Most websites nowadays have an accompanying mobile app. A significant amount of user traffic is generated through these apps. Even if your WordPress website is very responsive on mobile devices and is doing well on small screens, However, consumers prefer getting apps instead of navigating a website.

Moreover, you can instantly publish your app to your own Google Play or App Store account and even charge for downloads. you cannot rely on it by leaving a play store or app store application in place. A mobile app has its own smooth experience. The only problem with it is it is very expensive to make from scratch.

We have many solutions and plugins that can convert a website into mobile apps which are beautiful and responsive with almost half the cost you would pay to make an application on your own.

In this post, we will give you a brief introduction about some of the plugins that convert websites directly to an application but first, we will understand whether you really need to do so. Do you really need a mobile application for your operations or business? Let us understand.

Do you Need a Mobile App?

The customized interaction and great user experience that applications offer are unparalleled. It has increased the traffic manifold. While some people are satisfied by having a website which works on all kind of platforms efficiently, some need an application. If you are a B2C company, then it is recommended that you have a mobile application in order to get more customers.

Now if you have made up your mind to build an application, make sure your website is mobile friendly on WordPress. This will help the WordPress plugin to understand which parts are important and which are not. Which parts are to be shown and what are the parts that users interact with. Also, take a look at the Google analytics of your website. This will help you understand the kind of people visiting your website- what phones and what operating systems your current audience is using, what device they use to access your website. This can help you a lot with many decisions regarding the application.

Now finally here are our suggestions of plugins you can use in designing an android app –

1. Wapppress :

It is lightweight and simple. It does not support e-commerce websites but it allows you to send auto updates to users and allows push notifications. Some notable features of this are -• It’s simple and has only 3 steps to create an app

 i. Allows third-party scripts
ii. Custom functionality possible
iii. This will cost you 19 USD

This WordPress site-to-mobile app plugin gives you an app in minutes. It is an ideal premium plugin to present your website in the form of an app! There is no need to customize existing content or worry about how your app looks.

Bloggers and non-profit entrepreneurs find it easy to establish themselves in the Android app store with Wappress at their fingertips. Get the benefits of push notifications and Admob monetization with only a few app-type add-ons.

2. Web2app :

it has analytics, pulls to refresh like android, auto update and a large list of features to choose from. It also has video tutorials to learn from and help with the process.

i. Push notifications
ii. Hundreds of customized templates
iii. Allow pop-ups and splash screens
iv. Will set you back 19 USD.

You want to save hundreds of thousands of dollars needed to build a professional app. You can make a most suitable but easily affordable replacement full native app for your responsive website with Web2app. You will get required customization capabilities.

Moreover, you can add ‘Rate my app to get customer reviews for Google Play’ and ‘Social sharing’ for monitoring use and making future changes. Make the best use of the tutorials.

3. Apppresser :

It offers both Android and iOS apps. Developer friendly as it has a lot of customizable features.

i. Push notifications
ii. Comes with Facebook and camera extension by default
iii. Google maps and social sharing
iv. Customize any page content from your website into your app
v. Offers Visual Navigation with pull-out menus on plenty of tabs
vi. Basic Price starts at 19 USD per month and Billed AnnuallyAppPresser is more the developer’s choice with extensive customization to build a professional app from scratch in the true sense of the application. It is also called ‘Reactor’ because it integrates beautifully with WordPress. Exploit both Android and iOS environment.

It is a compromise when a free WordPress plugin will not do, but you cannot pay for mobile app ‘services’.

4. Mobiloud :

It can convert all types of content, e-commerce and other websites into an application. Offers a wide range of services for both Android and iOS. It has Mobiloud news and Mobiloud Canvas.MobiLoud News gives you a chance to distribute completely local portable applications that refresh naturally with your substance, run quick on iOS and Android and offer offline support, local picture gallery, sharing, versatile publicizing and propelled push notification.It offers the best mobile application design service. Some of its features are –

i. Allows you to send customized push notifications
ii. Can make native Android or iOS apps
iii. Customize the design with your logo and favicon
iv. Provide app updates and maintenance
v. Compatible with almost every service
vi. Price starts at 69 USD per month.

