We all know Android and iOS are highly popular mobile platforms. Any business organization thinks about developing an app on these operating systems. The market share for Android is much higher, while iOS brings its own set of filtered users. Many startups put the idea of iPhone mobile app development in the backseat owing to budgetary constraints. However, as the business starts to experience growth, they want to exist on both Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store.
Can you relate to this scenario? Are you sailing in the same boat? Did you start with only an Android app and now want to launch it on iOS as well? In this article, we will discuss the steps that help you convert your app successfully.
Steps to convert an Android application to iOS
Step 1: Evaluate App Requirements and Functionality
An app contains many elements, and you don’t want to miss out on any. Therefore, start with a plan. Together with the software development team, collect and analyze all materials available from the current app. Study app design, functional specification, and source code deeply so that nothing slips from your attention. If you have all the required information in hand, you will be able to align business logic and the app’s functionality more effectively.
During this review, you may see some technical components that require a change. For instance, adjustments in content, the use of 3D touch on iOS, push notifications, etc.
The objective of this step is to break the project into two sections – business and technical. As a result, you can assign two experts – Software Architect and Business Analyst to study the gaps and present an analysis report. Using this report, you can prepare the scope of work and maximize the new app’s performance and potential.
Step 2: Design Adjustments for App Porting
For any operating system, it is vital to code the app from scratch. Furthermore, the layout and user interface must also change.
One of the most common mistakes made by enterprises is to copy the existing UI. Make sure you adjust it as required. Ignoring to do so can result in a strange-looking app with abrupt navigation and visual appeal.
Flat Vs. Material Design Patterns
The design patterns for Google and Apple are different. If you are converting an Android app to iOS, the right choice is flat design patterns. The placement of objects is another factor that creates a significant difference. The material design is more three-dimensional. On the other hand, in the flat design, the design elements are direct and flat.
UI Design
The UI components for Android and iOS also differ in many aspects. When you seek iPhone application development services, a professional will immediately tell you about these interface differences. For instance, Android devices have a physical back button, whereas iOS devices don’t. Some of the other differences are in the pattern, navigation bar, main navigation, alert notifications, icons, buttons, search, activity boards, tab bar, and segmented control.
Fonts
When converting an app, it is essential to be careful about the native fonts. iOS platforms use San Franciso, and Android platforms use Roboto. You can also use custom fonts depending on your brand’s design guidelines.
UI Mirroring
Mobile apps have a right-to-left and left-to-right language to determine the direction in which the content will display. When you convert an Android app to iOS, it is crucial to consider this. Android devices support RTL interfaces, so your app’s native controls will mostly work exceptionally well. However, when it comes to iOS devices, there is comprehensive support for RTL languages. As a result, it is easier to deliver a flipped user interface, and with just the standard UI Kit, you can automatically flip to the RTL context.
The custom UI elements can require additional development work.
Design Slicing
The design of the app needs slicing into assets. To convert an Android app to iOS, you need to slice the design in 1x*.pdf. Developers can use this vector format to resize to 2x or 3x, as per requirement.
Step 3: Customize Coding and Architecture Components
It is a bad idea to recompile the code. A mobile application makes use of many external solutions and third-party integrations. Therefore, you must check the compatibility of other operating systems and tailor the code to adapt to the components.
iPhone mobile app developmentusing an Android app does not reduce development time. So, it is useful to review the app code and keep an eye on sophisticated algorithms.
Step 4: Testing and Launch
A great working product needs well-thought-out software testing. Apart from app designing and app coding, you need to focus on quality assurance as you convert an Android app to iOS. This step requires about 30% of the total development time but is extremely crucial. Quality assurance engineers must test the application to ensure everything is flawless when it comes to design interface, navigation, and code functioning.
Please note, Apple’s App Store follows stricter guidelines for app submission. Therefore, before you submit the mobile application, make sure you use the recommended software, tools, and devices for testing. Make sure that your application meets the specific guidelines.
How easy is it to convert an Android app to iOS?
Before you begin to convert your app, you must understand the vital differences between Android and iOS platforms. Also, you must distinguish aspects of coding from business logic for each platform.
Some tools like MechDome or J2ObjC easily convert or port the app without the need for an experienced iOS development team. However, you may have to struggle with the quality of the app and other such issues.
Conclusion
Instagram, one of the most popular apps, was initially only available on the App Store. First, the team experimented with the functionality, design, features, and idea. It then evaluated the feedback and number of downloads before launching the Android version.
Building a mobile application on one platform is a good strategy. Generally, businesses invest in android mobile application development since the platform has a larger market share and then move on to iOS. If you’ve done the same and now see measurable metrics like the number of downloads, active app users, and demand, you can look at successfully converting your app.