Mobile App Backend Development: A Short Guide [2023]

Creating a mobile app’s backend is essential for producing successful mobile applications. The front end of an application is where users interact with the software, whereas the back end is responsible for the data storage, processing, and business logic. It acts as the app’s central nervous system, giving it power and ensuring it runs efficiently.

At Glorium Technologies, we have mastered mobile app backend development while delivering dozens of successful products, including projects in real estate app development, healthcare app development, fintech app development, and many other domains.

In this guide, we will investigate the “who’s who” of backend development in mobile apps and give an overview of the top backend SaaS solutions on the market.

Strategies for the Backend Mobile App Development

Mobile app backend development gets done by app developers as a part of the mobile app development services.

Mobile backend may primarily be approached from two different angles:

Traditional Mobile Backend Development

This strategy for the backend solutions entails using programming languages such as Java, Python, or Ruby to construct a custom backend for all mobile app functions, which is then hosted on mobile app server, cloud servers, or cloud platforms.

This kind of app backend needs a significant amount of time and money to be developed, despite offering the highest level of control and adaptability.

Though it has challenges, traditional mobile app backend development remains a preferred choice for applications with complex business logic and unique mobile app functionalities, where fine-tuning the mobile backend is critical for optimal performance and scalability.

Backend as a Service (BaaS)

BaaS is a cloud-based service that provides pre-built features and functions as application programming interfaces (APIs). This software as a service makes mobile app backend development simpler. It gives mobile app development companies the ability to concentrate on the user experience and the frontend development of the application, leaving the management of the mobile backend solution to the BaaS provider.

This mobile app backend development strategy is efficient concerning both time and money, making it especially beneficial for startup software development and small businesses with scarce resources, as it reduces web apps development time and costs.

Additionally, BaaS robust backend solutions are scalable and handle backend servers maintenance, security, and updates, freeing backend developers and app owners from managing these aspects.

When deciding between BaaS and a custom backend, evaluate your project’s complexity, scalability needs, and development resources to determine the best-fit solution for your project.

Key Components of Mobile App Backend Development

The following is a typical list of the essential components that make up a mobile app backend:

Server

The server performs as the application’s core processing unit and is responsible for taking requests from the app’s frontend, processing data, and delivering replies. It acts as the central hub for storing data and managing it, as well as handling authentication and security protocols.
Besides, the server facilitates communication between the app and any external APIs or third-party services that may be required for certain functionalities of the mobile apps.

Database

The database stores all the user data, content, and other information necessary for the app to work correctly. It allows for efficient data storage, retrieval, and manipulation, ensuring that the mobile application can quickly access and process the necessary information.

The database also plays a major role in maintaining data integrity and providing a scalable solution for handling large amounts of user data as the mobile apps grow.

Application Programming Interface, or API

APIs facilitate connections between the mobile app and the backend server, allowing for data flow without any interruptions. This seamless communication between the app and the server ensures that users can interact with the app in real time and receive up-to-date information smoothly.

Additionally, APIs enable developers to integrate various third-party services and functionalities into the app, enhancing its capabilities and user experience.

All in all, the backend of mobile apps operates as the behind-the-scenes engine, encompassing servers that process data, databases storing crucial information, and APIs facilitating seamless communication between the user interface and underlying functionalities.

Essential Features for the Backend Development of Mobile Applications

A mobile app’s backend must have a variety of features in addition to its fundamental component. These features are numerous, yet the basic set may include the following:

Push Notifications

The app’s backend facilitates push notifications designed to keep users updated and engaged with the app.

By using these notifications strategically, app developers can enhance user retention, encourage app usage, and drive user actions, ultimately improving the overall user experience.

However, it is essential to judiciously employ push notifications, as excessive or irrelevant heads-ups can lead to annoyance and app uninstalls. The backend needs to allow users to customize their notification preferences and implement smart targeting to ensure that users receive relevant and timely notifications.

User Authentication

Safe user authentication and authorization are essential to a comprehensive user data protection and privacy protection strategy.

The backend employs various authentication mechanisms, such as username-password authentication, social media logins, multi-factor authentication, or biometric authentication.

By implementing strong authentication measures, the backend ensures only authorized users can access their accounts. Meanwhile, user authorization determines the level of access granted to authenticated users. For instance, administrators may have higher privileges compared to regular users.

Integration of a Payment Gateway

For applications that handle transactions, integrating a payment gateway into the backend mobile app development is necessary to ensure that payments are safe and easy.

The payment gateway handles sensitive user data, such as credit card details or banking information, by encrypting it during transmission and securely storing it to prevent unauthorized access.

Integrating a payment gateway leads to a better user experience, smoother conversions, and increased trust in the app’s reliability. And by offloading the responsibility of payment processing to the payment gateway, the app’s backend can focus on other critical tasks.

Top BaaS Providers for Your Mobile App Development Project

Today, the creation of a mobile app backend may be simplified using a variety of tools and technologies.

Our top automated platforms for the mobile backend development including the following:

Firebase

Google’s Firebase is a backend-as-a-service (BaaS) platform that provides various services. These services include real-time databases, user authentication, and cloud functionalities. It also offers a multitude of extensions to automate different apps’ mobile backend processes.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) Amplify

Amplify is an Amazon Web Services (AWS) component offering extensive tools and services for constructing scalable and secure mobile app backends. This software as a service actually provides full-stack functionality so that it will be of use for frontend and backend development pros alike.

Parse

Parse is an open-source backend as a service (BaaS) platform that may be self-hosted. It offers various capabilities, including user authentication, database storage, and file storage. Their comprehensive guides for each platform can help iOS and Android app developers.