An affordable mobile app service to get a mobile app from your website. You can choose one or both products.
i. Converts blog or news site into an app
ii. Helps high-traffic sites to switch over to apps
Your MobiLoud payments will give you benefits of ongoing services. Upgrade if you want to set up analytics, monetization and more.

Even if you are a small businessman and cannot invest much to get a mobile app, you can use these affordable plugins to make a mobile app for your WordPress website and explore the ever growing digital industry. So with all the information, you can now make an informed decision about what you should and shouldn’t do regarding mobile application development.

The rise of smartphones in the past decade has transformed the way we live, offering a myriad of functionalities through mobile applications. From productivity tools to entertainment options, these apps have become an integral part of our daily lives, revolutionizing communication through texts and calls.

Accessing these mobile apps is made seamless through dedicate app stores like Google Play Store and Apple App Store. Developers carefully craft these applications with specific operating systems in mind, primarily Android and iOS, which dominate the market.

When embarking on mobile application development, one crucial decision looms large: choosing between native or cross-platform development. This choice shapes the app’s design, the technologies employed, and ultimately, the user base it caters to. It’s a decision that holds the power to significantly impact the success and reach of your mobile app project.

Native Mobile Development:

Platform-specific: Native development involves creating separate versions of an app for each target platform (e.g., iOS and Android). Developers use platform-specific programming languages, tools, and frameworks.
Performance: Native apps are optimized for the specific platform, resulting in high performance and responsiveness. They have direct access to device features and APIs, allowing for seamless integration and utilization of platform capabilities.
User Experience: Native apps can provide a more native user experience as they adhere to the design guidelines and UI patterns of each platform. They can take full advantage of platform-specific UI components and behaviors.
Development Time: Developing native apps for multiple platforms requires separate codebases and development efforts, which can increase development time and cost.
Maintenance: Since native apps are platform-specific, updates and bug fixes need to be implemented separately for each platform. This can result in higher maintenance efforts.
Developer Skills: Native development requires expertise in platform-specific programming languages such as Swift or Objective-C for iOS, and Java or Kotlin for Android. Developers need to be familiar with platform-specific tools and frameworks.

Tools for native apps
Native mobile development necessitates an integrated development environment (IDE), in addition to operating system-specific software development kits (SDKs).

You must use Android Studio or IntelliJ IDEA to create Android apps. Linux, macOS, or Windows can all use these tools. You must use Xcode or AppCode as your IDE for developing iOS apps. These utilities only function on macOS.

Cross-Platform Mobile Development:

Code Reusability: Cross-platform development allows developers to write code once and deploy it across multiple platforms. This reduces development time and effort as a single codebase can target multiple platforms.
Faster Development: Cross-platform frameworks provide features like hot-reloading, which enables real-time code updates during development, speeding up the iteration process.
Cost-Effectiveness: Building a single cross-platform app can be more cost-effective than developing separate native apps for each platform.
Platform Coverage: Cross-platform frameworks aim to support multiple platforms, including iOS, Android, and sometimes even additional platforms like Windows and web browsers.
Performance Trade-offs: Cross-platform apps rely on a layer of abstraction to achieve code sharing, which can result in slightly lower performance compared to native apps. However, the performance gap has significantly reduced with the advancement of cross-platform frameworks like React Native and Flutter.
UI Consistency: Cross-platform frameworks often provide a set of UI components that can be customize to match the platform’s native look and feel. While it can achieve a certain level of consistency, it may not perfectly match the native user experience.
Developer Skills: Cross-platform development typically involves using frameworks like React Native, Flutter, Xamarin, or Ionic. Developers need to learn these frameworks and have knowledge of web technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) or C# (in the case of Xamarin).

Cross-platform tools

You still need a Windows, macOS, or Linux machine with the Android SDK installed in order to deploy your programmer on Android. You still need the iOS SDK, Xcode, and only a macOS computer to develop for iOS. The following is a list of IDEs that support the previously listed cross-platform frameworks:

Mobile apps for React Native: VS Code, Android Studio, WebStorm, Xcode, and Atom Mobile apps for Flutter: VS Code, Android Studio, and IntelliJ Mobile apps for Xamarin: Visual Studio

Which is better, native apps or cross-platform apps?
The choice of whether to create a native or cross-platform app is essential. There are many situations when native apps are preferable to cross-platform ones, and vice versa. Making decisions will be easier if you carefully evaluate your audience, budget, development schedule, performance and security requirements, and other factors.

