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Building an App Can Help Grow Your Business. Here’s How to Do It

Mobile Apps and Your Business

In today’s digital age, mobile applications have become essential tools for businesses looking to engage with customers, streamline operations, and stay ahead of the competition. As more people rely on their smartphones for everyday tasks, having a mobile app is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity. Whether you are a small startup or a well-established company, building an app can significantly contribute to your business growth. Here’s how you can do it, and why Mass Mobile Apps is the best solution for your mobile app development needs.

Why Your Business Needs a Mobile App

  1. Enhanced Customer Engagement: Mobile apps provide a direct channel to engage with customers. Through push notifications, businesses can communicate new offers, updates, and information directly to the customer’s mobile device. This level of engagement helps in building a loyal customer base.
  2. Improved Accessibility: With a mobile app, customers can access your products or services anytime, anywhere. This constant availability increases convenience for customers, making them more likely to use your services or buy your products.
  3. Boost Sales and Revenue: Mobile apps can streamline the buying process, making it easier for customers to make purchases with a few taps. The convenience and speed offered by apps can lead to increased sales and higher revenue.
  4. Brand Recognition and Loyalty: A well-designed app with a smooth user experience can significantly boost your brand’s recognition. When customers have a positive experience using your app, they are more likely to develop a sense of loyalty toward your brand.
  5. Data Collection and Insights: Apps provide valuable insights into customer behavior. By analyzing user data, businesses can make informed decisions, tailor their marketing strategies, and improve their products or services.

How to Build an App for Your Business

  1. Define Your Objectives: Start by defining what you want to achieve with your app. Are you looking to increase sales, improve customer service, or enhance brand awareness? Clear objectives will guide the development process and ensure your app meets your business needs.
  2. Understand Your Audience: Know your target audience and what they expect from your app. Understanding your customers’ needs and preferences will help in designing an app that provides value and resonates with them.
  3. Choose the Right Platform: Decide whether you want to build an app for iOS, Android, or both. Consider your target audience’s device preferences and the geographical markets you are targeting.
  4. Design a User-Friendly Interface: Your app should have an intuitive and attractive design. A user-friendly interface enhances the customer experience and encourages users to spend more time on your app.
  5. Ensure Security: Security is paramount in app development. Make sure your app protects user data and complies with relevant regulations. This builds trust with your users.
  6. Test and Launch: Before launching your app, test it thoroughly to ensure there are no bugs or issues. A smooth launch will provide a positive first impression to your users.
  7. Promote Your App: Use various marketing channels to promote your app. Social media, email marketing, and your website are great platforms to create buzz and encourage downloads.

Why Choose Mass Mobile Apps?

When it comes to building a mobile app for your business, choosing the right development partner is crucial. Mass Mobile Apps stands out as the best solution for several reasons:

  1. Expertise and Experience: Mass Mobile Apps has a proven track record of delivering high-quality mobile apps across various industries. Their team of experts understands the nuances of app development and is adept at turning your vision into a functional, user-friendly app.
  2. Custom Solutions: Every business is unique, and so are its app requirements. Mass Mobile Apps offers custom app development solutions tailored to meet your specific business needs, ensuring that the final product aligns perfectly with your objectives.
  3. User-Centric Design: The design of an app can make or break its success. Mass Mobile Apps focuses on creating apps that are not only visually appealing but also offer an exceptional user experience. They understand the importance of a user-friendly interface and work to ensure that your app is intuitive and easy to navigate.
  4. Scalability: As your business grows, your app needs to grow with it. Mass Mobile Apps builds scalable solutions that can adapt to your evolving needs, ensuring that your app remains relevant and functional as your business expands.
  5. Robust Security Measures: Protecting user data is a top priority for Mass Mobile Apps. They implement robust security measures to safeguard sensitive information, giving you and your customers peace of mind.
  6. Support and Maintenance: Building an app is just the beginning. Mass Mobile Apps provides ongoing support and maintenance to ensure that your app runs smoothly and stays up-to-date with the latest technologies and trends.

Conclusion

Incorporating a mobile app into your business strategy can lead to significant growth, from enhanced customer engagement to increased sales. By following the right steps and choosing a reliable partner like Mass Mobile Apps, you can create an app that not only meets but exceeds your business goals. Embrace the power of mobile technology and take your business to new heights with a custom app built by Mass Mobile Apps.

