If you’re looking to hire a mobile app developer, you’ll probably hear the term Mobile App Development Life Cycle thrown around a lot. You might be wondering what exactly this means and what you should know about it. A Mobile App Development Life Cycle is an established set of sequential steps that ensure successful application development, deployment, and maintenance throughout the entire process from start to finish...

1. Research
   A well-defined Mobile App Development Life Cycle (MADLC) can make the difference between a successful mobile app and one that’s a complete disaster. What exactly is MADLC, though? This guide will help you understand everything from inception to release and even beyond, as well as how to execute each step in the MADLC as efficiently as possible. Learn what the MADLC is, why it’s important, and how you can use it to drive your own mobile app to success!
2. Application Design
   When planning for mobile app development, it’s important to first identify your business goals and those of your target audience. What do you want them to do and why should they care? After getting a good grasp on your company’s objectives, you can start researching trends in mobile applications.
3. Mockups
   If you’re launching an app that doesn’t exist yet, you should also start building and testing a prototype as soon as possible. A prototype is basically just an early version of your app that can be tested with real users. To build one, all you need to do is find free or cheap software development tools and learn enough about programming languages to code at least a rough approximation of your idea. Then, create a rough draft of what your app will look like and how it will work using mockups or screenshots. Once you have something to show potential users, it’s easier to test ideas and get feedback from people who might actually use your product.
4. Wireframes
   Mockups can be helpful when you’re trying to visualize how your app will work in real life. They show your target market what they can expect to see when you launch, and they give potential investors an idea of what they’ll see when they download. They also act as blueprints for designers to work from. Mockups are incredibly useful during all stages of development, so if you want yours done well, hire someone who knows their stuff!
5. Build & Test Prototype
   The wireframe is considered to be one of, if not THE most critical part of creating an application. It’s what you start with and it has to be flawless. If you get your wireframes right early on in the process, then everything else should flow smoothly and naturally from there.
6. Dealing with Different Devices' Limitations
   A prototype can be anything from a hand-drawn wireframe to an elaborate interactive simulation. Regardless of what form it takes, it’s best used to validate your app idea before spending time and money building it. At Intuit, we use PowerPoint presentations that combine pictures, images and text to showcase our ideas to potential clients; others create mock-ups in CAD or sketch them out on paper. Most importantly, these early prototypes should help you decide whether you’re really onto something great.
7. Developing for Android vs. iOS
   The more advanced your mobile application becomes, you have to deal with some serious limitations. A mobile app developed for iOS devices might look out of place on Android or Windows Phone. When developing for different platforms, think about what features are appropriate for each platform and how they will function on these devices. Then work within those restrictions to create an amazing user experience on each device.

Conclusion
It’s important to note that developing for Android and iOS are different processes. Each platform has its own interface guidelines and app store requirements, which can make it difficult to reach a global audience. It’s also worth pointing out that these guidelines change from time to time, so if you’re making an app that will be used by many people or available for many years, it may be worth your while to develop for both platforms.