How to create an app: Top tutorials for iOS, Android or desktop

Android is the Windows of the mobile world, enjoying a colossal user base and huge market share. To get in on the Android app action, check out the links below to learn how to build an app for Android.

01. How to make an Android app for beginners

This video tutorial comes from Treehouse, a respected online coding course provider. It walks though how to build an Android app using a popular tool called Android Studio, and aims to be accessible to everyone – even if you don't know Android or have prior coding experience.  

02. Android developer insights

The Android Developers YouTube channel is a great starting point for immersing yourself in everything about Android development. It houses videos from live events, along with a bunch of demos and tutorials, covering everything from improving accessibility for all users through to dealing with the ins and outs of Android Wear. 

03. Build your first Android app

This rather comprehensive official Android website offers a slew of training guides. Work through the documentation and you’ll learn how to create an Android app, support various device types, deal with interface elements, and more. Also related and noteworthy: the Material design site, outlining the platform’s modern vision for aesthetics.

04. The 10-day Android app program

Looking at swathes of documentation? Not sure where to start? Adam Sinicki’s post for Android Authority breaks down the process of Android app development into 10 simple steps. Well, mostly simple – one is ‘learning the basics of Java’. But although 10 days is perhaps pushing it, a few weeks isn’t, if you’re dedicated.

05. Adaptive UI Tutorial for Android

A weakness in many Android apps is their inability to scale well. And yet Material Design lends itself neatly to responsive designs that should work on any device, from tiny smartphones to huge tablets. This tutorial explains how to build an adaptive UI that looks good and works well across all devices and screen sizes.

06. Learn about Android’s thumb zone

Once, smartphones were small enough that the average thumb could reach the entire display. Not so much now. iOS suffers from this problem, but Android more so, due to the tendency towards increasingly large devices. This Smashing Magazine feature outlines how best to cater for one-handed smartphone usage.

07. Switch from iOS to Android app development

For the most part, iOS is where the money is, but Android’s where most users are. It’s therefore a smart move to at least consider shifting iOS apps across to Android. If you’re wavering, this article outlines the main considerations for making the move, noting that you can in fact utilise a great deal of your existing experience.

08. Android app dev dos and don’ts

Jessica Thornsby’s piece for Tuts+ is quite general in nature, but it offers vital and sage advice on subjects such as designing for multiple devices, considering languages, accessibility concerns, and thorough testing. You won’t end up with an app after reading it – but any apps you do make will be better.

Next page: How to make a Windows app