Can a mobile app be built in a month?

A focused MVP can, especially with AI-native development and a narrow scope. A complete product with several apps, payments and an admin console usually takes 10 to 18 weeks.

Does building for both iOS and Android double the time?

Not with a cross-platform framework such as Flutter. Most of the code is shared, with a little platform-specific work for things like permissions and payments.

What causes most delays in app projects?

Late decisions, a scope that keeps changing, third-party integrations and approvals, and leaving app store requirements to the last week.

How long does it take to build a mobile app? A phase-by-phase timeline

Short answer: a focused first version of a mobile app, with its backend and an admin console, typically takes about 10 to 18 weeks from kick-off to the App Store and Google Play in our plans. The range depends on how many apps you need (for example customer, partner and admin), your integrations and how quickly decisions are made. A clickable prototype or a first MVP can be ready much sooner.

The phases, one by one

The phases of building a mobile app on a week-by-week timeline — A typical plan: phases overlap, so the build starts before design is fully finished

1. Workshop and scope (about a week)

We agree who the app is for, what the first version must do, which platforms it needs and what success looks like. The output is a feature list, user roles, integrations and a plan.

2. Design (one to two weeks for a designed product, longer from scratch)

Screens, flows and a clickable prototype that you can tap through on a phone. If you start from a product that is already designed, such as one of our concepts, this is mostly applying your brand.

3. Build (most of the timeline)

The apps, the backend and the admin console are built in parallel, with a demo every week or two. Payments, maps, notifications and integrations are added here.

4. Testing on real phones (one to two weeks)

Testing on a range of Android and iOS devices, fixing what breaks and checking performance on slower phones and networks.

5. Launch (about a week)

Store listings, privacy details, screenshots and submission to the App Store and Google Play, then the review by Apple and Google before the app goes live.

Real examples from our concepts

Our concepts are products we have designed end to end. Their timelines show how scope changes the schedule:

Planned weeks to launch for five app concepts, from 10 to 18 weeks — Planned weeks to launch for our concepts, confirmed for each client after a workshop

Venus, a dating app with one app and an admin console: about 10 weeks.
Pluto, a social media app with photos, Reels and stories: about 12 weeks.
Findar, a home services app with a customer app and a partner app: about 14 weeks.
Eatato, food delivery with customer, store and rider apps: about 16 weeks.
FindMy Stay, vacation rentals with guest and owner apps, payments in escrow and digital keys: about 18 weeks.

What makes it take longer

More apps. Every extra app (a driver app, a store app) adds its own screens, testing and store listing.
Real-time features. Live tracking, chat and dispatch need careful engineering and testing.
Payments and money flows. Refunds, split payments, escrow and payouts take time to get right.
Integrations. Existing systems, legacy APIs and third parties with slow approvals.
Regulated data. Health and financial data bring extra security and compliance work.
Slow decisions. A week waiting for feedback is a week added to the plan.

What makes it faster

A clear, written scope and designs approved early.
Starting from a product that is already designed.
One codebase for iOS and Android, for example with Flutter.
AI-native development, which speeds up prototyping, coding, testing and documentation.
Launching a focused first version, then adding features based on real use.

Leave time for the app store review

Apple and Google review new apps before they go live, and can ask for changes. Prepare the privacy details, screenshots and test accounts early, and keep a few days in the plan for a resubmission.

Can it be faster than this?

Yes, for a narrower goal. With our MVP day, we shape an idea with you in the morning, build it AI-native in the afternoon, and hand you a working MVP in the evening. That is a first version to test an idea, not a finished product ready for thousands of users, but it is often the fastest way to find out what the full build should be.

Tell us what you want to build and we will send you a realistic timeline.