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The Rise of Flutter for Mobile App Development

Mobile App Development in 2024: The Rise of Flutter and Mass Mobile Apps

Mobile app development continues to be a booming trend in 2024, with Flutter at the forefront of this evolution. Flutter, Google’s open-source UI software development kit, has introduced various improvements and new features that have captivated both business owners and developers. Its robust cross-platform capabilities make it an attractive option for building mobile applications.

The Challenge of Affordable App Development

Finding affordable app developers or a cost-effective app development company can be challenging. However, Flutter stands out as an excellent solution for cross-platform development, allowing businesses to save significantly by eliminating the need to hire separate developers for Android and iOS. Flutter enables the creation of apps that run seamlessly across both platforms with a single codebase.

Performance and Feature Enhancements

The year 2024 has seen substantial performance improvements in Flutter, particularly in graphics and rendering. Flutter’s capability has expanded beyond mobile, now supporting web and desktop applications as well. The Flutter developer community continues to grow, bolstered by strong support from Google.

The Evolution of Flutter

Initially introduced as a small experiment by Google in 2017, Flutter has rapidly developed into a comprehensive platform for mobile app development. Flutter-powered apps are now prevalent across various industries, with over 2 million developers contributing to its ecosystem.

Key Features of Flutter in 2024

  1. Developer Benefits: Enhanced tools, debugging methods, and state management solutions have been introduced to boost developer productivity.
  2. AI and Machine Learning Integration: APIs now allow for seamless integration of AI and ML capabilities within Flutter apps.
  3. Desktop and Web Support: Significant improvements have been made to support desktop and web applications, making Flutter more versatile.
  4. Platform-Specific Features: New features now support wearable and foldable devices, expanding Flutter’s reach to innovative hardware.

Mass Mobile Apps: Leveraging Flutter for Success

One noteworthy platform embracing Flutter is Mass Mobile Apps, a service that enables businesses to build custom mobile apps with ease. By using Flutter, Mass Mobile Apps offers an efficient and cost-effective solution for creating cross-platform applications. This platform simplifies the development process, making it accessible even to those without extensive technical expertise.

Essential Features of Flutter

  • Single Code Base for Cross-Platform Development: Flutter allows developers to write one codebase that works across all platforms, including web, iOS, and Android. This ensures a consistent UI and user experience across devices.
  • Extensive Widget Library: Flutter provides a rich library of customizable widgets, enabling developers to create unique and engaging UI designs. The platform also supports the creation of custom widgets.
  • Hot-Reloading: This feature allows developers to see changes in real-time without restarting the app, significantly speeding up the development process and enhancing productivity.
  • Optimized Performance: With smooth animations, fast rendering, and efficient resource utilization, Flutter offers an excellent user experience.

Advanced Features of Flutter

Flutter’s layered architecture includes components that streamline the development process. State management solutions like Provider, Riverpod, and Bloc patterns enhance code organization and scalability. Flutter also supports comprehensive testing, image and layout optimization, and seamless integration with backend services like Google Firebase.

The Advantages of Using Flutter

Flutter’s benefits are numerous: faster development, lower costs, and a large, supportive community. Apps built with Flutter can run on multiple platforms, making it a versatile choice for businesses of all sizes.

Key Apps Developed Using Flutter

Several major apps have been developed using Flutter, showcasing its capabilities:

  • BMW: The BMW app, launched in 2020, now serves users in 47 countries with a consistent interface, all built on Flutter.
  • eBay Motors: This app has received positive feedback from users and developers alike, with many praising Flutter for making development more enjoyable compared to native apps.
  • Google Classroom: After migrating to Flutter, Google Classroom experienced a 50% improvement in development speed, a 54% reduction in codebase size, and a 62% boost in app performance.
  • Google Ads: Flutter’s cross-platform capabilities made it the ideal choice for developing this tool, which helps manage advertising campaigns.

Conclusion

With continuous enhancements, Flutter is poised to remain a major player in the mobile app development world. Its ease of use, strong community support, and expanding feature set make it a top choice for both new and established developers.

Platforms like Mass Mobile Apps further simplify the app development process by leveraging Flutter’s strengths, making it easier and more affordable for businesses to create high-quality, cross-platform applications. Whether you’re a business owner or a developer, Flutter offers a compelling solution for your app development needs in 2024 and beyond.

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Why is now the right time to get a mobile app for your business?


