The number of smartphone users in 2021 has hit the mammoth figure of 6.2 billion and this number is expected to reach 7.6 Billion by the year 2027. Just to put things in context, the population of Earth at this moment is approximately 7.7 billion. For this huge customer base, there are more than 3.48 million android apps and 2.2 million iOS apps available. Despite such a huge number of applications, a very little percentage (about 20-22%) of these apps are actually used by people. Why? Because most of the apps fail to meet customer expectations, or let’s just say they don’t keep up with the latest trends.

 

In this article we are going to discuss the top trends in the app development industry this year that you should know, especially if you are looking to develop one.

 

Top 5 Mobile App Development Trends in 2022

 

People like mobile applications for their utility. App developers must understand what people need before they endeavor to develop mobile applications. In the rest of the discussion, we will talk about the current mobile app development trends in 2022 to give you an idea of what areas to work on to develop a hot-selling mobile application.

 

     1. Augmented/Virtual Reality

 

Virtual reality (VR) might sound like a futuristic thing but many companies have already started to incorporate it into their mobile applications. Apps like;

 

• IKEA – A mobile application that helps users with home decor by letting them visualize how certain items of furniture would look like in their homes.
• Houzz – This platform is used for buying and selling furniture items. It comes with the feature of ‘View in my room’ which virtually places the product in the user’s room so he/she can see how the product will look in the room setting.
• GIPHY world – Make 3D GIFs and pictures to add personalization to your web content
• Google Lens – With Google lens you can simply take a picture of any real-life object and it will describe the object and where to buy it.

 

are a few prominent names of VR-based mobile applications. Soon more applications will switch to VR which will push user expectations to a higher level. Consequently, companies will be required to work on VR to attract and retain customers.

 

     2. Security and Anonymity

 

Uncontrolled advancement in technology has given birth to the issue of data privacy. The number of cyberattacks has been reported to increase considerably in the past couple of years and now people are getting more anxious about the data-sharing guidelines of the apps. They prefer apps that are more transparent in terms of how they collect, manage, and share users’ data.

Companies have introduced new features to provide a more secure user experience to their customers.

 

• One of the latest features Apple introduced is “Passkeys” which will enhance login security.
• Blockchains use zero-knowledge Proof which makes it possible to transmit sensitive information like passwords between two parties without any of them knowing what the password is.

 

Working on the security and anonymity of a mobile application is not only an app development trend but is also crucial for legal compliance. Governments are getting stricter for businesses that use people’s data for their benefit.

 

     3. Superapp

 

How many apps do you use every day? On average, people use 9-11 apps every day for their different needs—travel, book tickets, buy groceries, consult a doctor, socialize, online cash wallets, order food, and many others. The idea of a super app is to address all these needs through one application. If you have a super app installed, you do not have to download other applications. Customers appear to be liking this concept too as they are getting a seamless user experience and having their diverse needs satisfied without installing multiple apps. Many companies have already adopted this mobile app development trend and have launched their superapps;

 

• Grab – Food delivery, Mart, Courier Services, Taxi booking, Digital wallet, Insurance, Investments, and Hotel booking.
• Careem – Taxi booking, Travel from city to city, Find restaurants and order food, Digital wallet, and Courier.
• Rappi – Grocery delivery, food delivery, package delivery, financial services, mobile money transfer, micro-mobility, and hotel booking.
• WeChat – Instant messaging, order food, book taxi, get directions, purchase groceries, and clothing items.

 

The main objective of these apps is to add as many services as possible while maintaining the user-friendliness and quality of the platform. All of the apps mentioned above added these features one after the other and they will keep doing it according to the needs of their target customer. Developing an app based on this model is surely a promising mobile app development trend to follow in 2022.

 

     4. AI & ML

 

No list of app development trends is complete without including AI and ML. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning go hand in hand to change conventional business models into streamlined business processes. Machine learning is a subset of AI and they both are used to identify patterns in the data to predict the future and help businesses in the process of decision-making under uncertainty. AI & ML are being applied in different ways for mobile app development;

 

Personalized Experience – If you use Netflix, YouTube, or any other similar platforms, you might have noticed that the products and services recommended to you are based on your online activities and interests. It is because these platforms have incorporated AI and ML algorithms that show you personalized results based on your age, location, interest, and online activities.

 

Cybersecurity applications – AI & ML can help businesses identify vulnerabilities and reduce the time they take to respond to the incident. AI-based models keep running different kinds of checks to identify any potential threat and inform the user in time.

 

No-code ML – No-code ML was introduced to save the effort of writing lengthy codes. With No-code ML, you can develop mobile applications and websites using visual interfaces and established templates.

 

     5. 5G

 

5G is what makes all these mobile app development trends possible. All the mobile app development trends mentioned require fast internet speed which is achieved with the advent of 5G. It is already being implemented by many tech companies, however, it has still not become common enough to be in the hands of the masses. It is expected that within a couple of years, a huge number of 5G-enabled devices will be launched making it possible for the users to enjoy immersive VR experience, stream videos seamlessly, and share data at a faster rate.

 

We know what you want

 

pubGENIUS provides all kinds of development solutions according to the latest mobile app development trends. You can rely on us for top-notch mobile application development and maintenance services. Click on the contact button now and get in touch with one of our expert developers right away.