Convert Android App to iOS or Vice Versa: Methods & Tech Specifications

Why You Should Convert Android App to iOS

How to download Android apps on iOS? You can’t do it directly; the app needs to be adapted to iOS first. Converting your Android app to iOS is a strategic move to access different markets, increase profit, acquire new customers, boost brand recognition, and address user demand. 

If you know the benefits of porting your app between platforms, feel free to skip to the next section.

Access Different Markets

Expanding your app to iOS opens up significant opportunities in key markets. As of February 2024, iPhone leads the mobile market in the US with a 60.77% share, compared to Android’s 38.81%. In regions like Oceania and Canada, iOS also holds a substantial market share of 53%. 

Converting from Android to iPhone can help you reach these high-value markets and significantly enhance your reach.

Increase Your Profit

Offering your app on both iOS and Android can significantly boost your revenue. In 2024, iOS users are expected to spend $124 billion on apps, while Android users are forecasted to spend $51 billion. 

This means iOS users typically spend more on in-app purchases and subscriptions, while Android’s higher download rates enhance ad revenue. Both platforms allow you to tap into diverse revenue streams and maximize your earnings.

Acquiring New Customers

Targeting new customer bases is crucial for growth. Converting your app to iOS can help you attract users in regions where iOS is popular. For instance, as of 2023, there were approximately 153 million iPhone users in the US

This significant presence in high-value markets can considerably boost your app’s visibility and user acquisition. You can access these lucrative user segments by converting your Android app to iOS.

Increasing Brand Recognition

Expanding your app to both iOS and Android can significantly boost your brand’s visibility and credibility. Being present on both major platforms demonstrates your commitment to reaching a broader audience, which enhances your brand’s professional image. 

This dual presence establishes trust and showcases versatility. Additionally, it helps capture a larger user base, leading to greater brand awareness across diverse markets. A strong presence on both platforms solidifies your reputation and reinforces your position in the market.

Addressing User Demand

Meeting user expectations is crucial for customer satisfaction. The global app market saw 257 billion downloads in 2023, with iOS constituting 27.11% of this figure. If your users are requesting an iOS version of your app, it’s essential to listen and respond to their needs. 

By offering your app on iOS, you demonstrate that you value user feedback and are committed to enhancing their experience.

Have an app concept in mind? Validate it with our guides for 50 app ideas for 2024, top 7 monetization strategies, and mobile app development trends.

How to Convert Android App to iOS and Vice Versa

At Inoxoft, we have extensive experience developing and porting apps across platforms. If you are wondering how to convert an iOS app to Android and vice versa, you first need to recreate it from scratch for the target platform, as direct code migration is not feasible. 

The process to convert an APK to iOS isn’t straightforward. It requires careful consideration of platform-specific requirements, design adjustments, coding practices, and extensive testing to ensure the app meets the standards and functionality of the new OS.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you navigate through the transition:

• Evaluate Compatibility

Before you convert an iOS app to Android or vice versa, assess the technical compatibility of your app with the target OS. The discovery phase will help you understand the core differences between Android and iOS, such as:

• Technical Requirements: Determine which features and functionalities are supported by both platforms, such as user authentication and push notifications. For example, while both iOS and Android support push notifications, the implementation details and APIs differ, requiring adjustments to ensure compatibility.
• Platform-Specific Features: Identify any platform-specific features that need adaptation or redesign, such as integrating with iOS’s Face ID or Android’s Google Assistant. For instance, if your app uses Android’s unique widgets, you’ll need to find alternative solutions or redesign them for iOS. 

• Ensure You Have Necessary Resources

You need to have sufficient resources to handle the conversion:

• Developers: Assemble a team skilled in both Android and iOS development, with expertise in the respective programming languages and tools (Swift for iOS development and Kotlin for Android).
• Time: Allocate sufficient time for a thorough conversion process, including multiple rounds of testing and debugging, to ensure your app’s flawless performance on both platforms. 
• Budget: Include the additional costs associated with the conversion process, such as hiring specialized developers, purchasing necessary tools, and conducting extensive testing. 

• Review and Analyze Your App

Thoroughly analyze your existing app to determine what needs to be adjusted:

• Functionalities: Decide which features to port to the new platform to preserve and optimize essential functionalities (e.g., payment integrations, user authentication). Consider MVP development to port only essential functionalities first and collect user feedback.
• Visual Elements: Plan necessary redesigns to align with the target OS’s user interface guidelines, including adapting layouts and controls for consistency (e.g., navigation bars and buttons).
• Code: Identify parts of the code that need to be rewritten or adapted for the new platform, focusing on compatibility and performance issues (e.g., third-party libraries, APIs).

• Choose a Conversion Approach

You need to decide between the two main conversion approaches:

• Rewriting the Code from Scratch: It allows for a clean and optimized codebase explicitly tailored for the new platform’s requirements. This approach provides better integration with platform-specific features. However, it is time-consuming and costly due to the need for extensive development and testing.
• Using Porting Tools: You can use some conversion tools, like J2ObjC, to translate Java code into Objective-C for iOS development. While these tools can expedite the process, they may not handle all platform-specific nuances and require additional adjustments and testing.

