How Long Does It Take To Build An App? Timeline Breakdown

Learn how long does it takes to develop an app, with a breakdown of planning, design, development, testing, and launch timelines

Imagine starting a new job and receiving a million-dollar project on your first day. You’re excited to get to work. But before you start, your boss tells you to hold on. First, he must find out how long it will take to complete the project. This may sound strange for an app design agency. But this exactly happens when you contact one to build an app. Before jumping into the app development process, they want to know how long it will take to build an app. This article will uncover the factors that affect app development timelines to help you achieve your goals faster.

NUMI’s product design services can help you build a better app more quickly. Our team of skilled designers can create a prototype of your app that looks and works like a finished product. This helps you get valuable feedback before development begins to reduce costly revisions and shorten timelines.

How Long Does It Take To Build An App?

Every app is unique, so there's no one-size-fits-all answer to how long it takes to build one. The timeline depends on the app's specific requirements, with the development process broken into distinct stages to cater to those needs.

Some apps can be completed in as little as four weeks, while more complex ones might take anywhere from 12 to 18 weeks, especially if intricate features or unexpected challenges are involved. The time it takes also heavily depends on the type of app you're building and the expertise of the development team handling the project.

Time vs. Cost: Understanding How Development Phases Impact Your App Budget

Here's a key point to remember—because it's your investment on the line! The cost of your app is closely tied to how long it takes to develop. Simply put, more time often means higher costs. That's why it's crucial to carefully assess each stage of the app development process and how it impacts the overall timeline. Let's dive into the phases that typically take the most time when bringing a mobile app to life.

Ideation: The Lightbulb Moment That Starts Your App Project

A ground-breaking mobile app project starts with the lightbulb moment when an idea germinates. This is followed by validating the app idea, which takes 1 to 2 weeks. Experimental ideas need to be explored and analyzed first. Coming up with a suitable app development idea is not as easy as it is often perceived. You need to start by developing a clear app structure.

Although any concept can be a seed, realizing it into an actual program requires serious effort. The idea’s practicality and rationality must align with the brand and market scenario. There should be a sustainable need for the app idea. Spend reasonable time validating your app idea to ensure an efficacious beginning.

Research: The Most Important Step in App Development

Mobile app research is one of the most critical steps in development. It allows you to optimize all the consecutive steps and steer your project in the right direction. A robust research strategy also saves resources, time, and effort. The research and analysis process ideally takes 2 to 3 weeks.

Extensive and well-timed research allows you to ensure optimal resource usage, proper planning, product and brand coherence, effective product positioning, and more. The principal goal here is to provide a successful shift from the conceptualization stage to the production stage.

While you can spend a couple of weeks on initial research, you can regularly continue to study:

The market
Competitors
Audience

Outlining Features and Functionalities: Defining Your App’s Purpose

Developing your app’s features and functionalities is a defining step that takes 1 to 2 weeks. The exact time required to create and incorporate the features will depend on your app’s category and the final list of requirements. A straightforward app outline, vision, and a dedicated budget are recommended before development.

Besides, keep an eye on the trends in your industry and try to incorporate the essential features standard in successful apps. It is best to find a solution that allows you to integrate all the features under one roof. Create a list of your app’s functionalities and find a platform that meets your requirements. Allocate a fixed time for the development of features and proceed accordingly.

Software Development: The Longest and Most Crucial Stage of App Development

After completing meticulous research and planning, you can move on to the next step in developing an application—creating an architectural framework. Software development, which is 3 to 6 months wide, is the longest stage and the most significant of all.

The Synchronization of UI/UX, Backend, and Frontend Development in Modern App Creation

The level of intricacy involved in this endeavor is multidirectional, making perfection the key. Most app development companies and developers now follow methodologies where various development processes co-occur.

