Mobile App Development Roadmap TRENDING

Build native and cross-platform mobile applications

Mobile App Development Roadmap

Complete guide to becoming a mobile app developer - covering both native and cross-platform development.

Choose Your Path

Native Development

  • iOS: Swift + SwiftUI/UIKit
  • Android: Kotlin + Jetpack Compose/XML

Cross-Platform

  • React Native (JavaScript)
  • Flutter (Dart)

Recommendation: Start with cross-platform for faster results, learn native later for depth.


Phase 1: Dart Fundamentals (2-3 weeks)

  • Variables and data types
  • Functions and classes
  • Async/await
  • Null safety

Phase 2: Flutter Basics (4-6 weeks)

  • Widgets (Stateless/Stateful)
  • Layouts (Row, Column, Stack)
  • Navigation
  • State management (Provider/Riverpod)

Phase 3: Advanced Flutter (6-8 weeks)

  • REST API integration
  • Local storage (SQLite, Hive)
  • Firebase integration
  • Animations
  • Custom widgets

Phase 4: Production Ready (4-6 weeks)

  • App architecture (Clean Architecture)
  • Testing
  • CI/CD
  • App Store deployment

Resources:

  • 📚 Flutter Documentation
  • 🎥 The Net Ninja - Flutter Tutorial
  • 💻 FlutterFlow (for prototyping)

Path B: React Native Development

Phase 1: JavaScript/TypeScript (3-4 weeks)

  • ES6+ features
  • Async programming
  • TypeScript basics

Phase 2: React Fundamentals (3-4 weeks)

  • Components
  • Props and State
  • Hooks
  • Context API

Phase 3: React Native (6-8 weeks)

  • React Native components
  • Navigation (React Navigation)
  • State management (Redux/Zustand)
  • Native modules

Phase 4: Advanced Topics (4-6 weeks)

  • Performance optimization
  • Offline storage (AsyncStorage, Realm)
  • Push notifications
  • Deep linking

Resources:

  • 📚 React Native Documentation
  • 🎥 Academind - React Native Course
  • 💻 Expo for quick start

Path C: Native Android (Kotlin)

Phase 1: Kotlin Basics (3-4 weeks)

  • Syntax and features
  • OOP in Kotlin
  • Collections and lambdas
  • Coroutines

Phase 2: Android Fundamentals (6-8 weeks)

  • Activities and Fragments
  • Layouts (XML/Compose)
  • Intents and navigation
  • RecyclerView

Phase 3: Jetpack Components (4-6 weeks)

  • ViewModel and LiveData
  • Room Database
  • WorkManager
  • Navigation Component

Phase 4: Modern Android (6-8 weeks)

  • Jetpack Compose
  • Material Design 3
  • Hilt (Dependency Injection)
  • Retrofit (Networking)

Resources:

  • 📚 Android Developer Documentation
  • 🎥 Philipp Lackner YouTube
  • 💻 Android Studio

Path D: Native iOS (Swift)

Phase 1: Swift Basics (3-4 weeks)

  • Syntax and optionals
  • Closures and protocols
  • Error handling
  • Value vs Reference types

Phase 2: iOS Fundamentals (6-8 weeks)

  • UIKit basics
  • View Controllers
  • Auto Layout
  • Table/Collection Views

Phase 3: SwiftUI (6-8 weeks)

  • Declarative UI
  • State and Binding
  • Navigation
  • Combine framework

Phase 4: Advanced iOS (4-6 weeks)

  • Core Data
  • URLSession/Alamofire
  • Push Notifications
  • App Store submission

Resources:

  • 📚 Swift Documentation
  • 🎥 Sean Allen YouTube
  • 💻 100 Days of SwiftUI

Essential Skills (All Paths)

UI/UX Design

  • Material Design / Human Interface Guidelines
  • Figma/Adobe XD
  • Responsive design
  • Accessibility

Backend Integration

  • RESTful APIs
  • GraphQL
  • WebSockets
  • Firebase/Supabase

App Deployment

  • Google Play Store
  • Apple App Store
  • Beta testing (TestFlight/Firebase)
  • App reviews and updates

Project Ideas

Beginner

  1. Todo List App
  2. Weather App
  3. Calculator
  4. Notes App

Intermediate

  1. Social Media Clone
  2. E-commerce App
  3. Chat Application
  4. Fitness Tracker

Advanced

  1. Video Streaming App
  2. Location-based Services
  3. AR Application
  4. Payment Integration

Tools & Technologies

Development

  • Android Studio / Xcode
  • VS Code (for Flutter/RN)
  • Postman (API testing)
  • Git/GitHub

Testing

  • Jest (React Native)
  • Flutter Test
  • Espresso (Android)
  • XCTest (iOS)

Analytics & Crash Reporting

  • Firebase Analytics
  • Crashlytics
  • Sentry

Career Path

Junior Mobile Developer (0-2 years)

  • Build features
  • Fix bugs
  • Write tests

Mid-level Developer (2-5 years)

  • Design features
  • Architecture decisions
  • Mentor juniors

Senior Developer (5+ years)

  • Technical leadership
  • Full app architecture
  • Cross-platform expertise

🔥 Hot Topics:

  • Jetpack Compose/SwiftUI adoption
  • Flutter for desktop
  • AI/ML in mobile apps
  • Super apps
  • 5G optimization

CC Club Mobile Dev Community

  • Monthly mobile dev meetups
  • Flutter vs React Native debates
  • App showcase events
  • Hackathon mobile track
  • Industry mentor sessions

Build your first app this month! 📱