Let’s examine a few factors to take into account while deciding which development methodology to employ.

Priority of market

For new product lines and businesses, this is a common worry. Ship the product as soon as possible to start receiving useful user feedback. The ideal option in this situation would be to create a cross-platform software because it is simple to design and iterate. Native mobile development would take longer to complete and be more difficult to maintain, which would eventually result in a longer time to market.

Security

You must take into account the company’s reputation as well as the effects of losing the trust of your customers. For some mobile application types, like a financial app, the dangers can be very significant. Native mobile development would be a superior option in these situations. It offers a wide range of built-in security measures, such as intelligent fraud detection using certain OS libraries and file encryption. Native apps offer higher security, stability, and scalability, even while cross-platform mobile development is perfect for getting the app to market more quickly.

Performance

Particularly for games, mobile apps might have demanding computational requirements. The best option for apps that require enhanced performance is frequently native mobile development. In this case, using cross-platform frameworks would demand additional labour and knowledge of native apps. You may make sure your programme functions as effectively and efficiently as possible by optimising performance for a particular operating system.

Costs of Development

Some businesses can spend more money than others on creating mobile apps. Cross-platform apps are better for cheaper budgets because they require a smaller team to develop. By sharing your code and projects, cross-platform development also enables you to control costs.

Conclusion

You need to choose the operating system (or operating systems) you want your application to be compatible with in order to develop a successful, reliable, and well-received mobile application. The tools, techniques, advantages, and disadvantages associate with each method should be take into account when designing a mobile application, even if both native and cross-platform development methods can be use for Android and iOS operating systems.

You must make sure that security, performance, and scalability are consider while developing your application, regardless of whether your users use Android or iOS. The process of creating an application is not one size fits all. Every mobile application and every use case won’t be best serve by cross-platform or native development. Even when you are just get start, you should constantly evaluate the particular requirements of each mobile app project to see if it is better suite for native or cross-platform, and take the application’s future ambitions into consideration.

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Mobile applications have become an integral part of our daily lives, revolutionizing the way we interact with technology. From ordering food to managing finances, mobile apps have transformed various industries and provided users with convenience at their fingertips. In this blog post, we will delve into the world of mobile app development, exploring the key stages, technologies, and best practices involved in creating successful mobile applications.

1. Understanding the Mobile App Development Process:

Before diving into the development phase, it’s essential to understand the mobile app development process. This section will cover the key stages, including ideation and concept development, wireframing and prototyping, UI/UX design, coding and development, testing, and deployment. Each stage plays a crucial role in ensuring a seamless and user-friendly app experience.

2. Choosing the Right Development Approach:

When it comes to mobile app development, there are two primary approaches: native and cross-platform development. This section will explain the differences between the two, highlighting the pros and cons of each approach. Factors such as target audience, budget, time constraints, and desired app performance will influence the choice of development approach.

3. Exploring Popular Mobile App Development Frameworks:

Mobile app development frameworks provide developers with a foundation to build apps efficiently. This section will introduce popular frameworks such as React Native, Flutter, Xamarin, and Ionic, discussing their features, benefits, and use cases. Understanding these frameworks can help developers make informed decisions based on their project requirements.

4. Optimizing User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI):

User experience and interface are crucial aspects of mobile app development. This section will delve into the best practices for creating intuitive and visually appealing interfaces, optimizing app navigation, and ensuring a seamless user experience. Topics like responsive design, accessibility, and user feedback will be covered to enhance the overall app experience.

5. Integrating Essential Features and APIs:

Modern mobile applications often rely on integrating various features and APIs to provide enhanced functionality. This section will discuss popular features like geolocation, push notifications, social media integration, payment gateways, and third-party APIs. Developers will learn how to integrate these features effectively while ensuring data security and performance.

6. Testing and Debugging Mobile Apps:

Quality assurance is a critical phase of mobile app development. This section will cover the different types of testing, including functional testing, performance testing, and usability testing. It will also highlight debugging techniques and tools to identify and fix issues in the app, ensuring a smooth user experience.