This essentially includes the following steps:

Design UI/UX: Creating the user interface and defining the user experience and interactions with the app.
Backend Development: Developing the app traditionally requires coding and building behind-the-app components that facilitate software operations.
Frontend Development: The efforts that take place in the background appear on the front end—the client-facing interface. Here, developers and designers work together to create an interactive interface and easily navigable app architecture.

Testing and QA: Ensuring Your App Is Ready for Launch

Testing and Quality Assurance (QA) is the stage in which custom software development is most advanced. It designates the last and final phase of software development. This phase, lasting between 2 and 4 weeks, involves intensive testing and trials so that the product operates smoothly.

The need for quality assurance and mobile app testing becomes inevitable as failures may occur in different phases in the form of bugs and errors. This comprehensive process becomes vital for revealing minor and significant problems that often get overlooked during other stages.

Breaking Down the App Testing Phases: Ensuring Performance, Security, and Usability

The testing timeline can further be divided into the following phases:

Performance Testing: This is reviewing the app’s looks, features, and functionalities. It also evaluates the application’s scalability and ability to accommodate huge traffic and in-app activity.
Security Testing: As apps now collect vast data, testing it for security becomes essential. Therefore, considerable time should be spent ensuring the app is safe against threats and privacy violations.
Usability Testing: Running tests on different devices and environments allows for a more reliable assessment of the finished product’s adaptability before its release. Specific time should be allocated to testing the app’s usability.

App Launch: Submitting Your App to App Stores

After verifying that the application has reliably passed intensive tests, the crucial stage of app launch follows. This may take around 6 to 7 days. It may start with creating developer accounts and submitting apps for review on Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

The final approval may require anywhere between a few days and a month, primarily based on the review you receive. If your app complies with the guidelines of the respective store, it should only take two to three days to get approved and go live.

Factors That Affect How Long It Takes To Build An App

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The Size of Your App: How It Affects Development Timeline

The size of your app is a major player in how long development will take. And by "size," we’re talking about the number of features, screens, and overall content. Imagine you’re at a coffee shop—ordering a simple black coffee is quick and easy, but a large, intricate order with extra syrup, whipped cream, and spices takes a bit longer (and costs more).

The same logic applies to app development. Smaller apps, with fewer features and simpler designs, can often be developed in as little as two to three months. But it will take longer if you’re looking at a more extensive, more complex app with many features, like:

E-commerce functionalities
Social media integration
Extensive database-driven content

Managing Large-Scale App Projects: Planning, Budgeting, and Long-term Maintenance

These more significant projects need more planning, coding, and rigorous testing. It’s also worth noting that the size of your app can impact its long-term viability. Larger apps require more maintenance and updates to keep everything running smoothly and to add new features over time. That’s something to consider when mapping out your development timeline and budget. So, if you're a business looking to jump into the mobile app game, it's essential to be realistic about the size and scope of your project.

The Complexity of Your App: How It Affects Development Timeline

Complexity is like adding layers to a cake. The more intricate the flavors, the fancier the icing, the longer it takes to make. Similarly, the more complex your app, with advanced features like augmented reality (AR) or artificial intelligence (AI), the longer it will take to develop. The timeline will stretch if your app needs to handle a lot of data, integrate with several third-party services, or offer unique functionalities.

Balancing Feature Complexity and App Performance: The Impact of Additional Functionality on Development

Let’s take a banking app as an example. An essential app might let users check their balance and transfer money. This can be developed relatively quickly. Now, if you want to add features like biometric security, a chatbot for customer support, and integration with other financial services, you’re diving into a whole new level of complexity. Every added feature demands more time for:

Coding
Testing
Fixing bugs

Think of it this way: Each feature is like adding another gear to a machine. Everything needs to mesh perfectly, or the entire system will slow down—or worse, it will break. A broken app is a recipe for unhappy users and lost revenue, which no business wants to deal with.

