Instant Apps: Are They A Threat To Native Apps?

The concept of instant apps rolled out in the last years Google I/O and since then it has been releasing in installments and slowly and gradually popularizing. Well, the buzz about instant apps is not just about their flourishing, what it brings along with is the buzz about the death of native apps. The main question is why Google has come up with these apps. Does this innovation lead to improvising the UX? Or it is trying to resolve issues for the iPhone users who are stuck with the older versions and can’t download the apps supported by newer versions only? Or it is focusing on the storage space saving? Or it just focuses to stay in the top position when it comes to search service for a mobile device? Well, as we discussed above there has been only limited tit-bits out about these apps and hence let’s first start with in-depth discussion as to what these apps are.

What Exactly Are Instant Apps?

Well, ever felt there are so many functions in an app and you make use of only single one. Your phone is blocked with a bulk of space for using just a single feature. This is when instant apps come into the frame. These are designed in a way that the users will be awarded only that feature which they actually want to use that too without downloading the app. The user is not under the compulsion to install the entire app instead of these apps they can use a single feature only. This is generally a misconception that mobile app development is limited to just a single type of app. In fact, there are not one or two, but there are three types of apps.

• Native apps that we generally use the App Store

• Instant apps of which single feature can be used without installation

• Progressive web apps which host a web view inside an app

Bluffs That’s in the Air

Well, now we know what instant apps actually are and types of other apps existing. Well, time and phone memory of the users are something which always runs low and instant apps acts like a boon for them and this gave birth to the bluff that native apps are on the verge of extinction. Google and Apple both have tightened their shoes and even with the advent of any new innovations, they won’t let native apps vanish just like that. The fleet of mobile app development companies would not be increasing and even the revenue figures won’t be so high if extinction is on the way. To your knowledge, the expected revenue by the year 2020 in the app development is 102 billion. This is not even close to vanishing.

Threat or Not?

Well, of course, instant apps are great and users might enjoy and turn their way around to them, but these are not a threat to native apps. There are features which native apps have an instant apps lack and that’s probably why these are safe. Location, camera integration, billing, and majorly payment are some features that are the monopoly of native ones. Even push notification is something that these apps lack. Users feel privileged when they are given attention and notified about the deals and offers. This is something that keeps them connected to the app and this feature lacks in instant ones. User engagement is maximum with general apps and the threat of being eaten up is nowhere around the corner for now and also for the near future to come.