What is a native application?

A native application or native app is an app that has been individually developed for the operating systems of a specific end device, such as iOS, Android or Windows Phone.

Native apps are usually offered free of charge or for a fee via the app stores of the respective operating systems. They interact with the hardware or with the pre-installed software of the system so that all available resources are used in the best possible way. This means, for example, that the camera functions, GPS systems or the data and RAM can be accessed.

Depending on the project, a decision should be made in advance as to whether several native apps should be developed for different operating systems, which is often a question of budget. Otherwise, web apps or hybrid apps should be considered, which can be developed using Google Flutter, for example.

Examples of native apps include Twitter, Pokémon Go and WhatsApp.