The Technology You Choose: How It Affects Development Timeline

The technology stack you pick can greatly influence how long it takes to develop your app. Think of it like cooking: the fancier the dish, the more intricate the ingredients and techniques required. There's a balancing act involved. On one hand, cutting-edge technologies like augmented reality or artificial intelligence can make your app stand out in a crowded market.

Native vs. Cross-Platform Development: Weighing Speed, Performance, and Long-Term Complexity

On the other hand, due to their complexity, they can also prolong your development timeline. One major decision is whether to go with native development or cross-platform solutions.

Native apps, made specifically for iOS or Android, tend to offer the best performance but require separate development efforts.
Cross-platform frameworks, such as Flutter or React Native, allow you to hit both markets with a single codebase, potentially speeding things up but maybe compromising on performance or user experience.

Another factor here is third-party integrations, such as payments or social media login functionalities. These can save time initially but might add complexity later. Imagine having a customer try to log in using Facebook, and suddenly Facebook changes its login API—you'd need to update your app to keep things running smoothly.

Your Development Team's Experience: How It Affects Development Timeline

Your development team's experience plays a significant role in determining the mobile app development timeline. Experienced developers have typically encountered various challenges during their careers, allowing them to navigate potential roadblocks more efficiently. This isn't just a boast about having a gold star in programming; it's a reality that can save time and money.

For example, an experienced team will likely have a deeper understanding of best coding practices and can foresee potential issues before they become time-consuming problems. They also know the importance of testing at every stage, removing errors early, and ensuring smoother sailing toward your app’s launch.

Avoiding Costly Mistakes and Delays

Opting for a seasoned team might seem like a hefty upfront investment, but consider it a way to safeguard your project against costly delays and reworks. This is particularly true if your app requires integration with external systems or advanced technologies.

It’s like hiring an experienced chef to cater your event; sure, they might ask for a bit more, but you’re guaranteed a spread that won’t disappoint your guests or send anyone to A&E!!

Leveraging Expertise for Swift App Development

A development team with wide-ranging experience can offer innovative solutions that might not be immediately obvious. Their broad skill set means they can approach problems from various angles, offering the best possible response.

Conversely, a less experienced team might need more time to figure things out, adding extra weeks or months to your project timeline. So, investing in a well-versed development team is a no-brainer if you’re looking to bring your app to life without unnecessary hiccups swiftly.

Your Project Management Approach: How It Affects Development Timeline

How you manage your project can seriously impact how swiftly (or sluggishly) your app moves from idea to reality. Think of it like building a house—efficient project management is like having a skilled foreman who keeps everything on track and ensures everyone knows what they're doing.

First things first, consider going Agile. With their fancy names like Scrum, Kanban, and Lean, Agile methodologies might sound complex, but they just boil down to breaking down your project into smaller, manageable chunks. This approach lets you adapt to changes, get feedback, and adjust as you go along—especially helpful if you dive into uncharted territory. One cool aspect of Agile is its structured flexibility.

Choosing the Right Development Methodology for Your App Project

Regular check-ins and iterative cycles mean you can catch issues early and make tweaks before problems snowball. It's like fixing a leaky tap before it floods the house. Businesses love this because it often leads to faster development times and a better-fitting product for the market.

But if Agile isn't your cup of tea, the Waterfall approach might suit you better. It's more linear, where each phase follows the other like a waterfall. If you’ve managed traditional projects, this might feel more familiar, but be wary—it’s less flexible when changes pop up.

Chasing Perfection: How It Affects Development Timeline

It's tempting to chase after that flawless app, persuading yourself that any slight imperfection would be glaring to your users. Focusing too much on refining every tiny detail can significantly stretch your timeline. Your goal should be to deliver an app that effectively resolves user pain points, and iterating based on user feedback is a more sustainable approach.

Keep in mind that technology and user preferences are constantly evolving. Today’s perfect app might need updates to stay relevant tomorrow. Striking a balance between excellence and practicality is crucial. So, if you are debating whether to spend an extra week tweaking the color palette or perfecting an animation, ask yourself: “Is this necessary for our users’ experience, or can we improve it in a future update?”