• Test converted app

Thorough testing is crucial to ensure a successful app launch. Using a comprehensive checklist, your quality assurance team should rigorously evaluate the app for bugs, errors, and design issues. This process can take up to 30% of the total project time. It includes:

• App Functioning: Verify core features work correctly.
• App Accessibility and Safety: Ensure compliance with accessibility standards and secure data handling.
• App Maintenance Testing: Check for ease of future updates and fixes.
• App Load Testing: Assess performance under various user loads.
• App Performance Testing: Measure speed and responsiveness.
• App Usability Testing: Evaluate user experience and interface intuitiveness.
• App Validity Testing: Confirm that the app meets all technical requirements.
• User Acceptance Testing: Get feedback from real users to ensure it meets their needs.

• Publishing Your App on Markets

Once testing is complete, proceed with publishing your app:

• App Store (iOS): Submit your app through Apple’s App Store Connect. Apple will review your app’s compliance with their guidelines before approval.
• Google Play (Android): Submit your app through the Google Play Console. Google performs a less stringent review than Apple but ensures your app meets its policies.

Note: Converting an app between Android and iOS is akin to creating a new app from scratch, as direct code migration is not feasible. This process involves recreating the app for the target platform, with costs comparable to those of deploying a new app. A cross-platform approach might help reduce production costs.

Read the ultimate guide on the iOS app development process in our blog. 

Technical Specifications to Consider When Porting Android to iOS and Vice Versa

Porting an app between Android and iOS involves more than just transferring code; it requires addressing fundamental differences in programming languages, development tools, UI frameworks, APIs, and device fragmentation. Understanding these technical disparities will ensure a smooth transition and maintain app quality across platforms.

Programming Languages

The need to rewrite code in a different language increases development time and cost, affecting project budgets and timelines.

• Swift (iOS) vs. Kotlin/Java (Android): iOS apps are primarily developed using Swift or Objective-C, while Android apps use Kotlin or Java. Swift’s modern syntax and features differ significantly from Kotlin’s and Java’s, requiring a complete code rewrite. You need not just translate syntax but adapt design patterns and handle platform-specific APIs.
• Platform-Specific Features: Swift and Kotlin have unique capabilities and optimizations for their respective platforms. For example, Swift is tightly integrated with iOS hardware, providing better performance, whereas Kotlin offers concise syntax and null safety, which might not directly translate to Swift’s paradigms.

Development Tools and IDEs

Different development environments affect productivity and efficiency. When you convert an Android Studio app to iOS, you may face challenges and inefficiencies, potentially delaying project delivery.

• Android Studio vs. Xcode: Android Studio is the primary IDE for Android development, offering tools optimized for Java and Kotlin. Xcode is used for iOS development, focusing on Swift and Objective-C. Each IDE provides different debugging tools, emulators, and build systems tailored to its platform.
• Toolchain Integration: Xcode integrates with Apple’s ecosystem, including macOS and iCloud, impacting how apps are developed and tested. Android Studio supports a broader range of devices and emulators, making the Android ecosystem more diverse.

UI/UX Frameworks

Differences in UI frameworks require redesigning and redeveloping UI components, which impacts user experience and increases development time and costs.

• Jetpack Compose (Android) vs. SwiftUI (iOS): Both Jetpack Compose and SwiftUI offer declarative UI frameworks, but their implementation and design principles differ. Jetpack Compose builds UIs using Kotlin, while SwiftUI leverages Swift. This difference means UI components and layouts need a complete redesign to adhere to each platform’s design philosophy.
• XML (Android) vs. UIKit (iOS): Android uses XML for layout design, while iOS employs UIKit’s view controllers and storyboards. Adapting layouts from XML to UIKit involves rethinking navigation flows and user interactions to meet the target platform’s conventions.

APIs and Libraries

Adapting or finding alternatives for APIs and libraries can increase development complexity and costs, affecting project timelines and budgets.

• Platform-Specific APIs: Features like Google Maps or Apple Maps APIs are platform-specific and require different implementations. Android uses Google’s API for maps, while iOS relies on Apple Maps, necessitating adjustments to achieve equivalent functionality.
• Third-Party Libraries: Libraries used on one platform may not be available or compatible with the other. For instance, a library for push notifications on Android might not have a direct counterpart on iOS, requiring alternative solutions or custom development.

Device Fragmentation

Device fragmentation on Android can lead to increased testing and development costs. In contrast, the more uniform nature of iOS devices can streamline development but still requires attention to detail for different device models.

• Varied Screen Sizes and Resolutions: Android devices come in a wide range of screen sizes and resolutions, requiring additional effort to ensure consistent UI and performance. In contrast, iOS devices have more standardized sizes, simplifying design but still requiring careful optimization.
• Hardware and OS Variations: Android’s diverse hardware and OS versions necessitate extensive testing across different devices to ensure compatibility. iOS’s more uniform hardware makes it easier to achieve consistent performance but still requires testing across various iPhone and iPad models.