7. App Store Submission and Marketing:

Once the app is developed and tested, it’s time to prepare for launch. This section will guide developers through the process of submitting the app to app stores, adhering to the guidelines and requirements of platforms like the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Additionally, basic app marketing strategies will be discussed to increase visibility and user acquisition.

Conclusion:

Mobile app development is a multidimensional process that requires careful planning, expertise in coding, and a deep understanding of user needs. By following the stages and best practices outlined in this blog post, developers can create high-quality, user-friendly mobile applications that cater to the ever-growing demands of the market. Embracing the evolving trends and technologies in the mobile app development landscape is key to delivering successful and impactful mobile experiences.

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Wireframing is a crucial step in the mobile app development process. It helps provide a clear vision for stakeholders, development teams, designers, and everyone else associated with the project.

An app wireframe is a backbone for creating a successful design and building an app that users will love.

This in-depth guide explains everything you need to know about app wireframes, including how to make an app wireframe and best practices to follow.

What is a Mobile App Wireframe?

An app wireframe is a two-dimensional blueprint and visual guide that represents the skeletal framework of a mobile application. 

The wireframe stage takes place early on in the product life cycle before any actual development or design begins. This initial stage of an app project helps demonstrate how the app will work and what it will look like.

Wireframes should visually illustrate different steps in the user journey as a way to identify potential pain points before the dev team starts building. It should include all of your page elements, navigation screens, content, and main objectives. 

An app wireframe gets everyone on the same page, so the team knows what they’re building, and stakeholders know what to expect as the final product. 

Wireframes do not include any colors, stylized graphics, images, logos, fonts, or mobile app design elements. They’re simply early sketches that show how the app will be used.

You can think of a wireframe as the blueprint of a house. It contains all of the rooms, doors, windows, electrical infrastructure, and plumbing but does not include any furniture or decorations.

Why Are Mobile App Wireframes Important?

App wireframes are a crucial part of the mobile app development and design process.

Wireframing helps provide a clear picture of how end-users will interact with your app. If you can’t explain how your app idea solves the problems of your customers, then you might need to go back to the drawing board. 

Let’s take a closer look at the reasons why it’s so important to create an app wireframe.

Visual Blueprint of the App

Having an idea is great, and having a good idea is even better. But even the best ideas are useless if you don’t have a clear plan and vision.

Verbally conveying your idea to a development team and assuming they’re going to deliver what you want is unrealistic. 

But a wireframe gets your point across and makes it easier to share your vision with project teams, investors, and stakeholders.

You can’t think about funding, user testing, or other business-related decisions without a wireframe. Putting these ideas into a wireframe first will make your life much easier. 

Faster Iterations

An app wireframe helps simplify an otherwise large or intimidating development process. Breaking your project into smaller, attainable tasks is a much easier way to achieve success. 

The great part about building a wireframe is that it doesn’t take a ton of time. This helps you build momentum and get the ball rolling as you’re assembling your team, giving presentations, and pitching investors. 

Executing these iterations in the early stages of development is much easier, and you can continue building on these steps. 

Avoid Mistakes

Your app wireframe should lay out the different screen functions. 

It helps you determine where certain app features should be placed and if there’s enough room on the screen to accommodate those functions. 

An app wireframe helps you establish a hierarchy of elements before you implement the design. It’s much easier to do this on paper than after you’ve committed any code. 

Mistakes here are really easy to fix. But fixing mistakes post-development is much more challenging.

Saves Time and Money

As previously mentioned, an app wireframe helps you identify potential flaws and pain points before anything has been coded. This saves you a ton of time and money on development costs. 

Wireframes also provide your developers and designers with a clear picture of what they’re building. So starting with a wireframe can actually speed up the development process and shorten your overall timeline. 

Even things like content creation will be streamlined since the structure of your app’s screens has already been organized. Content creators and designers won’t have to ask any questions about where certain elements should be placed.

An app wireframe makes it easier to estimate costs as well. For example, if you’re outsourcing a UX/UI design team, they’ll likely provide you with a more accurate estimate since they know exactly what you’re looking for. So the chances of running over budget are reduced.