Getting a mobile app for your business now offers several advantages:

  1. Increased Accessibility: With the widespread use of smartphones, having a mobile app makes your business accessible to customers anytime, anywhere.
  2. Enhanced Customer Engagement: Mobile apps allow for direct interaction with your customers, enabling you to send push notifications, provide personalized offers, and gather feedback easily.
  3. Improved Brand Visibility: A mobile app puts your brand right in front of your customers’ eyes every time they unlock their phones, increasing brand recognition and recall.
  4. Competitive Advantage: As more businesses go mobile, having a well-designed and functional app can set you apart from competitors who may still rely solely on traditional means of engagement.
  5. Streamlined Operations: Mobile apps can streamline various business processes, such as appointment scheduling, order placement, and customer support, leading to increased efficiency and cost savings.
  6. Data Collection and Analysis: Mobile apps can collect valuable data about customer preferences, behaviors, and demographics, which you can analyze to make informed business decisions and improve your products or services.
  7. Revenue Generation: Depending on your business model, a mobile app can serve as an additional revenue stream through in-app purchases, subscriptions, or advertising.
  8. Adaptation to Changing Consumer Habits: Consumer behavior is increasingly shifting towards mobile usage for shopping, communication, and entertainment. Having a mobile app allows your business to adapt to these changing habits and meet customer expectations.

Overall, investing in a mobile app now can help future-proof your business and position it for continued growth in an increasingly mobile-centric world.

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Unleashing the Power of Flutter

Photo by Artur Shamsutdinov on Unsplash

Introduction:

In the dynamic world of app development, choosing the right framework can be a game-changer. Flutter, a UI toolkit developed by Google, has been making waves in the industry for its versatility and efficiency. With its unique features and robust capabilities, Flutter has become a preferred choice for developers aiming to create cross-platform applications. In this blog, we’ll explore the numerous benefits that come with using Flutter for app development.

1. Cross-Platform Development:

One of the primary advantages of Flutter is its ability to facilitate cross-platform development. With a single codebase, developers can create apps that run seamlessly on both Android and iOS platforms. This not only streamlines the development process but also reduces the time and effort required to maintain two separate codebases. The hot reload feature further accelerates development, allowing developers to see instant changes and improvements in real-time.

2. Expressive and Beautiful UI:

Flutter provides a rich set of pre-designed widgets that enable developers to build expressive and visually appealing user interfaces. The framework allows for complete customization, giving developers the freedom to create unique and engaging designs. The “widget” system in Flutter simplifies the creation and arrangement of UI elements, resulting in a more intuitive and efficient development experience.

3. Fast Development Cycle:

Flutter’s hot reload feature deserves a special mention for its impact on the development cycle. With hot reload, developers can instantly see the effects of code changes, making the debugging and testing process quicker and more efficient. This real-time feedback loop enhances collaboration among team members and fosters a more iterative and agile development approach.

4. Consistent Performance:

Flutter leverages a compiled programming language called Dart, which allows it to achieve native performance levels. Unlike some other cross-platform frameworks that rely on web views, Flutter renders its own UI directly on the device, ensuring a consistent and smooth performance across different platforms. This results in faster app startup times, reduced lag, and an overall enhanced user experience.

5. Large and Active Community:

Flutter has gained significant traction within the developer community, leading to a vibrant ecosystem of resources, documentation, and third-party packages. The extensive support from Google and the open-source community ensures that developers have access to a wealth of knowledge, making problem-solving and learning more accessible. Additionally, the constant updates and improvements from the community contribute to the framework’s overall robustness.

6. Cost-Effective Development:

The cross-platform nature of Flutter translates into cost savings for businesses. Instead of maintaining separate development teams for Android and iOS, companies can invest in a single team proficient in Flutter, reducing development costs and timelines. The efficiency of the development process, coupled with the ability to reuse code, contributes to a more cost-effective app development lifecycle.

Conclusion:

Flutter has emerged as a powerful and efficient framework for app development, offering a myriad of benefits to developers and businesses alike. From cross-platform compatibility and expressive UI to a fast development cycle and cost-effectiveness, Flutter is changing the landscape of mobile app development. As the framework continues to evolve and gain popularity, it is clear that Flutter is here to stay, providing a robust and modern solution for creating high-quality, visually appealing, and performant applications. I Sawan Narendra Aware, Have 7 years of experience in flutter app development and I can help you build a beautiful flutter app.

By — Sawan Narendra Aware

Technology Enthusiast and Developer

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7 Reasons to Develop a Mobile App for Your Salon

Are you struggling to fill the appointment book at your beauty salon? The solution is right at your fingertips – literally! Introducing the power of a salon app built on the Mass Mobile Apps platform, the ultimate tool for crafting cutting-edge applications that elevate your business to new heights.

