How Much Does it Cost to Convert an iOS App to Android

There are several important differences between the iOS and Android platforms requiring different types of development. The conversion of an iOS to Android app includes the costs to port to a different platform. You must take numerous factors into consideration when calculating costs including-

• Programming languages
• System frameworks
• If the app uses an Android or iOS user-interface
• How to get Android apps on iPhone
• APIs
• Handling security in ported code
• SDKs or software development kits
• Interaction of the app with hardware elements
• Type of Android device supported

Your cost also depends on if you understand the entire Cocoa Touch API, Objective C/Swift, and the iOS SDK. Running the integrated development environment or Xcode IDE requires a powerful Mac computer. Using the Android SDK and the Android IDE is straightforward. You also need to consider the iOS platform has a closed source and proprietary nature in addition to a large set of APIs.

The Android platform has an open-source nature which is important for app conversion. There are programs you can use to help but none of the current programs are capable of completing porting iOS code to Android. Advancements in code conversion are being made with the J2ObjC Google open-source tools. This will enable you to use Android code for iOS platforms through the code translation.

When you consider the price to convert an iOS app to Android, your cost depends on the size of your project. The minimum cost for a small project is roughly $10,000. For an app with average to little complex features, expect to pay between $10,000 and $40,000. Your final cost depends on size and features.

A moderate app costs between $40,000 and $80,000 depending on features. A complex app including advanced features can easily cost more than $80,000. The fastest and most cost-effective method to convert an iOS app to Android is with a platform porting program. Unfortunately, this type of program does not work well because of the differences in programming between Java for Android and Objective-C/Swift for iOS.

How to Get Android Apps on iPhone

Your application design is critical when porting an iOS to Android app. This includes the feel of the app for a specific platform, UI, and graphics. You might need to remodel the app UI or conduct extensive work due to the differences between iOS and Android devices before you can get your app on an iPhone.

Different UX Features for Navigation Buttons

One of the biggest differences between the two platforms is Android devices have a back button. You have to include this in the UI for iOS apps because this button is missing. Including the back button directly in your Android app is considered inappropriate. When you consider the design of your app, there are a lot of significant differences. The main issues include:

• The buttons are round as opposed to square
• The lists have arrows pointing to the right
• Tabs are located at the bottom as opposed to the top
• Icons for common functions are incorrect
• Back navigation is achieved using a top back button

You need to consider the navigation and status bar specific for iOS and the tab and app bars specific for Android. These issues need to be addressed when you design the UI. Assessing the different specifications for navigation systems and platform grids is necessary because they are different for Android and iOS devices. The Android material design requires a specific 8dp grid when your app is for general use. Some apps also require a drawer menu or tabs and a lower navigation bar.

Rules for App and Design Behavior

The design rules for iOS mobile elements or icons are specific. The design features of Android are more open. The differences between the platforms are critical and need to be considered when you convert the iOS to Android app. A good example is the apps for iOS are generally flat, square, and have rounded corners. Android apps use a transparent background for the icons. This means you can use different shapes.

You have more design options for Android because of the material design. Android and iOS platforms have different animation stypes affecting how the app can be converted from platform to platform. You may need to remodel the UI application for the general look and feel in addition to the design.

Adjusting Wireframes for a New Platform

You will need to completely rework or readjust your App’s UI blueprint for the new platform. This is due to the differences in UI programming and SDK and API software implementation between the Android and iOS platforms. You may need to redesign both the underlying code and wireframes. Another critical consideration is Android has additional features and hardware functionality not found in iOS.

To be able to use the features, changing your code might be necessary. These types of features include automatic recognition of Bluetooth LE devices for the Android platform as opposed to the pre-configured device recognition of Bluetooth devices through UUID for iOS. NFC or near field communication is also used by some Android devices. This feature is necessary for Apple Pay with certain iOS devices.

You can leverage some of the unique Android features to enable users to access the majority of advanced features.

Changes and Revisions Necessary for Software Development

In addition to making choices for the design of Android and iOS apps, you may need to revise the choices you made for overall development during the SDLC. This is because the platforms for Android and iOS and Java and C/Swift were created for optimal operation using different underlying hardware and hardware architecture. A good example is the smaller heap necessary for Java and slower performance can impact the functionality of your app.

You must take all of this into consideration to convert an iOS app to Android. Interfacing between the apps is easier with Android OS so you will require less code for tapping into powerful APIs. You can enable information sharing for end-users through social media or email. The APIs for iOS is closed and stricter but documented extremely well.

Revising Architecture for a New Platform

In addition to readjusting your graphical architecture to run smoothly with a new hardware device or platform, you might need to revise your underlying code architecture as well. One of the most critical concepts of converting iOS to Android apps is debugging and quality assurance or QA testing. Each platform is built using a different code.

Android apps usually use Java. If you used the native development kit you may have used C or C++ as well. iOS requires Swift and Objective-C. The most critical factor regarding your underlying language is an Android device fragmentation issue. iOS devices generally include iPads and iPhones with the most recent iOS patches. Numerous Android OS versions, devices, and types have become famous for fragmentation.

This means developing an app for just one version of the Android OS or Android device can be difficult. You need to take this issue into consideration before you can convert iOS to Android app.

The Bottom Line

If you take advantage of the target platform, converting an app from iOS to Android can be a good business decision. This enables you to reach a much wider audience while improving your bottom line. You need to understand you need to hire professional mobile app developers as you will not be able to use automated software to completely convert your iOS app to Android.

Both platforms have unique design elements requiring some extent of UI and design remodeling. The combination of revising your underlying architecture and code translation will enable you to port your app smoothly to leverage unique elements of your target platform and provide your end-users with many advantageous benefits.