iapp_logo

How to Convert iOS App to Android App: Cost + Challenges

How to Convert iOS App to Android App: Cost + Challenges

In the digital era, when every individual is confined to digital assets, it appears virtually impossible to function without mobile apps! Humans have made a major transition to the internet and online services in recent years. Getting your app into the hands of users is important to achieving the business goals that prompted you to create a mobile app in the first place.

Deciding on a platform is the main step of the mobile app development process. Since both the iOS and Android platforms are popular and have millions of users, choosing a platform might be confusing. This article is a must-read if you already have a business app for the iOS platform and want to convert it into Android.

Why convert iOS App to Android App?

Here are a few reasons why you should convert an iOS app to Android:

Market Reach

According to Statista, Android is the leading mobile OS worldwide, controlling the global mobile app market with a 73 percent share. This way, you can reach a wider audience and sell your product or service. Google Play has considerably more downloads than the App Store, which means that if your app doesn’t have an Android version, you’ll lose many prospective consumers.

Beat the Competition

If your competitors want to build a particular platform application, you should leave the other open. You gain an early mover advantage by developing an app for both platforms or porting an iOS app to Android. It aids you in steadily increasing your market share.

More Features

Android offers more features to its users than iPhone, so it would be easy to please your target audience. All included are back navigation, Android intents, Android wear, widgets, and push notifications.

Save on Resources

You can save money by not hiring Android app development services to build something new. You use the same basic design and structure when converting an iOS app to an Android app. You will save a lot of time, effort, and money by replicating your old iPhone application.

High ROI

You can market to a global audience of iOS and Android users by converting. You gain access to millions of new users, ensuring a high and quick return on your investment.

How to Convert iOS App to Android App?

iOS to Android app conversion requires end-to-end project management. There are no ready-made tools and Android app converters to convert your iOS app to Android. You need to hire a dedicated mobile app development team to get the work done. Follow the below-mentioned steps to port an iOS app to Android:

Analyze the Requirements and Make a Plan

When it comes to analyzing and planning, it refers to your current iOS app, including its features, design, workflow, and characteristics. You can also consider the potential errors and problems that may arise and need to be resolved. You can either consider a solution or optimize the Android app version. Also, you need to test Back-end personalities, app porting processes, tools, and frameworks for compatibility.

Executing the Plan

You must evaluate all technical issues with the code, libraries, and third-party services. Select the appropriate technology stack to ensure accurate app porting and a shorter development time.

The app development or steps to create an app depend on the type of app that you want to convert, and in many cases, converting an iOS app to Android, or one platform to another, is quite similar to developing a single Android app, so don’t expect it to be finished in a week.

It includes features and material design changes created by developing Android-specific UX and functionality, as well as the setup of the back-end and monetization tools.

Testing and Releasing the App

Quality assurance is critical in converting iOS to Android or Android and iOS, as it is in any app development process. Depending on the practices of the application development company you have hired for your conversion requirement, you can test using real Android devices or emulation tools.

Aside from that, you can conduct various types of mobile app testing, such as load testing, validation, user acceptance testing, and beta testing. When everything appears in order, you can submit the app to the Play Store and begin marketing your app.

Challenges while Converting iOS App to Android App

Here are a few challenges developers face while porting an iOS app to Android:

Migrating the Code

iOS developers primarily use Objective-C/Swift, whereas Android developers primarily use Java and Kotlin. The syntax of each programming language differs. Converting from one language to another is a daunting task. As a result, the time required to create and build the same feature may differ between platforms. Android and iOS developers collaborate to create high-quality applications.

Framework and Libraries

Developers can easily add visuals, and rules, change templates, communicate protocol, and more with third-party libraries. But, to convert an iOS app to an Android, you must first determine which frameworks and libraries support both operating systems and make functionality replication simple.

Screen Size and Resolution

The most difficult and common challenge developers face when converting OS is creating an Android app with an iOS UI. The variety of screen resolutions available is one of the challenges developers face when converting iOS apps to Android. Every device has a different screen size and resolution. Apple devices have a fixed screen resolution, whereas Android devices are made by hundreds of companies, resulting in a wide range of screen resolutions.

Navigation

There is a distinction between the appearance and feel of each operating system. Android UI components such as toggles, buttons, and tabs have a square appearance, whereas iOS UI components have a more roundish shape with smooth edges. As a result, ensuring that users can navigate the app components as quickly as possible is critical. Because requiring the user to relearn the navigation can have a negative impact.

Different Architecture

Android and iOS versions are updated almost every year. Features that support one version might not be available in the updated version. And, it becomes difficult for your app to work on the most popular operating system versions seamlessly.

How much does it cost to port an iOS App to Android?

The cost of porting depends on the application’s complexity, size, and features. Your budget for the average feature app should be between $6000 and $20000. Remember that all of the factors listed below determine the price.

  • Tech stack-like frameworks and programming language
  • Apps interaction with the device hardware
  • Supported devices
  • UI design
  • APIs
  • Software development kits
  • Android version supported

The Final Word

So, this was all about how to convert an iOS app to an Android. You cannot achieve this with the help of app converters, code translators, or other similar tools. A thorough understanding of logic and coding is required for professional porting. To convert your application, you must plan for both technical and business aspects. You can hire an experienced mobile app development team at iapp Technologies LLP to ensure your application’s dependability, accessibility, and performance.