What's the whole process of building & publishing an app? (as a web developer entrepreneur)
You (Web dev entrepreneur): Kyle, I decided to go with next2app like you suggested. The thing is, since this is my first time making an app, I'm not really sure what steps are involved. With Next.js, you just create a project, develop it, test it with npm run dev on the development server, and then just push it to GitHub and connect it to Vercel for automatic deployment. Could you give me an overview of what steps are needed to develop and deploy an app?
Kyle: Of course! That's a great question. When I first started as a web developer trying to get into app development, I was also confused about what was needed and had to dig around Google everywhere. Let me walk you through the whole process. In my opinion, instead of just listening to the explanation, you should try deploying even a simple test app - it'll be way more helpful than just reading about it. So I definitely recommend trying it yourself after our chat. Today, rather than focusing specifically on next2app's process, I'll explain the general process of what steps you need to take when developing any app.
iOS
- Preparation
- Get a Mac or MacBook and install Xcode (While there are workarounds, typically iPhone app development can only be done on Mac. Xcode is Apple's free development IDE)
- Join the Apple Developer Program ($99/year)
- Development
- Create a project in Xcode and develop the app using Swift/Objective-C
- App Creation
- Create an app on App Store Connect and enter app information
- Upload the app using Xcode
- Note: TestFlight is Apple's supported testing service - if needed, you can test directly on phones before launch. A test app is automatically created during the submission process, so you don't need to do anything extra!
- Review Process
- Submit for review. When you submit, you'll get review feedback - keep modifying based on their feedback until you pass
- Done!
Android
- Preparation
- Install Android Studio (Android development can be done on both Windows and Mac)
- Create a Google Developer account (one-time fee of $25)
- Development
- Create a project in Android Studio and develop the Android app
- App Creation
- Create an app on Play Console and enter app information
- Build using Android Studio
- Note: Think of an .aab file as the build output. They used to use .apk but now use .aab which is more optimized. Don't worry too much about the details
- Note: Apps must be signed - to put it simply... think of it like having to put a password on your app before you can submit it. Don't worry too much about the details
- Review Process
- Submit for review and modify based on feedback until you pass
- Note: Android's review process is generally more flexible than iOS - usually if you pass iOS review, Android will pass too
- Done!
You (Web dev entrepreneur): Oh... I see. So that's what's involved. But even after hearing all this, I still feel lost about what I actually need to do... I read it all but there are parts I don't fully understand.
Kyle: Yeah, totally get it. Don't worry! This isn't stuff you need to memorize - just let it sink in. I explained it to give you the big picture, so just having a general idea like "oh, so these are the steps involved" is enough. iOS and Android are kind of similar but also different in some ways, right?
You (Web dev entrepreneur): Yeah... similar but different and really complicated. After hearing your explanation, my main thought was "so what do I actually need to do?" Kyle, you mentioned using next2app would work well. So what exactly do I need to do to develop an app using next2app?
Kyle: Good question. Among the steps I explained above, some things like joining the developer programs are still necessary even with next2app, but I've really simplified most of the rest. So let's stop with the theory here, and next time we'll look at how to actually develop an app.