In today’s fast-paced world, having a mobile app is not just a trend; it’s a strategic move that can transform your salon business. The Mass Mobile Apps platform makes it easy for beauty salon owners like you to create a personalized and user-friendly app that caters to the dynamic needs of your clientele.

Why You Should Embrace the Salon App Revolution:

  1. Boost Brand Recognition: With your salon app, you become more than just a business – you become a recognizable brand. Enhance your visibility, attract a broader audience, and establish a direct line of communication with your customers. Send customized push notifications to make them feel valued and ensure your services stay top-of-mind.
  2. Gain a Competitive Edge: Stand out in the crowded market of beauty salons by embracing technology. While many competitors may not have a salon app, you can gain a competitive edge by partnering with Mass Mobile Apps. Provide your users with a seamless and friendly app experience, showcasing professionalism that sets you apart from the rest.
  3. Eliminate Queues: Say goodbye to long queues and telephonic hassles. Your clients can effortlessly check available slots and book appointments at their convenience through your salon app. This not only saves time for your clients but also streamlines your scheduling process, ensuring a smoother operation.
  4. Facilitate Easy Payments: In an increasingly cashless society, your salon app becomes the gateway to hassle-free transactions. Integrate popular mobile payment gateways like Stripe or PayPal, allowing users to make quick and secure cashless payments. Say goodbye to the inconvenience of carrying cash.
  5. Showcase Your Services: Your app becomes a virtual showcase of all the services your salon offers. From last-minute emergencies to planned beauty sessions, users can quickly browse through your service bundles, prices, and even catch a glimpse of client testimonials. Make it easy for users to choose your salon for their beauty needs.
  6. Loyalty & Reward Programs: Everyone loves a good deal! Use your salon app to effortlessly roll out loyalty and reward programs. Personalize coupons, update offers, and showcase enticing discounts to keep your customers engaged and loyal. It’s a surefire way to boost sales and recoup your salon app development costs.
  7. House All of Your Digital Asset: Your salon app becomes a powerful marketing tool. Promote your business on various social media channels, online forums, and other platforms and embed all of those chanels inside your app. Let your customers become brand advocates by promoting your app on their social media platforms.

Conclusion: In a digital age where connectivity is key, investing in a dedicated salon app is not just a choice; it’s a necessity. The Mass Mobile Apps platform empowers you to take your beauty salon into the digital era with a feature-rich app. Don’t just keep up with the times – stay ahead and watch your business flourish. Partner with a reliable development company to unlock the full potential of your salon app, combining basic and advanced functionalities for a truly exceptional experience. Elevate your salon, connect with your customers effortlessly, and embrace the future of beauty business with Mass Mobile Apps!

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How to Build a Custom Mobile App

  1. Conceptualize Your App:
    • Define the purpose and functionality of your app.
    • Identify your target audience and their needs.
    • Outline the main features and screens your app will have.
  2. Sign Up and Log In:
    • Visit the website of the no-code mobile app building platform (e.g., Mass Mobile Apps).
    • Sign up for an account if you haven’t already.
    • Log in to your account.
  3. Choose a Template or Start from Scratch:
    • Many no-code platforms offer pre-designed templates for different types of apps.
    • Select a template that closely matches your app’s concept or start with a blank canvas.
  4. Design Your App:
    • Customize the app’s layout, color scheme, fonts, and branding elements.
    • Add and the required features your app will need.
  5. Add Screens and Content:
    • Create the content for the features you added, for example if you added food ordering, then you will need to add menu items into your app.
    • Use drag-and-drop tools to add buttons, text, images, videos, forms, and other interactive elements.
    • Configure navigation between screens using links, buttons, or menus.
  6. Configure Integrated Rewards Programs:
    • Rewards programs are vital for the success of your app, its the hook that keeps your app on your customers device
    • Most platforms have pre built basic solutions like digital stamp cards or coupons you can add seamlessly
    • If you are looking for more robust options its important to investigate the platform on which you will be building your app. Mass Mobile Apps has 11 different feature rich rewards programs that can be customized to fit your businesses needs.
  7. Test Your App:
    • Use the platform’s built-in preview function to test your app’s functionality and appearance.
    • Check for any usability issues, glitches, or design inconsistencies.
  8. Refine and Iterate:
    • Based on testing, make necessary adjustments to the design, layout, and functionality.
    • Optimize the user experience and fix any identified issues.
  9. Publish Your App:
    • Once you’re satisfied with your app, follow the platform’s guidelines to publish it.
    • This will involve generating an AAB file (for Android) and submitting your app to an app store (e.g., Apple App Store, Google Play Store).
  10. Market and Promote:
    • Share your app with your customers through social media, email campaigns, and other marketing channels.
    • Rewarding your customers for sharing your app is a sure fire way to get downloads.

