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In 2023, consumers spent about $47 billion on various apps and games in the Google Play Store. With the speedy growth of the app industry, businesses and developers are trying hard to bag a fair share of the money spent on apps. Stores like Play Store or App Store have specific policies for developers regarding the approval of an app.
These policies or guidelines may result in sanctions on cross-platform apps when the apps don’t meet the criteria of the respective app store. So, understanding the platform policies is of paramount importance for developers.
In today’s guide, we will talk about the popularity of cross-platform development, compare cross-platform and native apps, and give you a detailed overview of app store guidelines. Top react native app development companies understand these guidelines and can help navigate the approval process efficiently.
We will also discuss the approval process for apps on different app stores and how to overcome hybrid app development challenges with a Flutter app development company. Let’s get into more details.
Here are some key statistics about various app stores.
With the growing popularity of cross-platform app development, many tools and frameworks have come to light that provide developers with a convenient environment to build desired apps.
These best cross-platform development tools allow developers to write code once and reuse the code for different platforms. Developers can also design attractive apps using the UI components and meet platform-specific requirements.
Let us give you a detailed overview of some popular cross-platform development tools and frameworks.
React Native is a JavaScript-based cross-platform framework. It was launched in 2015 by Facebook, which has excellent code shareability. So, developers use this framework to build near-native apps.
Due to its efficiency in app development, React Native has become one of the most commonly used frameworks for cross-platform app development.
Xamarin was originally launched in 2011 and Microsoft acquired Xamarin in 2016. Since then, Xamarin has become an integral part of the Microsoft ecosystem for developing apps using C# and .NET.
Its integration with Microsoft’s popular IDE and superior app performance made Xamarin one of the most popular cross-platform tools.
Google developed this open-source framework for cross-platform development. With Flutter, developers can use the same codebase and convert it into various native applications. The UI components in Flutter and its unique features are the main reasons behind the popularity of Flutter as a cross-platform framework.
Ionic is based on Anuglar.js and is commonly used to make cross-platform apps with web technologies. Developers can leverage the UI components of Ionic to customize the apps to a whole new level. The simplicity of this framework and its performance make it a great tool for cross-platform development.
With the increased use of cross-platform tools, one question is more commonly asked than before. That is, what are the advantages and disadvantages of cross-platform development?
Cross-platform development tools and frameworks create a convenient environment for developers. Developers can use pre-made resources to speed up the development process. Also, they can avoid doing repetitive tasks, such as writing code for the app structure or execution.
So, developers can increase their efficiency by using these frameworks. Businesses embrace these tools due to the faster development cycle and less use of resources. Cross-platform development is more affordable and convenient for businesses wanting to launch an app as soon as possible.
Also, businesses can reach a wider audience with cross-platform apps. Due to these reasons, cross-platform tools have become highly popular in recent times. According to Statista, cross-platform tools and frameworks like Flutter, React Native, Ionic, Xamarin, etc., have seen a rise in popularity.
Flutter, to be specific, has gained about 16% higher popularity from 2019 to 2022.
You can also read React Native vs Xamarin: What to Choose for Cross-Platform App Development?
App platforms like Play Store or App Store have strict policies in place to prevent the misuse of their platforms by creating and publishing malicious apps. Even if the app isn’t malicious, the subpar performance of an app can app platform restrictions. Let’s introduce you to some basic guidelines of app platforms.
According to the Developer Policy Center, you must check if your app complies with the content policies before you submit it for approval. If the app doesn’t comply with the policy or local laws, the app can be restricted.
Whatever app you upload to the store should at least provide some functionality with a good user experience. If your app doesn’t perform as expected, crashes frequently, or isn’t functional at all, Play Store can impose sanctions on such cross-platform apps. The App Store has similar policies regarding the performance of cross-platform apps.
As cross-platform apps can have higher security concerns compared to native apps, app platforms often restrict cross-platform apps due to containing malware.
