The popularity of mobile applications have reached all-time highs as millions of individuals from all around the world are downloading a vast variety of mobile applications for their Smartphone devices. With the demand for mobile applications increasing each year, many mobile application developers, mobile application development firms and mobile application “experts” believe that there will be issues with mobile applications in the future and many critics will start having negative things to say about mobile applications.
One common complaint many mobile app users have been stating in the past year is the functionality of a mobile application in which you cannot access the mobile application features unless you log in via the individuals Facebook or twitter account. After speaking to mobile application developers, mobile application development firms and mobile app “experts”, a trend seems to be that individuals prefer to keep their social media sites separate from their mobile applications and do not like incorporating one with the other. One of the reasons why people prefer to keep their social media sites separate from their mobile applications is because not all individuals want their friends (or the general public) knowing what mobile applications they have on their smartphones.
One example of an instance where individuals may not want their social media sites knowing if he/she is using a specific mobile application could be dating mobile applications. Some individuals prefer to use mobile applications like (dating mobile apps) these to keep up-to-date on what is happening on their profile (in real time) but they do not want this to be publicized on Facebook or Twitter. Due to the chance of this happening, they may choose not to download the mobile application and only access their profile thru the computer.
While this has not become a major issue with mobile applications yet, many mobile application developers and mobile app development firms are starting to realize that they need to utilize different ways for individuals to access mobile applications rather than thru their Facebook or Twitter otherwise the chances of individuals wanting to download and use their mobile application may decrease. After speaking with a mobile application developer from a well-known mobile application development firm in California, he stated the following regarding social media and mobile application integration:
“A few years ago when mobile applications were first being introduced into the marketplace the excitement of being able to integrate your mobile application with your social media engine to make one centralized location for all information was great but as mobile applications started getting more advanced and complex, mobile apps started taking on a life of their own and did not need to depend on social media to drive it. Now we have come to a point where some individuals prefer to keep their mobile applications more private and confidential rather then integrating it withsocial media. Mobile applications and social media have become such a driving force in our modern day era of technology that giving individuals the option on how they want to access their mobile application is a key determining factor on if a person will or will not download a mobile application”
As the mobile application industry continues to pick up steam and grow, specific preference and options which used to be a norm in mobile applications are slowly starting to play a larger factor on an individuals decision to download a specific mobile app or not. While there is no doubt that mobile applications will continue to be downloaded onto millions of Smartphones from around the world, the competition is also picking up and only the mobile applications which make users feel comfortable are the ones who will have the greatest chance to succeed while others will slowly fade into the background. The mobile application industry has a bright future ahead and as long as mobile application developers and mobile app development firms continue to keep their users preferences in mind while developing mobile applications, the mobile app industry is expected to continue to grow.