How to Wireframe Mobile Apps in 5 Simple Steps

Creating a wireframe is easy when you follow the step-by-step guide below:

1. Map Out the App’s User Flow
2. Organize the Mobile App Content
3. Determine the Layout
4. Create a Detailed Wireframe
5. Integrate the Design Elements

Step #1 — Map Out the App’s User Flow

User flows are the backbone of wireframes for mobile applications. 

A user flow is a visual guide that showcases the series of actions a user must take to reach a specific goal. Not all user flows are linear—meaning there might be multiple paths to achieve a goal within your app.  

You can start creating a user flow by sketching your idea on a piece of paper. Eventually, you can take this sketch to the next level with a digital version of the flow.

Remember, an app wireframe does not contain design elements just yet. So you can use simple rectangle boxes as image placeholders with arrows to showcase the flow. 

You can start to think about dropdown menus or the bottom tab bar of each screen, but these won’t necessarily be included in the early sketches of UX flows. 

After you’ve visualized the flow, you can share your early concepts with others. This allows you to get feedback from your team and other people. It forces you to create each screen with a clear purpose for achieving the end goal.

If a screen does not help a user do something related to the app’s purpose, then it can be removed from the flow. 

For example, let’s say you’re designing a food delivery app. The app’s goal is to get food in the hands of users who can order from different restaurants. 

After selecting a restaurant, should the user be brought to an “Our Story” screen for that particular establishment? No. That would disrupt the flow of ordering. 

These are the types of things you need to take into consideration when you’re going through this process. 

Step #2 — Organize the Mobile App Content

Now that you have a clear vision of your wireframe design, you can start to think about the actual copy and content that you’ll use in the app. 

What is going to appear on different mobile screens? How will that content integrate with the user flow?

Using a simple spreadsheet or reusable content blocks is an effective way to organize your content. You can start to list things like headers, images, links, and anything else that will appear in your mobile frame.

For example, let’s say you’re creating a fitness app to expand your personal training business. You could put together a spreadsheet with your main app content that includes training videos, meal prep instructions, and fitness guides. 

Then you could organize that content even further by segmenting cardio exercises from weight lifting. Within a weight lifting category, you can have sub-segments for arms, legs, back, etc. 

It’s much easier to organize your content now, as opposed to later on when you’re mapping out the screen layouts. You can refer to your content list as you plug things in during the next steps.

Step #3 — Determine the Layout

Next, you can establish the visual hierarchy and interface elements of your key screens. This will eventually set up the interaction design. 

Your app layout is essentially a combination of the first two steps we’ve already gone through. You’re going to take the content from step two and integrate it with the user flows in step one. 

You can still use basic shapes and tab bar placeholders instead of using any actual copy. But you can eliminate at least some of the placeholder text or screens with headers.

For example, your home screen layout might initially include Lorem ipsum placeholder text. Now you can get rid of those placeholder headers and add the main headers from your content list. 

You can establish the hierarchy of screen elements using size as a point of reference. 

Larger buttons, text, and CTAs are more important than smaller text located at the bottom of the screen. You can play around with different variations of the screen layouts as you’re going through this process. 

I strongly recommend using easily recognizable design patterns when you’re thinking about the screen layouts. 

For example, let’s say you’re going to include a bottom tab bar navigation on each screen of your app that includes the app’s most important screens. Having a house icon for a home screen makes more sense than a random shape or icon. This is something that users are already familiar with, and they understand exactly where that button is going to take them. A smiley face icon is not appropriate for your settings page. 

Look at the example above. You know exactly where the home button and settings button are, even without any text on the page.

Similarly, these icons would not fit in the middle of the screen, but they make sense placed at the bottom navigation. 

These are the types of things you’ll have to consider when you’re mapping out the screen layouts. 

Step #4 — Create a Detailed Wireframe

Detailed wireframes go beyond a basic sketch or hand-written notes. They are often high-fidelity versions of what your app will look like, including ready-made templates for your screens. 

You don’t have to put in real images, videos, or anything like that just yet. But the wireframes should be digitalized and include the real spacing between buttons and content. 

A detailed wireframe does not need to include any logos, custom fonts, or specialty UI elements. But they are a bit more formal for sharing with stakeholders and other team members. To make something stand out, you can use bold text, sizing, or spacing. 