Besides restricting apps, app platforms can often impose sanctions on various cross-platform tools. If your framework or tools use APIs that access sensitive information, the tools can be restricted.
So, developers should be more careful about the choice of cross-platform languages, frameworks, or tools. Businesses must choose the right developers or companies who are aware of the app store guidelines and can successfully navigate the challenges of publishing cross-platform apps. Learn How to Choose the Best Cross Platform App Development Company.
Native development has always been the best choice for high-performance applications. However, the platform-specific approach of native development comes with some limitations. We compared native development with cross-platform development below to give you a clear picture.
In native development, developers need to use platform-specific languages or frameworks. To build the same app for two platforms, developers need to write code differently. But cross-platform developers can write the code once and use the codebase across different platforms.
As code reusability isn’t possible in native development, the development cycle is slower. Also, native development needs a higher budget than cross-platform development. On the other hand, cross-platform development requires less budget, less development time, and less maintenance.
You might ask, is cross-platform the best choice for mobile app development? Keeping the growing demand for versatile apps that run on multiple platforms, cross-platform is the best choice for mobile app development.
Though cross-platform app development seems convenient, it has some downsides. SDK restrictions and limitations can be tough hurdles to overcome in cross-platform development. Get aware of these challenges prior to starting the development project.
The main concern regarding cross-platform development is the lack of performance. When cross-platform compatibility is the main concern, the app functionality may be overlooked in many aspects.
App stores continuously monitor apps and analyze their performance. If a cross-platform app fails to display the minimum performance required according to the policies, the app can be removed from the app store.
Many wonder, what are the risks of cross-platform compatibility. Not being able to deliver the expected performance is the biggest risk here. Besides, cross-platform compatibility leads to higher security risks.
You can also read, Should I Choose Cross-Platform Mobile App Development Over Native Apps?
When developing a cross-platform app, complying with app store guidelines is a big challenge. You should keep in mind that the strategies for overcoming this challenge might be similar for all platforms.
Performance bottlenecks, offline functionality, security issues, etc., are the main challenges of developing hybrid apps. To overcome these challenges, you can use the following techniques.
The following strategies can help you improve cross-platform app performance.
The following tips can be helpful in ensuring compatibility across various platforms.
Regardless of what app store you choose to publish your app, you must go through the approval process. App stores review apps in multiple stages to decide whether the app can be published or not.
The approval process usually starts by creating a developer account. Google Play Store charges a $25 annual fee and Apple App Store charges a $99 annual fee for this. While submitting the app, developers need to provide complete information about the app.
In the next stage, app stores review the submitted app to ensure policy compliance. They check the design consistency, functionality, security, privacy, and other factors.
The final stage is the manual review where human reviewers inspect the app. The whole process may take days or even weeks.
According to Google, OAuth verification issues, app listing issues, and app readiness issues are the most common reasons for rejection.
To avoid rejection, developers must set up the OAuth consent screen correctly and complete the OAuth verification. The app shouldn’t be in the testing phase or have bugs. All the links should work correctly.
It is common to run into the following questions regarding cross-platform app development. We clarified the most frequent ones.
Keeping the UI elements and functionality consistent across all platforms is the main problem of cross-platform development. It occurs due to the variation in the guidelines of app stores.
Cross-platform apps don’t have platform-specific codes. Instead, they need to run the converted versions of the same codebase for various platforms. So, cross-platform apps are slower than native apps.
Games have specific control methods that need to be compatible with a specific platform. Also, game companies sometimes have exclusivity contracts with platforms. So, many games aren’t cross-platform till now.
Providing users with a native-like experience regardless of their platforms is the biggest concern over cross-platform apps. Other concerns include SDK restrictions, app sanctions, etc.
Code reusability, efficient development, lower budget, etc., are the main benefits of cross-platform development. Besides, cross-platform development ensures a better reach.
Cross-platform mobile development is more future-proof than native development. With more and more cross-platform development tools, this approach is becoming more convenient and affordable.
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