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Introduction to Mobile App Development

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Introduction to Mobile App Development

This course is part of IBM iOS and Android Mobile App Developer Professional Certificate

Instructors: IBM Skills Network Team +1 more

25,930 already enrolled

Included with

3 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

224 reviews

Beginner level

Recommended experience

Flexible schedule

1 week at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

98%

Most learners liked this course

3 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

224 reviews

Beginner level

Recommended experience

Flexible schedule

1 week at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

98%

Most learners liked this course

What you'll learn

An all-around understanding of the mobile app landscape and the components of an app, including front end, back end, data management, and hosting
The features and limitations of popular mobile app development languages, frameworks, and tools
An understanding of the integrated development environments (IDEs) and tools used for mobile app development, including testing tools and emulators
How to build a career in mobile app development, having created your own mobile app development career plan

Skills you'll gain

Category: Computer Programming Tools
Category: iOS Development
Category: Test Tools
Category: Cross Platform Development
Category: Mobile Development Tools
Category: Software Testing
Category: Other Mobile Programming Languages
Category: Cloud Hosting
Category: Mobile Development
Category: Application Development
Category: Development Environment

Tools you'll learn

Category: React Native
Category: Application Frameworks
Category: Web Applications
Category: Integrated Development Environments
Category: Apple Xcode
Category: Flutter (Software)
Category: Apple iOS
Category: Android Studio
Category: Swift Programming

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

8 assignments

Taught in English

Build your Mobile and Web Development expertise

This course is part of the IBM iOS and Android Mobile App Developer Professional Certificate

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Professional Certificate.

Learn new concepts from industry experts
Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
Earn a shareable career certificate from IBM

There are 3 modules in this course

With smartphone usage projected to grow by 30%, there's never been a better time to launch a career in mobile app development. This course provides aspiring software engineers with the ideal introduction to this high growth field with no prior experience required.

Mobile app developers design, code, and refine apps, combining technical skill with creativity to deliver engaging mobile experiences. In this course, you’ll explore what apps are, how they’ve evolved, and how the different parts of a mobile app work together, including the front end, back end, data management, and hosting. You will become familiar with various mobile platforms and operating systems such as iOS, Android, WatchOS, WearOS, and others. You’ll gain valuable knowledge of the overall mobile app development ecosystem and gain learn about mobile app types and their operating systems. You’ll delve into the languages and frameworks used to develop mobile apps such as Swift, Kotlin, Flutter, and React Native. Plus, you’ll explore different integrated development environments (IDEs) such as Android Studio and Xcode, as well as the tools used for mobile app development, including testing tools and emulators. Then, hear from seasoned experts what it's really like to work as part of a mobile app development team and the skills you'll need to excel as a mobile developer. Learn about employment opportunities, career paths and progression, and the future of mobile app development and use these insights to help you create your own mobile app developer career plan. If you’re an aspiring techie keen to move into the lucrative world of mobile app development, enroll to and begin your journey toward a rewarding career!

In this module, you will be introduced to the definition of an app, the evolution of mobile apps, app categories, and the pros and cons of using mobile apps. You will also learn about how apps work and understand the different parts of an app, including the front end, the back end, data management, and hosting.

What's included

8 videos2 readings3 assignments1 discussion prompt5 plugins

8 videosTotal 43 minutes

Program Overview4 minutes
Course Introduction3 minutes
Introduction to Apps5 minutes
Expert Viewpoints: Evolution of Mobile Apps4 minutes
Mobile App Categories7 minutes
How Does an App Work?8 minutes
Cloud Computing and Hosting for Mobile Services 7 minutes
Expert Viewpoints: Cloud Computing and Hosting for Mobile Services 4 minutes

2 readingsTotal 14 minutes

Course Overview4 minutes
Module Summary: Introduction to the Mobile App Landscape10 minutes

3 assignmentsTotal 51 minutes

Graded Quiz: Introduction to the Mobile App Landscape21 minutes
Practice Quiz: Getting Started with Apps15 minutes
Practice Quiz: Components of an App15 minutes

1 discussion promptTotal 10 minutes

[Optional] Introduce Yourself10 minutes

5 pluginsTotal 30 minutes

Helpful Tips for Course Completion3 minutes
Reading: Web Apps vs. Mobile Apps: A Comparison4 minutes
Reading: Pros and Cons of Using Mobile Apps3 minutes
Reading: Cloud Tools for Mobile Development5 minutes
Activity: App Builder Challenge15 minutes

In this module, you will get familiar with the mobile app development ecosystem. The module will cover the mobile app types that a mobile developer can develop, along with the different operating systems. You will also delve into the languages and frameworks used to develop the different types of mobile apps. Following a brief review of four approaches to integrated development environments (IDEs) and tools used for mobile app development, you will learn about testing tools and emulators. Finally, you will understand how the software development kit supports integration and data implementation.

