r/AppDevelopers

6 months ago I knew nothing about building iOS apps.

Last week I shipped one.

Here's the exact stack I used and why:

→ Expo React Native — one codebase, real iOS app

→ Claude AI — the brain that learns your writing voice

→ Supabase — free database, zero config

→ Vercel — free backend hosting

→ Claude Code — wrote 80% of the code for me

The app: GhostWriter X

It reads 5 of your X posts, learns exactly how

you write, then generates posts that sound like

you — not like AI.

Total cost to build: $5 (Anthropic API credits)

Time: 7 days

Team: just me

What surprised me most: the hardest part wasn't

the code. It was figuring out what to build.

Submitting to App Store tomorrow.

AMA — happy to share anything about the build.

Hi,

I just created an app capablehearts that is designed for people that neurodivergent. I have over 10 years experience working with this population but 0 experience in APP development or marketing The idea came to me while I was working with my client, I saw all his struggles in meeting people for him to connect with. I HAVE NO Idea how to get it out there. I hired a company but I feel like we need more. Any ideas?

Founders: what's your biggest challenge after launching?

I've realized that most people don't fail because they can't build. They fail because they don't know how to get their product in front of the right users.

I'm looking to review 5 products for free and share a detailed GTM breakdown:

• Who you should target
• Where to find users
• How to position the product
• Growth opportunities you're likely missing

If you're interested, drop your product below (or DM me) and I'll pick 5 to review in detail. No sales pitch, Just genuine feedback.

Waiting to hear from you all 😄

Hi everyone,

I have an idea for an app that I'd like to build, but I have little to no experience in app development. Out of curiosity, I used AI to generate a basic version of the code and even managed to deploy it on Netlify as a trial. However, I honestly have no idea what the next steps are.

At this point, I'm considering consulting a professional developer to understand what it would take to turn the idea into a real product. I'm not necessarily looking to hire someone immediately—I just want guidance on the development process, feasibility, tech stack, costs, and what I should be doing next.

For those who have gone through this process:

• How much does a consultation with an experienced app developer typically cost?
• Is it common to pay by the hour, or do people offer fixed-rate consultations?
• What should I prepare before reaching out to a developer to make the consultation worthwhile?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I recently started with app development and I am building a B2B SaaS/app. The app is meant to run on Desktop, Android and iOS

My current stack is Flutter/Dart. The app is already fairly far along: project management, materials/import logic, user/company handling, documentation workflows, and several business-specific screens are already implemented.

The main problem I am struggling with is the UI.

I have a Figma design with a modern “Soft Glass” style: subtle gradients, soft shadows, glass-like cards, dark/light mode, polished mobile cards, and a floating action button. The Figma design was originally very web/Tailwind-like, with values such as semi-transparent zinc backgrounds, rings, CSS shadows, inset shadows, gradients, hover/pressed states, etc.

I tried to transfer this design to Flutter, but it has been very difficult. The result often looks wrong on the Android emulator:

• gradients become too harsh or look like diagonal “wedges”
• shadows turn into dark blobs
• the UI sometimes looks too flat after reducing the gradients
• light and dark mode values were accidentally mixed in some attempts
• CSS-style rings/inset shadows do not seem to translate cleanly to Flutter
• the Android emulator rendering makes it hard for me to judge whether the design is actually wrong or just rendered differently

Even after several iterations, the Flutter result still does not feel close enough to the Figma Soft Glass UI.

At this Point, Does it make sense to stay with Flutter for this kind of UI, or should I consider switching to React/React Native/Tauri or another stack?

My requirements are:

• one codebase if possible
• desktop + Android + iOS
• good-looking modern UI
• B2B/productivity app, not a game
• I am currently working alone
• I only recently started with app development
• I want to avoid rewriting everything unless there is a very strong reason

I understand that React/Tailwind may reproduce this specific Figma/Web-style UI more directly, but Flutter seems attractive because of cross-platform support, especially desktop + mobile from one codebase.

My questions:

1. Is Flutter still a good choice for a polished Soft Glass UI across desktop, Android, and iOS?
2. Are these visual problems mostly caused by trying to translate web/Tailwind CSS effects too literally into Flutter?
3. Would testing on a real Android device make a big difference compared to the Android Studio emulator for gradients/shadows?
4. Would React Native or React + Tauri be a better fit for this kind of UI and platform target?
5. If I stay with Flutter, what would be the best approach to implement this design properly?
   • custom design tokens?
   • custom card components?
   • avoiding CSS-like glassmorphism?
   • using fewer gradients/shadows?
   • different rendering settings?
6. At what point would you recommend switching stacks instead of continuing to refine the Flutter UI?

