10-step roadmap

Mobile Developer

You build the apps people install on their phones. This covers everything from the home-screen icon to how it feels to tap around inside.

Mobile Developer roadmap

Follow the line, from first step to goal.

Pick your path
Start
You can go native — Swift for iPhone, Kotlin for Android — or cross-platform, using one codebase for both, like React Native or Flutter. Most beginners start cross-platform.
Programming fundamentals
Learn variables, loops, and functions. Every app is built from these basics, no matter the language.
Git & GitHub
Git saves the history of your code, so you never lose work and can work with others. Learn it early — you'll rely on it through every step below.
UI building blocks
Learn about the screens, buttons, and lists your app is made of. Learn how to arrange them on phone screens of different sizes.
Navigation between screens
How a user moves from one screen to another, like tapping a post to open its details.
Storing data on the device
Saving small bits of info, like login state or preferences, directly on the user's phone.
Talking to a server (APIs)
How your app fetches or sends data over the internet, like loading a news feed.
Device features
Using the camera, location, notifications, and other things that are unique to phones.
Testing on real devices
Making sure your app actually works well on different phones, screen sizes, and operating system versions.
Publish to app stores
Goal
The process of submitting your app to the Apple App Store or Google Play, so anyone can download it.