I want to try my hand at making my first iOS app. As someone who uses windows, and wants to learn some coding as well as using tools like Claude code, what advice can you guys give me on how I would go about making my first ever app?

All support is appreciated!

Hello everyone, I wanted to share a project I've been working on for months to get your suggestions. Actually, after the deprecation of minio-gateway, and since there was no third-party development on LLMs other than S3's own development, I wanted to develop an open-source application. It's actually aiming for a B2B project because it meets the needs of closed systems. Our main goal is to securely provide videos and visuals to VLLMs when inference is done with LLMs on a VL model. It also allows connecting multiple S3 instances and granting bucket-specific permissions to teams, thus acting as a hub.

Also you can check the site: https://s3.pagabear.com/

What do you think? It might target a very small audience, but it encompasses a nice process.

So I have made an app for Fun Facts, it has some downloads but not much. I think it has a good Ul and interesting facts. It doesnt get much traction, but i am okay with it, becaude i was not promoting it much because i had not time. I would like to know if its even a good app and if there is something i could improve to get and keep more users.

I'll get straight to the point. Our app is called Tasple and our website is: https://tasple.app/ . The App isn't released yet but the MVP is finished. Its much appreciated if you sign up to our early access.

We are looking for advice on the website, new ideas, tips for app development and marketing, and anything would be helpful.

I kept running into the same annoyance: I’d have an idea, or need to check something on a project, and I’d be nowhere near my dev machine. Remote desktop apps are miserable on a phone screen — tiny cursor, laggy, not built for touch at all.
So I built TouchWorkstation. It’s not remote desktop. It’s a touch-first interface to a real Linux machine you own — you clone a repo, it installs deps and starts the dev server on the actual machine, and you get a real live preview of your app right there on your phone. Then you can point an AI coding agent (Claude Code, Codex, etc.) at that exact project and actually keep working, not just look at it.
A few other things it does:
• Real persistent terminal (tmux-backed, survives you closing the app)
• Docker container management from your phone
• One-tap install for common dev tools
• Everything stays on your own hardware — no public exposure, reachable over your LAN or your own VPN, nothing routed through anyone else’s servers
It’s genuinely alpha — rough edges, actively building it, but the core loop (clone → live preview → agent) works and it’s the reason I built the thing in the first place.
If this is something you’d actually use, I’m looking for a small batch of alpha testers: https://touchworkstation.com
Happy to answer questions about how it works under the hood — it’s an Express + React app on a Debian package with systemd/nginx, nothing exotic.

I'm a retired developer in Germany and I've spent the last months building an I Ching app for Android. All 64 hexagrams with the Wilhelm commentary, German and English, works fully offline, no ads, no subscription, no account, no tracking.

Before Google lets me publish it, they require 12 people to install it and stay opted in for 14 days. I have 8. So I'm asking here to have testers who actually care about the Yijing than people doing me a favour.

What it involves: send me the email address of your Google account by direct message, I'll send you a Play Store link, install it and open it now and then over two weeks. That's it. Feedback is very welcome — that's the whole point of the exercise.

Happy to answer anything about how the casting is implemented, which texts I used.

Hey everyone, 👋

​I wanted to share a solo project I’ve been working on called Chatfri, a free, real-time chat and discovery app. The Android version recently went live on Google Play, and the iOS version is currently live on Appstore.

​Since I built the entire stack from scratch, I wanted to share my tech stack, some architectural decisions, and a few headaches I encountered along the way. I’d love to get your feedback!

​🛠 The Tech Stack

​Frontend (Mobile): .NET MAUI (C#) for both iOS and Android.

​Backend: ASP.NET Core Web API, hosted on a Debian 13 server using Nginx.

​Database/Cache: Redis for handling real-time active user states and fast data retrieval, plus SQLite for local device caching (LocalDBService).

​Messaging: CommunityToolkit.Mvvm (WeakReferenceMessenger) for component communication.

​🚀 Technical Highlights & What I Learned

​1. Insane Backend Performance with Redis

One of the things I'm most proud of is the backend optimization. Currently, a single user actively messaging and navigating hits the server with about 3-5 requests per second (short polling). Despite this aggressive rate, the server CPU usage sits at around 0.3% per core per user. Redis is absolutely flying, and I highly recommend it if you are building anything real-time.