I would really appreciate practical advice from people who have experience with Flutter, React Native, Tauri, or cross-platform business apps.

I am not trying to start a “Flutter vs React” debate. I am mainly trying to avoid making a bad long-term technical decision early in the project.

Thanks!

Hallo zusammen,

ich habe mit Unterstützung von KI begonnen, eine App zu entwickeln, die das Vokabellernen für verschiedene Sprachen erleichtern soll. Die App verfolgt einen spielerischen Ansatz, doch da meine Programmiererfahrung begrenzt ist, suche ich jemanden, der mich beim Feinschliff unterstützt und idealerweise ebenfalls an meine Idee glaubt.

Bevorzugt wäre eine Entwicklerin mit Deutschkenntnissen, aber Englisch ist ebenfalls in Ordnung.

Hello everyone,
with the help of AI, I started developing an app designed to make vocabulary learning for different languages easier. The app uses a playful, game‑like approach, but since my programming experience is limited, I am looking for someone who can support me with the final refinements and ideally shares my enthusiasm for the idea.

A developer who speaks German is preferred, but English is perfectly fine as well.

Guten Tag alle zusammen!

ich bräuchte bitte einen erfahrenen App Programmierer, kann mir jemand da vielleicht weiterhelfen?
Wäre sehr korrekt, danke :)

Hi everyone,

I recently started with app development and I am building a B2B SaaS/app. The app is meant to run on Desktop, Android and iOS

My current stack is Flutter/Dart. The app is already fairly far along: project management, materials/import logic, user/company handling, documentation workflows, and several business-specific screens are already implemented.

The main problem I am struggling with is the UI.

I have a Figma design with a modern “Soft Glass” style: subtle gradients, soft shadows, glass-like cards, dark/light mode, polished mobile cards, and a floating action button. The Figma design was originally very web/Tailwind-like, with values such as semi-transparent zinc backgrounds, rings, CSS shadows, inset shadows, gradients, hover/pressed states, etc.

I tried to transfer this design to Flutter, but it has been very difficult. The result often looks wrong on the Android emulator:

• gradients become too harsh or look like diagonal “wedges”
• shadows turn into dark blobs
• the UI sometimes looks too flat after reducing the gradients
• light and dark mode values were accidentally mixed in some attempts
• CSS-style rings/inset shadows do not seem to translate cleanly to Flutter
• the Android emulator rendering makes it hard for me to judge whether the design is actually wrong or just rendered differently

Even after several iterations, the Flutter result still does not feel close enough to the Figma Soft Glass UI.

At this Point, Does it make sense to stay with Flutter for this kind of UI, or should I consider switching to React/React Native/Tauri or another stack?

My requirements are:

• one codebase if possible
• desktop + Android + iOS
• good-looking modern UI
• B2B/productivity app, not a game
• I am currently working alone
• I only recently started with app development
• I want to avoid rewriting everything unless there is a very strong reason

I understand that React/Tailwind may reproduce this specific Figma/Web-style UI more directly, but Flutter seems attractive because of cross-platform support, especially desktop + mobile from one codebase.

My questions:

1. Is Flutter still a good choice for a polished Soft Glass UI across desktop, Android, and iOS?
2. Are these visual problems mostly caused by trying to translate web/Tailwind CSS effects too literally into Flutter?
3. Would testing on a real Android device make a big difference compared to the Android Studio emulator for gradients/shadows?
4. Would React Native or React + Tauri be a better fit for this kind of UI and platform target?
5. If I stay with Flutter, what would be the best approach to implement this design properly?
   • custom design tokens?
   • custom card components?
   • avoiding CSS-like glassmorphism?
   • using fewer gradients/shadows?
   • different rendering settings?
6. At what point would you recommend switching stacks instead of continuing to refine the Flutter UI?

I would really appreciate practical advice from people who have experience with Flutter, React Native, Tauri, or cross-platform business apps.

I am not trying to start a “Flutter vs React” debate. I am mainly trying to avoid making a bad long-term technical decision early in the project.

Thanks!

The mobile app industry has changed a lot over the last few years. Earlier, businesses focused mainly on launching apps quickly, but now the focus is shifting toward long-term user experience, performance, and retention.

A few interesting trends developers are paying attention to in 2026:

• Cross-platform frameworks are becoming more mature, helping teams reduce development time while maintaining near-native performance.

• AI-powered features like smart recommendations, voice interactions, and predictive search are now expected in many apps rather than being “extra” features.

• App security is becoming a bigger concern, especially with increasing regulations around user privacy and data collection.