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Understanding Key Stages Of The App Development Process

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Ideation: Where It All Begins

The ideation phase kicks off the app development process. Here, app creators brainstorm ideas for the app and collect stakeholder information. This group includes industry experts, potential customers, developers, and salespeople. Their collective knowledge helps outline the app’s objectives and requirements.

At this stage, business teams or clients usually have an objective, vision, or business needs for the app. While they think they know how their complete app should look, only developers help them refine their ideas and resolve ambiguities.

The Importance of the Ideation Phase

The ideation phase helps identify what needs to be built, who the end user is, and the purpose of the product. It requires mapping out features, specifying the app's technical requirements, researching competitors, and typically translating human language into technical documentation.

Planning: Outlining the App Development Process

The planning stage is sometimes known as the requirements-gathering stage. Here, the app development team studies end-user needs and matches them to user expectations. Once gathered, requirements are classified from high-level to detailed according to:

The user
Business
Essential system requirements

App development planning also entails describing and documenting requirements like:

Frequency of data backup
Performance objectives
Failure prevention and fault analysis
App usability, portability
Accessibility
Security
Recoverability

It's an incremental application development process that establishes the app's feasibility and gives the team flexibility.

Strategic Planning for App Development

Planning also includes:

Clearly define the project scope and set boundaries.
Performing project estimation, including costs.
Efficient workforce number.
Project deadlines.
Estimating procurement needs.

Businesses also allocate:

Resources
Plan capacities
Schedule project timelines
Identify risks
Outline ways to soften them

Design: Creating the Look and Feel of the App

The design stage prepares the app concept by sketching the future app and turning the app specifications into a design that showcases the app's unique look and feel. It may not require programming knowledge, especially if you use low-code/no-code platforms for app development.

App design incorporates the user interface, specific security features, app development platforms, app architecture, and how the app communicates with other systems. Creating a design prototype provides a basic idea of how the application looks and what it can do.

The Role of Feedback in Prototyping: Avoiding Design Flaws and Cost Overruns

Feedback and suggestions from potential users, business leaders, and developers identify any iterations needed to improve the app so you can have a solid prototype with a mapped-out user flow. Failure at the design stage often results in cost overruns and may collapse the entire project.

Development: Bringing the App to Life

Once they fully understand product requirements, app creators build the app to suit project requirements using the app development technology stack defined at the beginning of the project. Depending on your company’s development approach and the complexity of the app, a large team can work on different parts of the app, or one person can build the entire app.

Low-code app development, written in a coding language specific to the app, allows you to create custom applications or programs. Where coding is needed, IT developers work alongside designers, quality assurance engineers, and a project manager, following the design blueprint and development guidelines to generate a Minimum Viable Product.

The Importance of Task Prioritization and Iteration in Streamlining App Development

Task prioritization and estimation help developers establish the time development may take and anticipate issues in the application development process that can delay production. While they often encounter challenges such as code bugs, they find the most optimal approaches to:

Executing the code
Reviewing it
Making iterations for more robust, bug-free code.

Quality Assurance: Testing the App for Functionality

Quality assurance and testing continuously check apps to ensure all the components work as expected and each part interacts well with others. The process starts once the app has been created on LCNC platforms or the coding is complete. It pinpoints defects, deficiencies, and potential risks, then fixes them. A new app version is produced only when all validated defects are resolved.

Testing checks whether apps meet original, defined requirements and prevents businesses from releasing low-quality apps. Testing for apps that require coding also verifies code reliability and minimizes the number of bugs users encounter when using the app, thus increasing usage rate and user satisfaction.

The Critical Role of Automated Testing and QA

Thorough, automated testing also evaluates the app’s compliance with customer requirements in real-world scenarios and catches any last mistakes. Higher-level testing and quality assurance, including:

Integration
Performance
Security
System testing

It reduces the chances of the app failing upon release.