If your app’s requirements are more sophisticated, you might eventually need to transition to a platform like ours that can customize features based on your requirements, or move to a custom-coded solution where you will need to hire a development team. Mass Mobile Apps can handle your project whichever way you choose to go.

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How Can a Mobile App Help Your Business in 2023

Mobile apps have become an essential tool for businesses in today’s digital age. Here are a few reasons why mobile apps can be beneficial for your business:

  1. Increased customer engagement: Mobile apps allow businesses to connect with customers in a more personal and direct way. With push notifications, businesses can easily keep customers informed about promotions, sales, and other important information.
  2. Improved customer loyalty: Mobile apps can help businesses build customer loyalty by providing a convenient and personalized experience. Features such as loyalty programs and rewards can encourage customers to return to the app and make repeat purchases.
  3. Increased sales: Mobile apps can help businesses increase sales by providing customers with a quick and easy way to make purchases. With in-app purchasing, customers can make a purchase without ever leaving the app, making the process seamless and convenient.
  4. Cost-effective marketing: Mobile apps can be an cost-effective way for businesses to reach and engage customers. Marketing campaigns can be targeted specifically to app users, and push notifications can be used to promote sales and special offers.
  5. Improved customer service: Mobile apps can also be used to improve customer service by providing customers with easy access to information and support. Features such as chatbots and FAQ sections can help customers find the information they need quickly and easily.

Overall, mobile apps can be a powerful tool for businesses looking to improve customer engagement, increase sales, and build customer loyalty. With the increasing popularity of mobile devices, it is becoming increasingly important for businesses to have a mobile app to stay competitive in today’s digital landscape.

*This article was written with ChatGPT

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When Will Your Company Go Mobile?

If you are a business owner today — no matter what size your business is — you need to start thinking about a mobile-first strategy if you have not already done so. In today’s world, businesses everywhere are looking for an edge, especially small businesses. Mobile can be that edge.

It is no longer a question of if your business should adopt a mobile strategy, the question is when. When small business owners start their research into app development, they might be discouraged when they find out what it is going to cost. The average mobile app can cost $270,000 to develop, according to a survey from Kinvey.

Those figures are sure to scare away most small business owners, and even some of the bigger ones. I have some unique insights into this process, having seen it from both sides. I have a retail background and in 2014, I was looking for a way to better connect with my customers. I tried many of the marketing tools available to me, including radio, magazines, flyers, email, social media and paid web. Some avenues had results and others did not, but with all the competition for the attention of my customers, it became increasingly difficult to stand out.

The goal of my marketing efforts was to get my message in front of my customers in the most effective way possible and to increase sales as a direct result of those efforts. A Google search for how to increase sales resulted in my “aha moment.” Businesses with loyalty programs generally have profits that are higher than businesses without one, and companies like Starbucks saw a 26% increase in profits after introducing a loyalty program. I began looking for ways to implement a loyalty program for my business and after a few days of research settled on a mobile loyalty app. In 2014, the mobile app landscape was not where it is today and what I was looking for did not exist, so I went out and built it.

As a retail owner who also founded an app development company, I know that a business owner today can design, build and publish their own custom mobile app for less than it would cost them to publish 10,000 flyers just once. The mobile app today is as essential to businesses as a website has been in the past. Over time, I believe it will become the most effective way to connect with and engage your customers.

If you look back 20 years, how many businesses had a website? Today, a business without a website is like a business without a sign. If I look ahead five years, I can imagine a landscape where mobile is the dominant medium — even more so than it is today.

When looking for a mobile solution, it is important to make sure that the solutions being offered are ones that you will use. There are a lot of mobile app builders available today, and the solutions they provide are as different as the businesses they serve. Look for a platform where you can speak to a real live person to get a full understanding of the solutions they offer.  Features are important, and like anything, it is quality, not quantity that matters here. Look for the types of features that you will use in your business.

For example, almost every mobile app builder offers some type of loyalty program. Most that I have seen are simple programs like a digital stamp card — buy nine and get your tenth free. If you are running a cafe, that might be sufficient, but most other types of businesses will need something a little more robust. In designing our loyalty system, I really wanted to have something that would not only reward my customers but would boost my bottom line. As a result, we introduced transaction-based rewards where users are rewarded for the purchases they make. The more they spend the more they earn. This is a win-win proposition for both the consumer and the business owner. When thinking about making a purchase, the consumer is incentivized to not only buy with you but to spend more when they do. The business owner can now offer rewards instead of discounts and ensure that their best customers receive the most rewards.

