How To Convert an Android to IOS and Vice Versa: Step-by-Step Guide
If you need to convert your application, it will not be an easy task. Once converting an Android application to iOS or in reverse, you need to learn new rules of the business. If it’s not enough to manage only one type of application. When you finally tend to get another one, there are some steps to follow. You need to plan the converting process to succeed.
Sometimes, businesses select only one direction to develop their application. Further, they decide to expand their borders and optimize the application. There are many reasons why companies decide to switch from one platform to another. It can be a desire to optimize the business, get more time, or new ways of commerce. Even one of the chief modern apps, Instagram, had only an iOS version at the beginning. Further, with global success, it was decided to convert the initial iOS version to an Android one.
If you think about whether you can easily convert your application into another version, check the following guidelines to learn more useful information. You can have a bunch of questions about the process of converting Android applications into iOS or another way around.
Converting Your Android or iOS App – Where to Start With
First, you need to be well-aware of the differences between the two main app platforms. Your business plan must be based on the use of a certain chosen platform and its benefits. Learn every important detail about the two platforms, including coding aspects. It will not be extremely difficult to convert your application into another version. Usually, it only takes 4 steps to change your application version.
1. Evaluation of the app’s requirements and functionality
2. Optimization of the app’s design due to the new platform demands
3. Customization of the new platform’s architecture details and coding
4. Assurance of the ideal app testing and app store launch
Converting Your Application: Main Reasons
Sure, when you start converting your app, you have some solid reasons to do so. In fact, there can be many important reasons that include the following ones:
1. Positive indicators and conditions for the app
You can use lots of the latest tools to check the conditions and indicators that reveal your app’s functionality. Once you check such significant indicators as the number of installs and downloads, you can evaluate your application's strong and weak sides. You should check and learn all the pointers before proceeding to the conversion process.
2. Advanced and strong market on demand
You should study the market and current tendencies before changing your app’s version. The previous deep research on the market is always beneficial for developers. Once you learn the market needs and your app preferences, you can succeed in your work. For instance, if the biggest part of your target audience uses a single platform, there can be no need to convert your app at all.
3. New openings for user engagement
Once you launch your app on another mobile platform, you can get lots of new users almost instantly. This step can increase your user base significantly. You can have quite a popular app on one of the platforms but lack lots of devoted users on another one. The opportunity to manage your app on both platforms allows you to expand your audience and find more users to engage.
4. New market expansion
If you require a new market to offer your services and products, converting to another version can be a wise decision. In such a case, you will surely get an expanded market. Moreover, if you have an iOS app and want to expand globally, getting an Android app is obligatory. The iOS applications are mostly used in the United States, Japan, Oceania, North Europe countries, when Eastern Europe, Asia, and Africa typically support Android applications.
5. Gaining more profits
Once operating on both platforms, you can be sure to increase your profits. It is logical since you expand your market greatly. Besides, both platforms have their peculiarities. When the iOS platform is named the most profitable one since the users order more paid services. Still, the Android platform succeeds due to an impressive number of users.
6. Using advantages of both platforms
Using both platforms is quite beneficial. They remain the separate channels of your business. Besides, you gain and engage with different types of audiences. Your job is to use the advantages of both mentioned platforms fully.
7. Competitive improvement
Surely, many of your competitors check the platforms to evaluate their advantages. Still, they can manage their apps only on a single platform. You can get ahead of them once placing your application on both platforms and using all the advantages of the two separate markets.
8. More useful data for analysis
Both platforms assure detailed statistics and analytical tools to define the app’s functionality. Once using data and analytical tools from two platforms, you will gain more useful data to analyze.
Benefits of Conversion for the Business Owners
- Chance to raise your market share once gaining more new users;
- Possibility to add more useful features when convert and change some essential initial features;
- A chance to maximize ROI with the new monetization model chosen for a new platform.
Online App Converters
You can use online app converters to switch to another version of your application. But they do not remain the most effective tools you can find. In fact, they are mostly impractical. They do not allow you to assure every element of your app to be properly modified to meet the new platform’s requirements.
Why to Run the Conversion: Top Reasons
- The significant difference between app lifespans;
- The significant difference in-app screens lifespan;
- The significant difference in methods of data access.
Key Differences to Pay Attention within the Conversion Process
1. The Fragmentation of OS Version
The operating system gets updated almost all the time. Thus, you need to be ready to assure device compatibility with your application. Users do not try to change their devices to get a new app. It means the app must be optimized to support the newest OS versions.
