands the functioning, likes, and dislikes of all users and generate information based on each users’ statistics. This helps the admin to share only that content to each user that is of interest to them, rather than spamming them with a lot of messages and advertisements. There is an algorithm in this technology that keeps a tab on the search criteria of each user and understanding their preferences. With this, the technology makes sure to send out advertisements that are related to each user’s search so that they do not mark it spam. AI is a very essential technique to target the audience and direct a certain advertisement to the users who show a keen interest in it.

More revenue can be generated with the help of this technology as more leads can be generated by tracking the search history of the users.

According to a recent survey conducted, it has been reported that the market size of artificial intelligence is likely to grow at a CAGR of 42.2 percent from the year 2020 through 2027. The market for this technology has been valued at $ 3.9 billion in 2019. Several technology companies that have been flourishing well all these years have been contributing to the growth of AI as they have consistently tried to implement new things into it making it stand out from the rest. Each industry, irrespective of its size and establishment year has been welcoming this technology into their applications, thus providing the users with more than they could have even thought of.

The users have now become very smart and know where to draw a line if they are unnecessarily spammed with advertisements that are of no interest to them. There is only a simple resort to it, and that is sheer avoidance. It will not take the users a second to uninstall an app if it is of no interest to them. It will only affect the image of the app and lower its ranking on the charts. Therefore, it is of great importance to understand the preferences of the users with the help of a web development dimension which is created within the apps with the help of Artificial Intelligence.

There are apps that require manual labor when it comes to redirecting ads towards the user’s screens. In today’s era, the prevalence of this system is quite outdated as it is liable to more errors, therefore, error-free work is always preferred which can only happen with the help of AI. There are several benefits of using this technology, which we are now going to list below. If you are one of those who is planning to develop an application for your business, read through carefully:

-Only those products and advertisements will be redirected to a user’s screen which is of relevance to them.

-Admin can come to know about the likes and dislikes of the users by understanding their search history.

-The sellers will in advance knowledge about the user’s future purchase by studying their history.

3.Internet of Things (IoT)

The world is headed to more digitalization and connectivity! If you think that only your computers and smartphones are connected to the internet, then you are wrong. Look around you there are smart devices everywhere that require wireless connectivity to perform functions. From smartphones to smart cars, smartwatches, and smart houses, every device is becoming connected to the internet. This coming of age technology has been giving birth to the kind of devices we have never even imagined of. Now, the question is — what is it that is not connected to the internet?

These devices have been increasing at a rate that is beyond imagination. The IoT devices in 2018 alone were around 10 billion in the entire world and it is expected to go up to 64 billion by the end of the year 2025. This clearly states how important this technology is in the coming years. All devices should be interconnected with the help of the internet to make the most out of them.

So how does all the data that is gathered from across devices is collected at the same time? It is the cloud computing methodology that allows one to do that. With the help of sensors and other techniques, one can gather all the data and information which is carefully analyzed for its accuracy. IoT includes things like the wearable devices such as smartwatches, the chatbots we see in websites and applications these days, cloud computing devices, etc.

We have witnessed the amount of reliability IoT has these days. Most people are using this technology or want to try a hand at it. Since it has benefitted the users in many ways by simplifying things for them, we will throw light on some of the major benefits of this technology trend:

-Smart devices have come into being which is helpful to the users in several ways.

-The results drawn with the help of these devices are reliable as they are accurate and can be trusted.

-The results are visible on the IoT wearable devices within seconds.

4.Internet of Things (IoT)

Everything compressed onto one page that lets the users scroll through everything at the same time is much better than applications and websites that take you through a number of links and opens up several pages during the course. Switching between pages and links can be quite a task and can make one lose interest in a website, therefore, it is always a good idea to make web-based and mobile-based apps that are in the SPA format. This technology has been liked by the users and we guarantee that it is here to stay for long. Therefore, you must try your hand at this one since you are sure to succeed.

SPA is a very recent trend that has been gaining the attention of the users and is being liked by them. Along with providing quality protection of the data collected from the users, this technology also improves the performance of the web application. Did you know big names like Google Maps, Facebook, and Gmail among others are Single Page Applications, therefore, people like to use these apps to their maximum? This technology eliminates the extra time spent on waiting for the pages to load each time you navigate to a new page. Since everything is on a single page, it does not wait for the features to load. Most web developers around the world have been recommending this format of applications because of its ease of use and for the fact that it enhances the user experience.

Take a look at the benefits one can draw with this technology:

-The complete focus in the same of SPA is on the APIs.

-Chrome tools are helpful in this technology for debugging and setting up.

-The UX/UI is greatly effective in a native browser environment.

-It helps the web owners and developers in saving bandwidth.

With all this and more this technique is here to stay through 2021 and later as well. It will not only increase the efficiency of any business but will also result in high profits.

5.Voice search and navigation

Have you not been hearing a lot of “Hey Alexa” or “Hi Siri” uttered by most people these days? These intangible people have made life very simple and relaxed for smartphone users as they have someone on their toes to help them at all times. Giving voice commands to your phones and applications while looking up for particular information or for any other work is the latest trend in the tech industry and it has been accepted by users with open arms. Having received a green signal from users across the globe, this tech trend in the app development industry is to stay for a long long time.

Some of the most popular applications have been using this technology as it significantly reduces the time of the users in typing long sentences. Users don’t like to do anything manually when everything can be controlled with a voice command. App developers also suggest their clients append this trend in their apps to keep up with the competition.