• Lightweight app architecture matters more than ever because users uninstall apps quickly if they experience lag, crashes, or high battery usage.

• Accessibility is finally getting more attention. Features like voice navigation, screen reader support, and better color contrast improve usability for everyone.

One thing many people underestimate is post-launch maintenance. Building the app is only the first step. Regular updates, bug fixes, OS compatibility, and user feedback handling are what keep an app successful over time.

What do you think is the most overlooked part of mobile app development today?

the title is pretty self explanatory

Hi everyone,
I’m a university student working on a project about app development and I’d love to hear from experienced app developers.
If you’ve built and launched an app with active users, I’d be very interested in your perspective on a few questions:

If you could start your app development journey again from the beginning, what would you do differently?

What was the biggest mistake you made early on?
What surprised you most about working with users and customers?

What advice would you give to someone building their first app today?

What contributed most to your app’s success?
Feel free to answer any or all of the questions. Even short responses would be very helpful for my project.

Hey! 👋

a full-service digital agency specializing in building professional online presences for businesses

\*\*What I build:\*\*

\- Custom websites (from landing pages to full platforms)

\- Mobile applications (iOS & Android)

\- E-Commerce stores (Shopify, WooCommerce, custom)

\- SEO optimization & digital branding

\- UI/UX design & motion graphics

\*\*Why work with me:\*\*

→ One point of contact — I handle everything end-to-end

→ Fast turnaround (most projects: 1–3 weeks)

→ Clean, modern design that converts visitors into clients

→ Post-launch support included

→ Competitive rates — serious quality without agency prices

\*\*Past work includes:\*\*

— Restaurant & hospitality websites

— Medical clinic platforms

— Real estate portals

— Service business landing pages

💬 DM me

Whatsap: +213541463004
Gmail: clickmarkagency@gmail.com

So I am looking for building Platform for Kids, Year 1 to Year 6.
where they can spent time on english and maths quiz. Does anyone tried before any tips, any experience person? Thank you for your help.

Hello. I'm hoping for some guidance here as I am totally out of my element.

I hired a freelancer through Fiverr. I want to now cancel the contract as he has been pushing the deadline date out for months now. I don't trust him.

I am waiting to get my next update, then cancel the contract after that.

I asked AI on what exactly needs to be given to me - "I need a full project handoff — all source code, API keys, credentials, assets, and documentation so I can transfer this to another developer."

I just want to make sure that is correct and I am not leaving anything out. Ideally, id like to hand over what he has done with the app so far to a new developer.

Hope that makes sense.

Thank you.

I have an idea about making something, but the type of the product that I want to build is better in mobile, can I have a suggestion what should I use (like the tech stack) and prepare since I want this to launch in google app store first

Hello everyone, I'm a CS student with entry level skills in Python,c, java and web programming languages. But I'm having a rough time trying to figure out how to build an App.

It's simple offline music player just for myself, I also want to learn app building in the process. So please help me understand the steps and procedure of it. Any tutorials would be great.

I'm using VS code, installed Flutter and Andriod Studio just for the starters.

Thank you.

Hi everyone,

I'm a Full-Stack Developer with experience in React, Next.js, Node.js, Django, PostgreSQL, and a few other technologies.

Lately, I've been wanting to build a side project, but I've hit a wall.

My current brainstorming process looks like this:

• "I'll build a Todo App!"
• Realize there are already 8 million Todo Apps.
• "I'll build an AI Wrapper!"
• Realize there are already 9 million AI Wrappers.
• Spend 3 hours researching ideas.
• End up watching YouTube instead.

So I'm asking for help.

What is a real problem that you face regularly that makes you think:

"Why doesn't a simple tool exist for this?"

I'm looking for ideas that are:

✅ Useful
✅ Solvable by one developer
✅ Something people might actually use
✅ Not another Todo App (unless it's somehow revolutionary)

The more annoying, niche, or oddly specific the problem is, the better.

Best suggestion wins absolutely nothing except my gratitude and the small possibility that I'll actually build it.

Thanks!

P.S. If your idea already exists, that's okay. I probably don't know about it yet. 😅

I searched vibecoding in reddit to look for some support, and eveyone here seems so negative. I get a lot of app that are made with little effort aren't going to be good, but I "vibecoded" an app and I think it is great. I started with a vision, discussed each step with Claude so Claude could write the code and it has been about 6 weeks and it is pretty much what I wanted. I needed readonly email access and had to get verified by Microsoft and go through Google's verification and CASA tier 2 security review and passed.

I know my app needs more refinement as more people use it, but I don't think anyone could tell I "vibecoded" it vs hiring a developer.