What's included

10 videos1 reading3 assignments5 plugins

10 videosTotal 65 minutes

Mobile Platforms and Operating Systems5 minutes
Types of Mobile Apps8 minutes
Mobile App Development Process8 minutes
Expert Viewpoints: Mobile App Development Process Overview4 minutes
Expert Viewpoints: Mobile App Development Methodology4 minutes
Mobile Development Languages and Frameworks 9 minutes
Mobile IDEs and Tools 8 minutes
Expert Viewpoints: Mobile App Development Platforms 4 minutes
Mobile Testing Tools and Emulators 8 minutes
App Marketplaces and Distribution Platforms7 minutes

1 readingTotal 10 minutes

Module Summary: Mobile App Development Ecosystem10 minutes

3 assignmentsTotal 51 minutes

Graded Quiz: Mobile App Development Ecosystem21 minutes
Practice Quiz: Overview of Mobile App Development15 minutes
Practice Quiz: Understanding the Mobile App Development Ecosystem15 minutes

5 pluginsTotal 95 minutes

Activity: Testing Mobile Apps15 minutes
Reading: Understanding Agile Development Methodology10 minutes
Reading: Introduction to UI/UX Design10 minutes
Lab: Create a Conceptual Mobile App Business Plan with Wireframes 40 minutes
Lab: Explore Mobile Emulators Using Your Chrome Browser20 minutes

In this module, you will explore the role of a mobile developer and describe the composition of a typical mobile app development team. You will discover the required and optional skills to be job-ready. This module will also cover the available career paths and employment options for a mobile app developer. Finally, you will have the opportunity to develop your mobile application developer career plan.

What's included

10 videos3 readings2 assignments1 app item4 plugins

10 videosTotal 59 minutes

Mobile App Development Team6 minutes
Expert Viewpoints: Mobile Development Team 4 minutes
A Day in the Life of a Mobile App Developer4 minutes
Developing Mobile App Development Skills8 minutes
Expert Viewpoints: Terms and Definitions 5 minutes
Mobile App Developer Career Progression7 minutes
Employment Opportunities in Mobile App Development6 minutes
The Future of Mobile App Development8 minutes
Expert Viewpoints: Impact on Career 3 minutes
Course Wrap-Up7 minutes

3 readingsTotal 10 minutes

Module Summary: A Career in Mobile App Development5 minutes
Congratulations and Next Steps3 minutes
Thanks from the Course Team2 minutes

2 assignmentsTotal 31 minutes

Graded Quiz: A Career in Mobile App Development21 minutes
Practice Quiz: Mobile App Developer Skills and Career Paths10 minutes

1 app itemTotal 30 minutes

[Optional] Project Submission and Evaluation30 minutes

4 pluginsTotal 77 minutes

Activity: Is Mobile Development Right for You?15 minutes
Reading: Is Mobile App Development the Right Fit for You?7 minutes
Final Project: Analyzing a Mobile App45 minutes
Course Glossary: Introduction to Mobile App Development10 minutes

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Instructors

Instructor ratings

(51 ratings)

IBM Skills Network Team

97 Courses2,104,460 learners

Offered by

IBM

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Reviewed on Jun 8, 2025

This course was a complete ruote to begin in Flutter development.

Reviewed on Jun 17, 2025

Great overview of important and fundamental topics, especially for beginners who don't have the technical background. Nice work!

Reviewed on Mar 20, 2025

The course delivers what it promises. It balances well between detail and conciseness.

Frequently asked questions

A mobile app developer designs, codes, tests, and maintains applications for mobile devices, ensuring they perform well, have an intuitive user interface, and meet the specific requirements of iOS and/or Android platforms.

Learning both iOS and Android development can be highly beneficial as it makes you more versatile and marketable, allowing you to create apps for a larger audience and increasing your job opportunities in the competitive tech industry.

This course breaks down how a mobile application functions beyond the device itself. You will study mobile app architecture as an interconnected ecosystem consisting of four distinct layers:

The Front End: The user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) layer running locally on the device screen.

The Back End: The server-side logic that processes business rules, handles API routing, and orchestrates push notifications.

Data Management: The local storage paradigms (like SQLite or CoreData) and remote database syncs that manage offline capabilities and user profiles.

Hosting Platform: The cloud infrastructure (such as AWS, Google Cloud, or IBM Cloud) that powers the server-side architecture and ensures app availability at scale.

Choosing the correct development track requires a deep understanding of mobile software paradigms. The curriculum analyzes the features, trade-offs, and hardware limitations of different deployment models, alongside their respective Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) and Software Development Kits (SDKs):

Native Development: Writing platform-specific code using Swift and Xcode for iOS/watchOS, or Kotlin and Android Studio for Android. This provides maximum access to device hardware, emulators, and performance optimizations.

Cross-Platform / Hybrid Frameworks: Utilizing unified codebases via Flutter (Dart) or React Native (JavaScript) to deploy identical code to both iOS and Android stores concurrently.

Web-Adjacent Layouts: Evaluating how mobile web code runs across lightweight form factors, including wearables like WearOS.

Technical execution is paired with a clear roadmap for professional entry. You will dissect the engineering structure of modern mobile app development teams, examining how developers interact with product owners, UI designers, and QA engineers. The modules guide you through mapping the exact technical skills (SDK management, emulator debugging, API integration) and soft skills required by employers. The course culminates in the design of a personalized Mobile Application Developer Career Plan to help you target specialized roles in the software engineering sector.

To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.