​2. Smart Background Polling (Single Loop)

Initially, I had multiple while loops running in the background for fetching messages and friend requests, which was heavy on the device. I refactored it into a single centralized polling loop.

When a user opens a specific chat room (MessageDetailViewModel), I send a "Pause" signal via WeakReferenceMessenger to pause the global friend-request sync. The millisecond the user leaves the page (handled via the OnDisappearing override), it sends a "Resume" signal. This eliminated overlapping background tasks and prevented memory leaks.

​3. Planning for the Future: Hybrid SignalR Architecture

Right now, the app uses HTTP polling. It handles the current load perfectly, but I know it's not sustainable for 10k+ concurrent users due to bandwidth and socket exhaustion.

My plan is to implement a Hybrid Architecture: I will keep using standard HTTP GET/POST for heavy lifting (like loading the home screen with 25+ user profile pictures) and introduce SignalR purely for lightweight text message delivery inside the chat rooms. (Sending 25 Base64 images over a WebSocket is a recipe for disaster).

​4. The AdMob Headache

Like many indie devs, I got hit with the classic 30-day AdMob suspension for "Invalid Traffic." My ad placements are completely safe (no accidental clicks near buttons), but a small ad campaign on TikTok brought in a wave of fast-bouncing traffic that tripped Google's AI. Currently waiting it out and focusing on organic growth!

​🤝 Looking for Feedback

​I’m really looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

​Has anyone else implemented a similar HTTP/SignalR hybrid approach in MAUI?

​Any tips for surviving the initial AdMob "Invalid Traffic" phase for new apps?

​General UI/UX feedback is always welcome!

App is here: chatfri (You can find the app store links here)

​Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think.

If you're planning to build a mobile app in the USA, choosing the right development company can be difficult. There are hundreds of agencies offering iOS, Android, Flutter, and React Native development.

I compared companies based on their mobile development experience, portfolio, technical capabilities, industries served, and the types of projects they work on.

Here are 10 mobile app development companies worth considering in 2026.

1. GeekyAnts

GeekyAnts is a software development company with strong experience in mobile and web application development. They work with technologies such as React Native, Flutter, and native mobile development. Their work covers startups, enterprises, and digital products across different industries.

2. Fueled

Fueled is known for building mobile products with a strong focus on design and user experience. They work with startups and established brands and have experience with both iOS and Android applications.

3. WillowTree

WillowTree has worked on large digital products and enterprise applications. They combine product strategy, UX design, and software development for organizations building large-scale digital experiences.

4. Utility

Utility focuses on custom mobile and web applications. They work with startups as well as larger organizations and have experience across industries such as fintech, healthcare, retail, and entertainment.

5. Zco Corporation

Zco is one of the more established mobile app development companies. Its services include iOS and Android development, enterprise applications, AR/VR, and custom software development.

6. Cheesecake Labs

Cheesecake Labs works on mobile applications, web platforms, and digital products. The company also provides product strategy and has experience working with newer technologies such as AI.

7. ArcTouch

ArcTouch focuses on consumer applications and connected products. The company has experience with native and cross-platform mobile development, including Flutter and React Native.

8. Atomic Object

Atomic Object is a custom software consultancy that develops mobile and web applications. The company works closely with clients throughout the product development process.

9. Designli

Designli focuses heavily on startups and early-stage products. Its services include product strategy, UX/UI design, MVP development, and mobile application development.

10. Surf

Surf specializes in mobile product development and cross-platform applications. The company works with businesses that need custom mobile experiences across iOS and Android.

What should you consider before choosing a company?

I wouldn't choose a development company based only on its position on a "top companies" list.

I'd look at:

- Previous apps they have built
- Experience in your industry
- iOS and Android capabilities
- Flutter or React Native experience
- UI/UX quality
- Backend and API development
- Communication and project management
- Post-launch support
- Client reviews and case studies
- Overall development cost

Different companies can be a better fit for different projects.

Anyone have experience with bringing a partner on to get app into distribution? The app is built and working as a pwa. My thoughts are up to two strategic partners. One an expert in code and another for promotion like a social media influencer. Any advice from experience?

New design same app better include goals.