Deployment: Releasing the App to Users

The application development cycle streamlines operations and shortens the time between app development and deployment. Application maintenance and continuous updating ensure your application functions optimally. Depending on the app's complexity and requirements, deployment can be manual or automated.

In a test-driven development environment, developers define a deployment workflow that involves multiple quality checks before automatically deploying the app to its end user. Once the app is released, maintenance ensures continuous app enhancements, further bug fixing, and code refinement.

The Ongoing Value of User Feedback and App Maintenance in Driving Growth and Adaptability

As users interact with the app, they provide valuable feedback that enables developers to update features and improve user satisfaction and retention. App maintenance and updating also transform the apps to match the ever-changing market conditions and business requirements.

6 Tips To Shorten The App Development Timeline

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1. Use Low-Fidelity Wireframes As A Guiding Blueprint

Before jumping headfirst into the time-consuming process of building your mobile app, it's wise to use low-fidelity wireframes to map out and plan the layout of your app from a design and architectural view. Unlike high-fidelity wireframes, low-fidelity wireframes save you time because they are rough blueprints.

They are more abstract and include less detail. Wireframes will give your programmers a better idea of the functionalities you want built-in and will give your UX designer more direction in designing the user interface. Getting everyone on the same page and united under the same vision will save you an incredible amount of time in the long run.

2. Adopt The Lean Method, Launch Your MVP, And Start Testing

Rather than entering the market with a fully formed, robust product, launch only a minimum viable product (MVP) to enter the market quickly. Immediately begin collecting data using a build-measure-learn feedback loop.

Use the feedback collected to inform the development process continually. The plan is to operate on very short iterative cycles or “sprints,” where new updates are released in 2-4 weeks.

3. Consider Hybrid Mobile Development Solutions

Cross-platform hybrid solutions, like Adobe Phonegap and Xamarin, allow you to use a single codebase to target multiple platforms rather than writing native code for each platform separately. You build once and get two apps for both Android and iOS platforms.

Hybrid apps have drawbacks. They handle animations with less fluidity and consume a substantial amount of memory. Several startups have used them to penetrate the market quickly and then replaced them with native apps to provide a more robust solution.

4. Offload Non-Core Activities

Once you've built your core product, it's time to think about how your mobile app will effectively engage your customers. Mobile engagement platforms are full of pre-made applets you can add to your core product without additional coding. For example, my company, WalkMe, provides them for engagement, Twilio for communications, and SendGrid for email.

The applets usually include:

Sharing tools
New feature tours
Special offer notifications
Feedback tools
Prompts to convert free to premium customers

5. Outsource Non-Core Development Features

If your mobile app requires coding, consider outsourcing some of your development efforts. Sometimes, outsourcing for developers is more efficient than having your in-house team do it. This is especially true if you're coding add-ons to your core product or coding versions of your product for different devices.

Say your in-house programmers have extensive experience developing iOS apps, but you also want to launch for Android. Instead of having them struggle with Android development, hire a team with the proven expertise and workflow chemistry you seek. By outsourcing these components, you also ensure that your development team concentrates on the primary operations.

6. Set Up Automated Testing To Ensure App Security

The best way to accommodate fast development cycles while providing a secure, quality product is by automating your mobile application testing. By automating testing, you can simultaneously run a suite of tests that would otherwise take hours to complete manually.

By speeding up testing, you can expand test coverage in the same amount of time and be more confident that your code is bug-free. A popular automated testing software on the market is Appium. Appium is an open-source test automation framework for use with native, hybrid, and mobile web apps for iOS and Android.

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NUMI helps with:

Product design
Web design
Framer development
Webflow development
Mobile design
Prototyping
UX design
All of your startup's design needs!

Subscribe to a guild of world-class designers ready to embed on your team today. Schedule a call with us today to learn more!

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How Long Does It Take To Build An App? Timeline Breakdown