As you can see, there is still some Lorem ipsum placeholder text in the author bio section of that particular screen. But the sign-up screen has been replaced with the actual text.

The screen in the middle of this example shows how different book topics will be displayed on the screen, but it doesn’t actually go into detail about the genres. 

Step #5 — Integrate the Design Elements

Technically, design elements are not part of the actual process for wireframing. Design is a completely different stage in the development process. 

However, wireframing and design are so closely related that it makes sense to start thinking about it now. 

If the design isn’t your strength, you can consult with multiple designers to show you different design patterns and ideas. 

The responsive design development stages and other design elements will be implemented later on, but you can still add some of them now, depending on your goals. 

For example, let’s say you need to raise money to fund your app. Pitching the app to investors is probably better if the wireframe includes more than just black and white placeholder text. Even some design elements can make the wireframe a bit more visually appealing.

Creating a ANDROID app is a mobile operating system  practical approach to expanding an existing business. In addition, this is a chance to increase client loyalty by allowing them to use your services on their smartphone or tablet.

Starting an app begins with a concept or solution to a specific problem and selects an operating system for app development.

On the market now, iOS and Android are the only two solutions worth considering.

Let’s find out which one you prefer: IOS or Android development?

Android vs iOS

Unlike in the past, when there were multiple possibilities, iOS and Android are currently the only platforms worth considering. When combined, they account for about 100% of the mobile market.

According to the most recent statistics, Android and iOS control about 97% of the worldwide smartphone industry. As a result, you should develop and deploy your software simultaneously on both platforms, as there is no reason to explore the third platform.

Unfortunately, due to time, resources, and money restrictions, this strategy may not be feasible. As a result, many entrepreneurs and businesses must consider the advantages and disadvantages of Android vs. iOS apps and launch on one platform first before moving on to the other. There are obvious distinctions between the two platforms.

Aspects to consider while selecting a mobile operating system

When deciding between Android and iPhone app development, these are the significant considerations to consider.

They are as follows:

The availability and cost of talent

Android developers must produce apps that function on various devices, whereas iOS developers are only responsible for Apple products. It’s helpful to know that Android development might take longer in terms of money and schedule.

Target audience

The percentage of your target audience who owns a smartphone must be taken into consideration when deciding between Android and iOS app development. Next, look at demographic data like age, income, and gender to gain a clear picture of your target population. This is a convincing reason to choose iOS over the others if you discover that your target market favors this platform over the others. First, you need to know how many smartphones your target audience owns and which platforms they prefer to use. 

Process of costing and reviewing

These are some of them:

Update to be compatible with the most recent operating system

Thoroughly test and update to work with the most recent devices.

While some developers’ app proposals are accepted within a few hours, there are numerous review horror stories of app submissions being stalled for weeks or even months. It’s crucial to remember that, regardless of how difficult App Store submissions maybe, if your market research suggests that your target market prefers iOS devices, this is the platform you should create first.

Monetization

The last thing to think about is your monetization plan or generating money from the app. Despite accounting for more than 75% of all worldwide app downloads, Google Play made around 88 percent less income than Apple’s app store last year (2018). This implies that selling an app via a subscription model or in-app purchases is more profitable if you create it for iOS. Ad-based monetization tactics, on the other hand, have a higher success rate in Android apps. Android developers are also growing better at driving customer spending, according to the data.

Creating an app is not easy. You might have worked on it for weeks or even months to get a version that you (or your clients) are happy with. However, this is only half the work, and the rest is concerned with getting your app live and running on the App Store.

Once you submit your app for reviews, it takes about 24-48 hrs for you to get a response from the App Store’s review team. Apple is infamous for its closed ecosystem and tight control. Any deviations from their app guidelines will warrant immediate rejection. The whole process is even more rigorous for apps that accept user-generated content.

What if Apple rejects your app?

The first thing to do is go through the rejection email carefully. Usually, the App Store team gives a detailed description of what has gone wrong. 

For example, Suppose you violated section 1.2 of App store guidelines which deal with User-Generated content. In that case, this is the typical response mail you will receive:

Your app enables user-generated content but does not have the required precautions in place.