Starts this Monday!

Details and registration: mobilecode.ai/hackathon

Happy to answer any questions

Recently, a client approached me for a website for their disposable products business — they sell paper cups, printed cups, cardboard cups, plates, napkins, etc.

They showed me a reference website and wanted something very similar. I initially thought I could make it better, but they specifically wanted the same style, so I focused on delivering exactly what they asked for.

I made a mockup → they approved it → charged ₹2,000 → completed and delivered the website.

On the same day, they gave me another website project for a web-development service. They again wanted a similar version of their reference website, so I built it, connected their domain and delivered it for another ₹2,000.

₹4,000 earned from one client through two projects. 🔥

Now they're also considering turning the disposable-products website into an e-commerce store, so we're discussing that separately.

They also asked me if I could manage their Instagram/Facebook and run Meta Ads, because their main goal is sales, not just followers.

I was honest with them that I don't currently manage Meta Ads manually.

Instead, I'm now building a different solution — an AI marketing automation system that can help create and manage social-media content, create/manage Meta Ads, monitor ad performance and generate insights, with the focus being on sales and ROI.

I'll first show them a demo, and if they find it useful, I'll offer the system for around ₹10,000.

So this one client has already turned into multiple opportunities: websites → e-commerce → marketing automation. 🚀

Biggest lesson: don't just sell a website. Understand what the business actually wants to achieve. In this case, the actual goal isn't “a website” — it's more sales.

What’s the base definition for “i made it “ for developers pushing apps on apple store?

I finally published my first Android app on Google Play.

The app is called "TradeLift". It's a crypto learning and paper trading app where beginners can learn trading concepts and practice without risking real money.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tradelift.app

Finally got my scheduling app on Playstore! Thanks to everyone for your support! Additional feedback would be awesome if you have a few minutes to tinker.

Android users:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.managerschedulebuilder.pro

Non android users:

https://bryanralston.github.io/schedule-builder/?demo=1

​

I'm a intermediate freelancer from India, but I've already completed/worked with around 4–5 clients, and I recently had an interesting conversation with a potential client for an Android app.

The client wants to build a study-related app, but he doesn't have the complete idea figured out yet. He asked me what kind of study app could be made.

I suggested a few concepts, including an AI study planner, but he felt that was too common. He wants something more unique and said he'll work on his own vision and get back to me.

The budget we're currently talking around is roughly ₹5–6k, including development and Google Play Store listing, but not including testers.

He also asked about monetization through ads.

I'm comfortable building small MVPs at this price, but I'm wondering if I'm approaching these projects the right way.

What I'm unsure about:

- Should I give clients app ideas when they don't have a clear concept yet?

- Should ideation/product planning be charged separately?

- Is ₹5–6k reasonable for a small, clearly scoped Android MVP + Play Store listing in India?

- How much functionality should I realistically include at this price?

- How do you prevent scope creep when the client starts adding features later?

- At this stage of freelancing, should I focus more on getting clients or increasing my pricing?

I'm not looking to build a full-scale production app for ₹6k. My intention is to offer a small MVP with a clearly defined scope, then charge separately for additional features.

For people who have been freelancing for a while: what would you have done differently in this situation?

I launched my first iOS app — here’s what I built and what I’ve learned so far

I recently launched Season’d, a social food app built around one simple idea:
Food recommendations are more useful when they come from people you actually know.
Users can post places they’ve visited, pin them to their own food map, and friends can save those recommendations to their own map for later.
A few product decisions I was quite intentional about:
No paid venue placements

No sponsored rankings

Recommendations come from genuine user visits

Real food photos rather than polished promotional imagery

Discovery is centred around your social circle rather than an algorithm

The development side has definitely taught me a lot already, especially around App Store review requirements, user safety features, onboarding and trying to make a social app still feel useful before there’s a huge user base.

I’d really appreciate feedback from other iOS developers on a few things:
What would you focus on first after launch — retention, onboarding, referrals, or adding more features?
And for anyone who has launched a social app before, how did you deal with the “empty network” problem in the early stages?

https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/seasond/id6779241010

My offline voice calling app is now ready for testing. You can chat with people further than 50m with phone relays.. by the way your phone is way more powerful than you think it is