2. Size of Device
You need to take into consideration the size of the device. Consequently, pay attention to the screen size to assure users’ best experience with your application.
3. Navigation and Buttons
The way users interact with the applications they install becomes quite typical with time. Therefore, you need to pay attention to this factor when converting your application. Make sure to provide a convenient service for users.
4. Characteristics of programming languages
When convening your application, you must translate the code. All the programming languages’ characteristics must be checked and evaluated, including rules, semantics, syntax, and algorithms. Remember, two platforms have different programming languages. IOS apps are built on Objective-C and Swift when Android apps use Java and Kotlin. Be ready to check every detail of your app's new version before a launch.
The Detailed Conversion Process Explanation
1. Evaluation of the app’s requirements and functionality
The conversion process is quite complicated whether you know how both platforms operate or not. You need to plan it in detail in any case. Every, even slightest, detail of the conversion process must be taken into account. Make sure first to gather all the available information you can get about the chosen platform requirements and specifications. Further, you must gather all the available information on your application. It includes codes, design, and other specific details. Once you learn enough information about the app’s peculiarities, you can find some technical detail needed to be changed to meet the platform’s demands.
Once changing a mobile platform, the entire project must be divided into two categories – business and technical details. Thus, for the process to be successful, you should hire Business Consultant and Software Architect.
When hiring specialists, think through your next actions:
- Optimization and improvement of the application;
- Drawing a new working business plan;
- Reviewing and confirming compatibility;
- Selecting among a wide variety of ways to succeed (in-depth core and design review, marketing analysis, mind-mapping, etc.).
2. Optimization of the app’s design due to the new platform demands
The new application must be developed from scratch. Therefore, every design detail and interface must be modified, as well. It is a completely wrong strategy to copy every detail from one app version to another once.
- Used Design Patterns: Material and Flat Design
Both Apple and Google have unique design patterns that differ a lot. Once converting your app from Android to iOS, your best option is to use material design. When vice versa, the flat design pattern must be chosen - User Interface Design
Android and iOS applications have drastically different user interface designs. They have different native fonts. When Android uses Roboto, iOS prefers San Fransisco. Your selection of the correct fond is very important for the entire process. - User Interface Mirroring
The mirroring of your content is also an important issue. For instance, you must assure your app uses the right to left language when dealing with Arabic or Hebrew. The content should be displayed properly, depending on the country it is shown. - Managing Design Changes
You need to plan all the design changes before starting a conversion process. You should deal with all details, placing a required design into a code. The correct resolutions should be chosen for every particular version of an app. Once converting to Android use hdpi, mpdi, and xhdpi/xxhdpi resolutions. In a case with a new iOS version, use .pdf.
3. Customization of the new platform’s architecture details and coding
The coding and design are two equally important issues when you convert your app. The code must be written from scratch as the same design should be unique. You can gather information from your previous app version’s libraries. Still, once writing an original code for an app, you assure full compatibility. Sometimes, you need to replace and change certain details to suit the functionality.
You should always focus on the related works when building your application. Once you are done with the code, it is important to check and test its functionality before the launch. The system’s backend must be checked as well to always keep an adjustment opportunity. It can also be wise to review your code from time to time to assure a smooth app’s operating.
4. Assurance of the ideal app testing and app store launch
You can launch your app only once it is carefully tested. This is the only way to meet the market’s demands. You should assure the top quality of the offered application. It means you need to hire a quality assurance team to test your app’s functionality and navigation.
Once proceeding to the app testing, you may need to accomplish the next processes:
- Control and functional testing;
- Security and access testing;
- Performance and load testing;
- Usability and validation testing;
- User acceptance testing.
How Much Conversion Process Costs?
Converting an application from Android to iOS or vice versa is like creating a brand new app. It is a particular process of creating an application from scratch. You need to meet the new platform’s expectations and demands. Moreover, you must assure a new design, specifications, and new effective monetization models.
The Solution
It is easy to get lost among a wide variety of specifications for your app’s conversion process. Still, there is always an easy way to succeed. You can always find an affordable online service to help you with your app conversion.
Conclusions
There is no difference whether you convert an Android app to iOS or vice versa; you need to plan your work step-by-step. You both need a new business plan and a way to build a new app version from scratch. It means, once you convert an initial app’s version to another one, you build a new design, interface, code, content, and structure. If you cannot create it on your own, it is good to reach professionals to help you succeed with both the Android and iOS versions of your application.