There is a rise in the usage of smartphones over the years which has secured the future of this trend. The latest report by Google suggests that there is 27 percent of smartphone users are religiously using the smart voice option on their phones.

Take a look at some major advantages of adding this feature to your application:

-The device needs not be handheld by the user while using this technology, as they can give the command from some distance as well.

-The usage of the device becomes very easy as it eliminates the need for typing.

-In today’s time, there are several devices that have come into being.

-Any task on your device can be performed immediately without the user having to wait to hold the device in their hands and then typing a command.

6.WebAssembly

While native apps run fast and easily without wasting much time on loading, cross-platform apps have the benefit of functioning on any device. With the help of this tech stack, you can make the cross-platform apps be light so that their performance is not only enhanced but is also fast-paced.

Would you want to target an app for your users that is slow and takes the longest time to load a single place or something that is light and can perform the same functions at an unmatchable speed? While you don’t want to lose out on your users, you should try out the WebAssebly, which allows the conversion of any programming language into a Bytecode, that can accelerate the speed of app development.

This is one technology that has come into being and is liked by the app developers as it has made life easy for them. Earlier longer durations were being spent on the entire app development process, but with this coming of age technology, that has significantly gone down. This trend in developing applications summaries an exchangeable binary code format for programs that can be implemented.

Take a look at the advantages one can derive from this technology:

-Since a specific programming language is not required to develop apps using this technology, the time spent on the app development process is rather less.

-The technology is compatible with all devices, hence, with its help developers can build apps that can function across platforms.

-The technology trend also helps in encrypting an application.

7.Chatbots

Users are always on the lookout for help while using an application. With the assistance they get through the support staff, they can resolve their issues and go further using the application. But have you ever wondered the amount of personnel that a company has to employ to make a team of support staff that can assist the users? Also, with that, they also have to invest a lot of money into the same. So why not get a chatbot integrated into the app, that can take up general queries and support the users?

This technology has become quite popular and will see a bright future as it has reasonably reduced the cost of the companies. In recent times, we have witnessed that most applications send have included this technology which has also proved to be beneficial to them in many ways. The dependency rate of users on these chatbots has also significantly increased as they get instant replies to their queries.

App developers can feed answers to some common queries asked by the users, which can be instantly answered without wasting the time of the users. The response time in this case scenario has significantly gone down as the answer pops up as soon as the question has been asked. With the use of an algorithm, the system understands the question and responds to it quickly.

Here are some advantages of the technology:

-The response time considerably goes down as the response in this case is quick.

-The cost of appointing a support staff team is eliminated with the inculcation of this technology.

-All conversations are saved which helps in bringing about transparency.

8.3D

An attractive application with 3D images and graphics is much more attractive to users than the one that is mundane and is old-school. This technology has only been growing and it can be aptly said that this is the future of mobile applications. There is a lot yet to be explored when we talk about 3D technology as we see new things cropping up each day that can enhance the look and feel of the apps. Making an app attractive is very important in this era of cutthroat competition, where every app tries to have better visuals than its competitors.

Hiring the right app development agency that can experiment with this technology and give you unparalleled results is what all businesses need. This is also the need of the hour and the future as well. It will be a technology trend to look forward to even in 2021 as it enhances the user experience and also the attraction quotient of the application. While you must be thinking that this will cost you more than your budget, rest assured as everything fits the bill now.

Take a look at some advantages that you can draw with the help of this technology:

-Makes your application stand out and helps it become attractive to the users.

-Users get an unparalleled experience with 3D images and graphics.

-The retention rate of the app increases.

9.Motion Design UI

To make an application look appealing, the Motion Design UI has been a trend that has been vigorously used. It is one of the tech trends in app development that is going to stay ahead of the others in the coming years. It helps you create intuitive user interfaces for the convenience of the users.

Each user gets virtual guidance of your application with the help of this technology, which teaches them to step by step how the app can be used. This can be done with the alignment of animation to an application. This technology helps the app developers seamlessly share the information about the application with the users. It helps in bringing life to the user interface.

Take a look at the advantages of using this technology:

-The interactions between the user and the application seem to be more real.

-It gives the user guidance through the entire interface in the form of intuitive graphics, which helps each user understand the functioning of the application.

-It enhances brand recognition amongst the users.

-The attraction quotient of the application increases with the help of this technology.

-The ranking of applications using this technology increases.

-It helps in beating the competition.

Conclusion

Saying that the work of the app developers is over after launching the app might be wrong. Their assistance is always required in keeping your application up to the mark with the latest trends and technologies that help it stand among the competitors. Users have become very smart and demand nothing but the best when it comes to mobile applications and it is for the developers to understand their needs and offer them an app that is loaded with the latest technologies. Features that add some value to the app should only be included rather than bombarding the users with a lot on their platter. It is, therefore, important to keep abreast of the latest trends that are ruling the app development industry. However, it is only with the help of an experienced app development agency that one can think of developing an app that suits the needs of the users.

Xpertyst is a Mobile app development company and is developing different types of mobile applications for the last few years and have extensive knowledge of domain features, if you are looking for app development services, write us at info@xpertyst.com

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Anuj Atrey

Founder | Mobile App Development | React Native | Native Apps | React JS | | Custom Applications | Laravel | PHP |