Understanding these technical differences is crucial for a successful porting process. They impact the complexity, cost, and timeline of adapting an app from one OS to another. If you need an expert consultation contact Inoxoft’s tech team.

Challenges in Adapting UI/UX from Android to iOS or Vice Versa

The nuances of UI/UX design should be treated with the same importance as the technical aspects of porting. When considering an Android to iOS app converter or vice versa, it’s crucial to adhere to the design guidelines set forth by Apple and Google to guarantee a flawless user experience.

Let’s explore some disparities in designing apps for Android and iOS:

Performance considerations

Ensuring consistent styling across platforms can be challenging since Android and iOS have different styles for buttons and icons — Android typically uses Material Design, and iOS uses a flat design with rounded corners.

Typography

Each OS has its own default fonts and guidelines for text usage:

• Android: Uses Roboto with a wide range of weights and sizes for readability.
• iOS: Employs San Francisco, designed to be highly legible and adaptable to various screen sizes.

• That’s why maintaining consistent typography while adhering to each platform’s conventions is important for a cohesive design.

Media assets

Designing media assets for different platforms requires attention to their respective size grids:

• • iOS: Provides specific resolutions and sizes for various devices.
  • Android: Requires multiple asset sizes to support different screen densities.

Color schemes

Android and iOS have differences in color schemes and design philosophies — adapting your app’s color palette to match each platform’s conventions can enhance the native feel.

Port Android App to iOS or Not to Port?

Even when using porting tools, adapting an app from Android to iOS or vice versa requires significant time and effort due to the need for detailed code review and adjustments. Lately, our clients have preferred cross-platform development with React Native. It eliminates the time-consuming and costly process of creating separate applications from scratch. 

React Native enables a single codebase with unified business logic, reducing development time and costs. Therefore, cross-platform development can be a more efficient alternative to traditional app conversion.

• Cost-Effectiveness: You can make a single app that runs on both platforms to save on development and maintenance costs.
• Time Efficiency: Building and deploying one app that works across iOS and Android reduces overall development time.
• Unified Codebase: You can maintain and update one codebase to simplify development and bug fixes.
• Consistent User Experience: Cross-platform development ensures a similar look and feel across platforms thanks to shared design components.

How Much Does it Cost to Convert an Android App to iOS?

The process of converting an iOS app to Android (or the other way around) is very similar to building a separate app, so it can’t be over in a week with a tight budget. For a moderate app with a standard set of features, the estimated cost typically falls within the range of $40,000 to $80,000. 

However, when dealing with a complex application that involves advanced functionalities, the investment can easily exceed $80,000. 

Read a comparison of native vs cross-platform development in our blog. 

Feel free to reach out to us for a detailed consultation and a cost estimate tailored to your vision and requirements.

Why Choose Inoxoft for Converting Your App 

If you are looking to convert your Android app to iOS or vice versa, Inoxoft is your best choice. As a leading custom mobile app development company, we offer comprehensive OS conversion services. Our experienced UI/UX design, development, and testing specialists are adept at handling both platforms, delivering seamless and high-quality user experiences.

• Extensive Experience: With a proven track record of over 200 successful projects, Inoxoft has the expertise to deliver cutting-edge digital solutions that meet your business needs.
• Cross-Platform Solutions: We leverage frameworks like React Native or Flutter to develop apps that run smoothly on both iOS and Android, reducing development time and costs.
• Industry Partnerships: As a Microsoft Gold Partner and Google Cloud Partner, we adhere to the highest industry standards.
• Comprehensive Services: From analysis and planning to development, design, testing, and deployment, we ensure every stage of your app conversion is meticulously handled.
• Client-Centric Approach: We tailor our solutions to meet your specific requirements, ensuring a high-performing product that delivers excellent conversions across devices and platforms.

Look at one of our recent success stories in mobile app development. 

Case Study: Growing Competitive Advantage with Sport Tracking Application

Our client, a leading sports performance company, aimed to improve rowing techniques and sports results through a mobile app. Our team effectively addressed the challenge of optimizing a math model to accurately count rowing strokes despite the complexities of simultaneous vertical and horizontal movements. 

The app was developed for Android to harness the platform’s robust GPS tracking and data processing capabilities. We calibrated it to focus on rowing movements, equipping trainers with detailed statistics for performance optimization. 

The final product features an accurate row-counting system, advanced noise mitigation, and GPS tracking. The app strengthened the client’s competitiveness in the industry.

Final Words

To sum up, porting an app from Android to iOS is essentially like building it from scratch due to differences in architecture, programming languages, and platform-specific design. This process is frequently time-consuming and complex. Thus, cross-platform development using tools like React Native can be a more optimal alternative. It allows you to simultaneously develop apps for both platforms, saving time and reducing costs.

At Inoxoft, we specialize in creating high-quality, scalable applications tailored to your business needs. With our expertise in both native and cross-platform development, we can help you choose the best approach for your project. 

Contact us to discuss how to address your app development needs.