Next Steps

Please revise your app to implement all of the following precautions:

• Require that users agree to terms (EULA). These terms must make it clear that there is no tolerance for objectionable content.
• Have a method for filtering objectionable content.
• Have a mechanism for users to flag objectionable content.
• Have the ability to block abusive users from the service.
• The developer must act on objectionable content reports within 24 hours by removing the content and ejecting the user who provided the offending content.

From this message, it is clear that your app was rejected for not providing enough features for users to control what they wish to see inside the app. Start building the solution from here.

Whatever be the reason for your rejection, the great thing about App Store is that it has a vast developer community, and most issues are well-documented. So even if you don’t get your answer from the email, there are multiple forums, guides, or agencies that can help.

Remember, the benefits of having a mobile app for your business far outweigh any minor inconveniences you might have during its development. So stick to it.

Why are ‘special guidelines’ for user-generated content required?

Consider you are a team of 5 people managing a social media app with 10,000 active users. Each user, on average, shares one post a day in the form of either text, image, or video. That’s about 10,000 content pieces in 3 different formats that your team has to go through every day to find out if they are within the App Store guidelines! 

Now think about the case where you have a flag/report button on each content. Regulating your app becomes much easier with users actively participating in removing anything that doesn’t fit their taste (and your policies in the process). You can even prioritize the user reports- content that receives the most flags in a specific timeframe requiring the greatest attention and vice versa.  

This level of app self-cleansing is why the App Store ‘Special Guidelines’ exist. It prevents the proliferation of offensive content like pornography, objectification, threats, and bullying. 

How do you prevent UGC Appstore rejection?

If this is your first time creating an app with User-Generated content, keeping in mind these 7 points will drastically reduce any chance of the App Store rejecting it:

1. Written policy against objectionable content in T&C

It is essential to inform your new users about the app’s policies regarding user-generated content well in advance. Adding a section about this in the terms and conditions is the best way to go about it. No new user should be allowed to sign up without accepting your app’s T&C.

Your App’s T&C should elaborate on the following two points in much detail:

• Respecting other’s rights: Dealing with privacy, IP, copyrights, spam, bullying, harassment, and defamation
• Safety: 3rd party apps, external linking, use of bots and crawlers, soliciting login information, and similar infringements

2. Providing a flag or report button for objectionable content

The App Store requires you to provide a mechanism where users can flag or report objectionable content. There will be a 24 hr window before which you need to review the content and take appropriate action.

If the content is deemed inappropriate, you must remove it and warn or suspend the violating user, depending on severity. 

3. Provision to filter objectionable content

It is also good practice to allow users to hide content and users they don’t want to see. Providing a simple ‘hide this content’ or ‘Do not show me again’ button should do the trick. These allow users not to see certain content which might not otherwise warrant a report or a block. These also reduce considerable strain on you or your moderators by reducing the number of false reports.

Explore Al-based content filtering systems for prominent apps with a large user base. These includes:

• Using AI-bot to scan text-based content to find banned words
• Using speech recognition software to detect hate speech in podcasts or videos 
• Photo filtering to find potentially objectionable images

4. Provision to block or report user

Similar to content, there must also be a provision for users to block or report other users. Moderators must then check the offending user’s profile for guideline violations and temporarily or permanently ban the user if required.

5. Add contact information

The Appstore’s UGC guidelines state that your app should have your official business contact information or support information so that people can easily reach you. A simple contact form will suffice for all intents and purposes, but you can go a step further by adding a help center on your app. This page will contain the most common issues and FAQs, apart from contact details.

6. NSFW content

‘Incidental mature’ content is permitted on the App Store as long as they come from a ‘web-based service’. This is why 9GAG is allowed to host an ‘NSFW’ section in their app. Such content should be hidden by default and only be allowed to turn on from the app’s website.

7. Other General guidelines you should know about

Apart from the above-mentioned specific guidelines for apps with UGC content, there are also a few general guidelines that you must keep in mind before submitting your app for review:

• Proper age-rating 
• No inappropriate content
• Shouldn’t imitate or copy another app
• Have a strong Privacy policy 
• Have transparency in user data usage
• It should be stable without bugs and crashes
• Remove any broken links or dummy content
• Compatibility across various devices and iOS versions
• Shouldn’t have any private API
• The app should not be slow
• Accurate and up-to-date meta information