That is one example of how different features can be between app providers, even if they sound the same. While you think you are comparing apples to apples, in reality, the two offerings could be very different. Do your research, check out more than one company and tell them what you are looking for and what you hope to gain with your mobile app. This is an extremely important decision, and you need to do it right the first time because unlike a website that can be redesigned if you are unhappy with it, moving to a new mobile app platform will not only cost you more money, it will cost you more time and you will lose the downloads you have accumulated.

Your company’s shift to mobile is an inevitability. It’s no longer if you go mobile, but when.

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How much is an app worth? Apple will soon make you choose

A huge swath of American consumers will soon have to make a choice about how they support their favorite apps, and an entire industry is on the edge of their seat, waiting. Why? Because Apple made it so. They even made a very big deal of it on World Privacy Day in January.

If you have an Apple device, you’re likely running iOS 14, even if it’s not the most current iPhone 12. Typically, 50% of iPhones are successfully updated to the latest OS within 30 days of launch — and as of December 2020, 80% of iPhones were running iOS 14.

If you’ve updated and successfully removed the red notification from your settings app, it also means you are now using the new operating system and according to Apple, “Privacy. That’s iPhone.”

While their “Privacy” ads don’t explain how the company protects your information, anyone working in mobile can explain, firstly, that it now requires apps to tell you exactly which information they would gather, if given permission, in what Apple is calling a “Privacy Nutrition Label:”

Now that you know exactly what they would gather from you, you have the option to opt-in to data information gathering and tracking.

On earlier versions of Apple’s operating system, you had to make a concerted effort to opt out via settings. Now, Apple forces developers to give you that choice earlier through a popup that will appear when a developer requests your device ID. It will inquire if you want to “Ask app not to track” or if you’ll “Allow” it.

Most people say they care about privacy, and that they don’t trust tech companies’ use of their data. Yet, when asked if the “trade-off” of sharing information is worth more personalization and other benefits, they say yes. When there is a clear purpose to data-sharing (e.g., stopping COVID-19 spread) consumers are extremely willing to share even sensitive health data, as well as their location, social media, and search history.

So maybe it’s time to think about what you want out of your app experiences. More specifically, what is the purpose of app tracking and sharing your data with that developer? What is the benefit of saying “Allow” when that modal pops up?

First, many app developers have functionalities within their app that require some level of data about you in order to serve you their experience as it was intended. You can’t check the weather or traffic where you are without opting into location tracking.

Second, while most people dislike ads, they aren’t going away anytime soon. Those weather, traffic, and even mobile gaming apps are free, and the people who create them need to get paid — so unless you’re paying to upgrade that app or buying items within it, you’re going to get ads.

If you opt out of that tracking option, the advertising you receive will be generic ads that will likely annoy you even further. Remember the early web? Viagra ads were seemingly everywhere. Think about that … but with video and more!

What about the collective good? If there is one trend that has marked this past year, it’s been seeing new possibilities of altruism in society. Human beings do take actions to help others — as long as it doesn’t harm us, of course.

When you opt in to being tracked for the sake of advertising, to sharing that ID, you’re saying, “I support the advertising model where I receive value (i.e., news, gaming, entertainment) in exchange for my attention. I recognize that content creators need to make a living.” It’s a value exchange, just like seeing commercials when you watch TV, Hulu, and so on.

Even if I didn’t work in advertising, I would take that trade. Why? Because I live in Texas where barbecue is practically a religion. To perfect my own technique, I watch BBQ channels on YouTube. If those guys (shout out to John Setzler and Malcolm Reed) weren’t compensated by ads, I don’t think the content created would be nearly as well thought-out nor frequent. It would be their hobby, not a job or a side gig.

So I’m all in on supporting the ad model. In my opinion, it works. Apple has essentially made privacy its defining feature versus Google’s Android, potentially to the detriment of hundreds of thousands of app developers out there. If your favorite app runs ads, ask yourself, what would you pay for it if it wasn’t free? If it’s less than about $5 per month, per app, it’s not enough.

When Apple finally launches this feature in early Spring, you will have a decision to make. It’s an entirely personal choice, of course, and for users who know they care about privacy and have already taken some actions to protect it — which is about 1 in 3 people, called “privacy actives” — the choice is clear.

