If you were to create a checklist for growing your business online, would building a mobile app make the list?
Probably not. App development is becoming easier with no-code technologies, but it’s still considered supplementary to initial business success.
Regardless, apps are seen as a sign of growth for a business. Numbers show mobile devices drive over 62% of all website traffic. As more traffic is captured on mobile, developing a mobile app will become crucial for businesses serious about long-term sustainable growth.
If you already have an app in the works, you have another problem to worry about – how to adapt to changing user behavior as technology evolves. Even online search, a segment most experts considered unshakeable, has been disrupted with the rise of generative AI.
So, what are you doing to future-proof your app? Do you have plans to power your experience with AI? Are there some stunning AR/VR capabilities your team is working on?
With this guide, we try to give you a glimpse into the future. See how new technologies and features can transform your app experience.
1. Embrace Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
AI is the new buzzword of the moment, but how does it track with your app? It’s not exactly a tool or plugin you can just add to your existing app.
On a practical level, AI (and machine learning) can elevate different aspects of your app, on the consumer-facing side and the backend.
From a consumer-facing perspective, AI can transform the level of in-app personalization you’re able to deliver. It used to take data analysts months to crunch numbers, segment users into cohorts, and tailor personalized experiences for each group.
Now, AI can ingest user data and find unique personalization strategies much faster. This improves your typical user’s experience while browsing through the app.
You can further extend AI to backend operations like predictive analytics. Again, AI can cut through various metrics and provide real insights about how people use your app and how they will use your app in the future.
There are other, more common examples of AI integration. Support chatbots, for instance, can be trained on a given set of materials and answer customer questions automatically.
Read: AI vs developers: The future of app development
2. Focus on Multilingual and Multi-Regional Capabilities
Is your app only fit for a specific region? Generally, when you have an app idea and a target region and ICP in mind, you don’t think about multilingual features.
In the initial stages, this does make sense. You want to focus on a specific audience in a certain region. However, as you achieve product-market fit and you establish a decent user base, it’s a good idea to expand and make your app accessible to a wider audience.
You can use AI tools to localize your app. Instead of translating every screen, you can use AI to automatically translate your app to another language. Ensuring your app is ready for diverse markets is a great way to grow your app sustainably across the world.
Read: The best AI no-code app builders in 2025
3. Offline Access and Enhanced Functionality
A simple feature that can make your app experience better is enabling offline access. If your app only works with a working internet connection, your users may have difficulty using it when internet services are faulty and lack coverage.
Offline access allows users to continue using your app even in such situations. This is a common feature, one you would find in many top apps on the app stores. Offline access ensures your app retention is higher, and engagement is better for app users who have issues with internet connectivity.
In emerging markets with less than ideal internet coverage, implementing offline access is crucial. On a technical level, offline access requires implementation of local storage & caching, smart syncing, and graceful degradation of app experience when internet connectivity is low or unavailable.
4. In-App Purchases and Seamless Transactions
In-app purchases have started taking off recently. As app monetization grows, businesses are integrating Google and Apple payment systems within their apps to grow revenue. According to Data.ai (formerly App Annie), over $170 billion in global app revenue comes from in-app purchases, subscriptions, and ads.
Why can this specifically help your app? In-app purchases make payments seamless and relieve you of the job of maintaining user records on a separate payment gateway. Since the payments are orchestrated via app stores, there is a higher level of trust among app users when making transactions.
When it comes to payment processing, it is also a good idea to anticipate new trends like cryptocurrency and mobile wallets. Optionality in payment methods helps you ensure users can pay in a method they find suitable.
5. AR and VR Integration
AR and VR functionality is not exactly a new trend. Brands like Sephora have already adopted these technologies to enhance their user experience.
The applications of AR and VR are extensive across different sectors. Ecommerce is a natural fit as it enables users to experience the product virtually before making a purchase. However, extending these technologies to areas like retail, entertainment, and education remains a big opportunity.
In the coming years, immersive experiences through digital mediums like websites and apps. AR and VR technologies will lead the way.
6. Privacy and Data Protection
Data privacy has become a major user concern. Compliance laws like GDPR in Europe and CCPA in the US safeguard users and ensure online platforms, websites, and apps don’t misuse any personal data tied to users.
What does this mean for your app? Even if you’re compliant with current regulations, it’s a good idea to be extra careful and take additional steps where possible to protect user data and privacy. This ensures that if there’s further sweeping regulation introduced in the future, you are already compliant and have the trust of users.
Apple is a good example of this particular point. Even before GDPR and CCPA came into force, Apple was known for keeping user data safe. As an organization, Apple’s seriousness when it comes to user privacy has made it a reliable and trusted brand when it comes to matters like these.
7. Cross-Platform Compatibility and Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)
If you already have a live mobile app, it’s likely live on both Google Play and the Apple App Store. If not, it doesn’t take an expert to explain what you’re missing out on.
Besides app store distribution, PWAs have also become popular recently. Due to the arbitrary nature of Google and Apple App Store guidelines, many businesses want an alternative to distribute to the current duopoly of app distribution.
The solution is PWAs – progressive web applications that can be distributed directly via links, bypassing app stores altogether.
With improvements in web-based technologies, PWAs have become much faster and seamless as compared to a few years back. The main advantage of native Android and iOS apps was their performance and close compatibility with devices. PWAs are now catching up, which means your app strategy should include a PWA launch at some point.
PWAs solve a lot of problems off the bat – they can be distributed directly via link, they’re not tied to any app store guidelines, and it’s easier for developers to make changes and improvements on the fly without worrying about approvals from Google Play and the Apple App Store.
Read: What is a PWA? All you need to know about Progressive Web Apps
8. Sustainability and Eco-friendly Features
User consciousness when it comes to environmental concerns is rising. Currently, the digital industry as a whole accounts for about 3.7% of greenhouse gas emissions.
The number is rising.
Eco-conscious and sustainable app development isn’t just a feature – it’s a way to align your brand (and app by extension) to environmental values.
So let’s say you decide to be more eco-friendly with your web and app development processes. How exactly do you implement these values while building your app?
- Reduce the drain your apps have on device batteries by optimizing CPU usage.
- Minimize data storage and transfers, which increase server load and energy usage by extension.
- Use cloud hosting providers powered by green, renewable energy.
- Promote your eco-friendly measures and initiatives within the app to inspire users to similarly adopt your values and make the world a better place.
In conclusion
Building a great mobile app is not just about having a great idea, or even hitting a million users (although it’s great when you reach that point!).
For any business to thrive long-term, adapting to evolving user behavior and tech trends is crucial. Apps that adapt and enhance user experience succeed in the long run.
While this list isn’t exhaustive, it highlights the most critical features you should prioritize as you future-proof your app. At AppMySite, we’re already working on bringing greater functionality and power to your apps. Some of the features we discussed are already live!
If you’re building your first app and need the right solution to start, AppMySite is the ideal product. Our no-code app maker is designed to make app development easy and fast, and we’re just getting started. With many more amazing features in the pipeline for the coming weeks, months, and years, you can start your app journey here and leave the technical part of running an app to us.