The Benefits of Using APIs in Mobile App Development

Mobile app development is often a monotonous and time-consuming task. It requires a lot of precision and patience to develop a robust and flawless mobile app. Moreover, it’s a fact that the larger the time it takes to create the mobile app, the larger will be the cost of the overall development process. App developers, for years, have been trying to employ ways to cut down development costs. Integrating APIs in mobile app development is the best way to cut down costs and substantially reduce the development time.

API stands for “application program interface,”. It includes set of protocols, procedures, and tools that help an app establish a connection and enable data transmission with another software, OS, or third-party service. API integration in mobile app development holds several benefits, most of which will be discussed in this post.

This integration reduces the number of working hours by eliminating the labor needed in designing some essential functions that can be directly powered in apps by using APIs. Let’s move forward and learn more about the importance of using APIs in mobile app development and the top benefits.

1. Reduces Development Time Significantly

The most crucial benefit of using APIs is that integrating them in mobile development platforms considerably reduces the overall development time. There are many APIs available in the market that help mobile apps connect with third-party service providers to meet different needs. For example, suppose developers don’t have enough time to design a log-in module for authenticating the users in mobile apps. In that case, they can use Google sign-in APIs, Facebook APIs, etc. Such API integrations not only make things easier and faster for the app developers but also the end-users. They don’t have to insert their log-in credentials repeatedly; instead, they can authenticate themselves using their pre-saved Google or Facebook sign-in credentials. Another example is storage APIs; instead of developing storage for mobile apps, they can directly use google drive API or Dropbox APIs for storing various details and progress of users, especially in gaming apps.

2. Lesser Coding Requirements

API integration in app development reduces development time because the coding requirements and hours usually spent on it are reduced significantly. The developers can engrave variety of functionalities in the mobile app just by integrating the respective API and utilizing clear API documentation. Usually, mobile app developers need to code every functionality and feature they want in their app. APIs eliminate those coding requirements and offer those same functionalities effortlessly with the help of third-party service providers.

You might have seen “powered by Google” or Google Maps whenever you’re using some hotel booking app and trying to locate the respective hotel. This way, the developers don’t need to design their map( which is a tedious and time-consuming process); instead, they can integrate a more precise map powered by Google into their apps.

3. Makes Mobile Apps more Creative

There is a range of APIs available in the market, and each of them supports a variety of functionalities. Usually, app developers try to keep the number of functionalities and features as minimum as possible due to time constraints. Many times in the process of limiting features, the creativity of the app is compromised. But by integrating APIs, the app can be powered by those features that are hard to design but can add significant value to creativity. For example, using Youtube API, the mobile app developers can add video streaming to their platform without the need of creating their own. These small things play a significant role in enhancing the creativity of the app. Those seeking app development services must check the list of top app development companies cataloged by Goodfirms for finding the right service provider to meet your needs.

4. Less Complex Codebase

The higher the number of features and functionalities a mobile app supports, the more extensive and complex its codebase will be. Even designing the simplest features requires a lot of coding; hence it’s entirely predictable that the more complex the feature is, the more complex and lengthier its code will be. APIs resolve this complexity to a great extent by helping the developers add complex but important functionalities in their mobile app development handily. The developers don’t have to design these functionalities; instead, they can integrate respective APIs for such features that are difficult and ineffective to develop. This makes the codebase less cumbersome and more comfortable to read and understand.

5. Increases the Productivity and Efficiency of the App

Mobile apps can be integrated with different sets of APIs such as Whatsapp API, Facebook API, Linkedin API, Twitter API, etc., to help the users share information. These APIs help make the mobile app more efficient, productive, and famous by empowering the users to share the app’s permissible content on different channels. This is a very efficient practice as it increases the visibility of your app on other media. If the contents match potential users’ expectations from other channels, it might improve your app’s download rate. This is very helpful for News apps; if the user likes the app’s content and shares the article on other channels, it can attract more users who are impressed by that content.

6. Easier Payments

Payment gateway APIs are the most popular type of APIs that you can find in almost all mobile apps nowadays. These APIs have emerged as the most popular and successful payment method. Mobile app developers can integrate multiple Payment APIs in their apps to help users carry out hassle-free transactions. Paypal API, Square API, Stripe API are some of the popular payment APIs you might have come across on most ecommerce apps. The integration of these payment APIs has made transactions more effortless and less time-consuming.

Wrapping Up

Mobile apps are evolving rapidly; the advent of new technologies and trends play a significant role in making them more creative, productive, and effective. One such trend that has contributed to creating mobile apps more powerful is API integration. APIs reduce development time and the app’s development cost significantly, helping the mobile app enter the market more early. All the benefits listed above highlight the importance of API integration in mobile app development. API integration allows mobile app developers to make more creative and productive apps with a little coding. Hence mobile app developers should use APIs to power their apps with such functionalities that are difficult to develop.

Author Bio

Hi There, I am Shaun Williams, a content writer with Goodfirms, research platform for Cloud Computing, Ecommerce companies, Translation services companies, among many others. I enjoy communicating ideas and knowledge creatively and also ensure that the readers never suffer from boredom while reading my posts.