But for the rest of us, it’s not so obvious.

Written by: Jonathan Harrop who is Senior Director, Global Marketing & Communications at AdColony.

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How to Test or Preview Your App While Building it?

Getting Started

To test beta versions of apps and App Clips using with an Apple device you will need to use the TestFlight app, you’ll need to accept an email or public link invitation from us and have a device that you can use to test.

All other invited testers can access builds that the developer makes available to them. A developer can invite you to test with an email or a public link.

The testing process with Android devices are much simpler – simply download our Preview Tool App and input the Preview Code and you are set. You will be able to see a working prototype of your app on your smart phone.

Required platforms

  • iOS apps: iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch running iOS 8 or later. App Clips require iOS 14 or later. iMessage apps and sticker packs require iOS 10 or later.
  • tvOS apps: Apple TV running tvOS 9 or later.
  • watchOS apps: Apple Watch running watchOS 2 or later.

TestFlight is not available for Mac apps.

Available Languages

TestFlight for both iOS and tvOS is available in Arabic, Catalan, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional), Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English (Australia), English (U.K.), English (U.S.), Finnish, French, French (Canada), German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malaysian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Spanish, Spanish (Latin America), Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese.

Installing and Testing Beta Apps

Each build is available to test for up to 90 days, starting from the day the developer uploads their build. You can see how many days you have left for testing under the app name in TestFlight. TestFlight will notify you each time a new build is available and will include instructions on what you need to test. Alternatively, with TestFlight 3 or later, you can turn on automatic updates to have the latest beta builds install automatically.

When the testing period is over, you’ll no longer be able to open the beta build. To install the App Store version of the app, download or purchase the app from the App Store. In-app purchases are free only during beta testing, and any in-app purchases made during testing will not carry over to App Store versions.

Installation

To get started, install TestFlight on the device you’ll use for testing. Then, accept your email invitation or follow the public link invitation to install the beta app. You can install the beta app on up to 30 devices.

Installing a Beta iOS App via Email or Public Link Invitation

  1. Install TestFlight on the iOS device that you’ll use for testing.
  2. Open your invitation email or tap on the public link on your iOS device.
  3. Tap View in TestFlight or Start Testing; or tap Install or Update for the app you want to test.

Installing a Beta tvOS App via Email Invitation

  1. Install TestFlight on Apple TV.
  2. Open your invitation email on a mobile device or computer.
  3. Click or tap Start Testing. You’ll be taken to a web page with a redemption code.
  4. Open TestFlight on Apple TV.
  5. Go to Redeem and enter the redemption code.
  1. Install TestFlight on an iOS device and Apple TV where you can sign in to the same App Store account.
  2. Tap the public link on your iOS device.
  3. Tap Accept for the app you want to test.
  4. Open TestFlight on Apple TV. You must be signed in to the same App Store account you used on your iOS device.
  5. Install the app you want to test.

Installing a Beta watchOS App via Email or Public Link Invitation

  1. Install TestFlight on the iOS device that you’ll use for testing.
  2. Open your invitation email or tap on the public link on your iOS device.
  3. Tap View in TestFlight or Start Testing.
  4. If you’re testing an app that’s for Apple Watch only, tap Install or Update from the Apps list.
  5. If the app is an iOS app that includes an Apple Watch app, install the iOS app first, then from the App Details page under the Information section, you will see a Watch section. If the Apple Watch app is available and compatible with your watch, you’ll see a button to install it.

Testing

Testing iMessage Apps (iOS 10 or later)

  1. Install TestFlight on the iOS device that you’ll use for testing.
  2. Open your invitation email or tap on the public link on your iOS device.
  3. Tap View in TestFlight or Start Testing; or tap Install or Update for the app you want to test.
  4. If you’re testing an iOS app that includes an iMessage app, launch the beta app from the home screen as you would with any app.
  5. If you’re testing an app that’s for iMessage only or a sticker pack, you can launch it from inside Messages.

Testing Beta App Clips (iOS 14 or later)

After accepting your email or public link invitation to test the app, you’ll see the option to test the App Clip in TestFlight. You can install either the app or the App Clip on your device (but not both at once), and can replace one with the other at any time. If the app is installed on your device, testing the App Clip will replace the app and some app data may be lost. You can reinstall the app by tapping Install on the app’s page in TestFlight.

  1. Install TestFlight on the iOS device that you’ll use for testing.
  2. Open your invitation email or tap on the public link on your iOS device.
  3. Tap View in TestFlight or Start Testing; or tap Install or Update for the app you want to test.
  4. Go to the app’s page in TestFlight.
  5. In the App Clips section, tap TEST next to the beta App Clip you want to test.

Managing Automatic Updates

After installing TestFlight 3 or later, you’ll be prompted to turn on automatic updates. This allows the latest available beta builds to install automatically. TestFlight will notify you each time a new build is installed on your device. Automatic updates can be turned off at any time.

Change automatic update settings for all of the beta apps you’re testing using TestFlight:

TestFlight for iOS

  1. Open TestFlight and tap Settings in the upper-right corner.
  2. Tap Automatic Updates.
  3. Tap On or Off.

TestFlight for tvOS

  1. Open TestFlight and click the Settings tab at the top.
  2. Under GENERAL INFORMATION, turn Automatic Updates On or Off.

Change automatic update settings for individual beta apps you’re testing using TestFlight:

TestFlight for iOS

  1. Open TestFlight and go to the app’s page.
  2. Under App Information, turn Automatic Updates On or Off.

TestFlight for tvOS

  1. Open TestFlight and go to the app’s page.
  2. Under the app icon, click the More button.
  3. Click Turn On Automatic Updates or Turn Off Automatic Updates.

Testing Previous Builds

When viewing an app in TestFlight, you’ll see the latest available build by default. You can still test all other builds that are available to you.

  1. Go to the app’s page in TestFlight.
  2. Tap on Previous Builds.
  3. Tap and install the build you want to test. The one you select will replace what’s currently installed.

If you already have the App Store version of the app installed on your device, the beta version of the app will replace it. After you download the beta app, you’ll see an orange dot next to its name that identifies it as a beta.

When you accept a TestFlight invitation through a public link, your name and email address are not visible to the developer. However, they’ll be able to see your number of sessions and crashes, the day you installed their app, and the latest installed version.

Giving Feedback

While testing a beta version of an app or App Clip, you can send the developer feedback about issues you experience or make suggestions for improvements based on the “What to Test” content. Feedback you submit through TestFlight is also provided to Apple as part of the TestFlight service.

iOS Apps

If your device is running iOS 13 or later, you can send feedback through the TestFlight app or directly from the beta app or beta App Clip by taking a screenshot, and you can report a crash after it occurs. If you were invited to test an app with a public link, you can choose not to provide your email address or other personal information to the developer. Apple will also receive all feedback you submit and will be able to tie it to your Apple ID.

Sending Feedback through the TestFlight App (iOS 13 or later)

  1. Open the TestFlight app on your device.
  2. From the Apps list, tap the app.
  3. Tap Send Beta Feedback.
  4. In the share dialog, tap Include Screenshot to choose a screenshot. If you don’t want to send an attachment, tap Don’t Include Screenshot.
  5. Add your comments (up to 2,000 characters), and optionally enter your email address if you were invited with a public link.
  6. Tap Submit.

Sending Feedback through the Beta App (iOS 13 or later)

When you take a screenshot while testing a beta app or beta App Clip, you can send the screenshot with feedback directly to the developer without leaving the app or App Clip Experience. Developers can opt out of receiving this type of feedback, so this option is only available if the developer has it enabled.

  1. Take a screenshot on your device. For details on how to take screenshots, see Take a screenshot on your iPhone, Take a screenshot on your iPad, and Take a screenshot on your iPod touch.
  2. A thumbnail of your screenshot appears in the lower-left corner of your device. Tap the thumbnail and, if needed, add drawings and text with Markup. Then tap the Done button.
  3. Tap the Share Beta Feedback.
  4. Optionally, you can add comments (up to 2,000 characters), and your email address if you were invited with a public link.
  5. Tap Submit.

Sending Crash Information (iOS 13 or later)

If you experience a crash while testing a beta app or beta App Clip, you’ll receive an alert asking if you want to send crash details to the developer through TestFlight. Developers can opt out of receiving this type of feedback, so this option is only available if the developer has it enabled.

When the crash alert displays, tap Share, add any additional comments, and tap Submit.

Sending Feedback through the TestFlight App (iOS 12.4 or earlier)

If your device is running iOS 12.4 or earlier, tap Send Beta Feedback to compose an email to the developer. The feedback email contains detailed information about the beta app and about your iOS device. You can also provide additional information, such as necessary screenshots and steps required to reproduce any issues. Your email address will be visible to the developer when you send email feedback through the TestFlight app even if you were invited through a public link.