Backendless

Backendless is a BaaS platform that offers ready-to-use APIs for data management, user authentication, and push notifications. Its friendly user interface allows you to build the best backend app solution without coding by adding desired features in a format of codeless logic blocks.

Best Practices to Use in Backend for Mobile App Development

The development of a mobile app’s backend should adhere to certain best practices to maximize the likelihood of it being successful:

Scalability

The backend for mobile app development should be designed to be able to manage an increasing number of users and data without compromising speed. This can be achieved by implementing a scalable architecture that allows for horizontal scaling, where you add more servers to handle the growing load.

Additionally, using caching mechanisms and optimizing database queries can improve the overall performance of the backend system.

Security

Put in place security measures to protect user data and guard against the possibility of security breaches. Implementing robust authentication and authorization mechanisms, such as two-factor authentication and role-based access control, will help.

Regularly updating and patching software, encrypting sensitive data, and conducting regular security audits can further enhance the system’s security.

Flexibility

Ensure that the backend can accept future upgrades and modifications by being as flexible and modular as possible. You can use a microservices architecture, which allows for independent development and deployment of different components.

A good practice is to adopt industry-standard protocols and APIs to ensure compatibility with future technologies and systems.

Maintenance

The backend should have regular updates and maintenance to keep it functional and safe. Keeping an eye on all custom code functionalities, critical data, and other backend elements and stepping in as needed can help address any bugs or security vulnerabilities that may arise over time.

It is also essential to regularly monitor and optimize the performance of the backend to ensure efficient operation and user satisfaction.

The Methodology Behind Mobile App Backend Development

In most cases, the backend development goes parallel with the frontend development, and both follow the standard software development cycle. If looked at separately, the backend development process consists of the following stages:

Making Plans

Determine the demands of the app in terms of its requirements, functionality, and backend infrastructure. This stage involves analyzing the target audience, understanding the app’s purpose, and identifying the necessary features and technologies.

It is important to consider scalability and security requirements to ensure a robust backend infrastructure that can handle increasing user demands and protect sensitive data over time.

Creating a Prototype

To visualize the app’s architecture and features, you should first create a prototype. A prototype is a preliminary version of the app that gives you a chance to test and refine its functionality and user experience.

Wireframing or using prototyping tools are common ways to create interactive mockups.

A prototype allows you to have a hands-on experience with your app idea before you invest in the full-scale making and gather feedback from stakeholders and potential users. It will help you make necessary adjustments before progressing with the backend mobile app development process.

Writing Backend for Mobile App Development

Construct and validate all of the backend components in accordance with the prototype. This includes setting up the server infrastructure, designing and implementing the necessary APIs, and integrating with any external services or databases.

Once the backend is developed, thoroughly test it to ensure its reliability and performance.

Ensure your team implements all the required security measures according to the legal regulations to protect user data and prevent unauthorized access.

Testing

It is advised to do testing for every product iteration along the development process, not only in the end. As you progress with development, perform exhaustive testing on the backend to locate and fix any issues or defects as soon as they arise.

Consider conducting unit, integration, and system tests to validate the functionality and interoperability of different components.

Simulating various scenarios and edge cases is crucial to ensure the backend can handle different user inputs and data loads effectively. Furthermore, performance testing should be conducted to measure the backend’s response time and scalability under different stress levels.

Mobile App Backend Deployment

After selecting a hosting environment and a cloud platform, deploy the backend of the application. Configure the necessary infrastructure and set up the required databases and servers.

It is crucial to ensure that the deployment process is smooth and error-free to guarantee the availability and reliability of the backend for mobile app users.

At the same time, implement the monitoring tools to keep an eye on the performance and health of the backend system in real time. It will allow for timely troubleshooting and optimization as needed.

The Obstacles to Mobile App Backend Development and Their Solutions

Since mobile app backend development services have been around for a while, we are lucky to be in a position where we can learn from the mistakes of our predecessors. Whether you are making social media apps, cloud apps, iOS apps, or cross-platform desktop apps, during the process of developing the backend, you may encounter the following challenges:

Development Time

Creating a custom backend for a mobile app can be time-consuming, requiring extensive coding and configuration.

Solution: To overcome this challenge, developers can explore backend as a Service (BaaS) platforms or open-source solutions. These options provide pre-built functionalities and APIs, significantly reducing the time needed for backend development.

Cost

Developing a fully customized backend from scratch can be expensive, especially for startups and small companies with limited resources.

Solution: BaaS platforms offer a cost-effective alternative. They allow businesses to access essential backend services without the high upfront infrastructure development and maintenance costs. Pay-as-you-go pricing models ensure companies only pay for the services they use.

Compatibility

Ensuring the backend works seamlessly across various devices, operating systems, and app versions is crucial for a positive user experience. When opting for a custom backend, thorough testing and optimization are necessary to ensure compatibility.

Solution: BaaS platforms often handle this concern by offering standardized APIs across different platforms. Open-source solutions may require additional effort in testing and adapting to ensure compatibility, but they provide greater flexibility for customization.

Examples of Robust Backend Development

Strong backend forms the foundation of seamless and efficient user experiences. Think of your favorite software products, and be sure that complex systems work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure data integrity, smooth transactions, and reliable interactions.

The examples below illustrate how a well-crafted backend can elevate user satisfaction, scalability, and overall app performance.

1. Facebook: One of the largest social platforms globally, boasts a robust backend infrastructure to handle billions of users and their interactions. Their backend is built on a mix of custom-developed components and open-source technologies like Hadoop and Cassandra for data storage and processing. Facebook’s backend system is designed for high scalability, ensuring smooth performance even during peak usage.

2. Netflix: Netflix, the popular streaming service, relies on a highly robust backend architecture to deliver a seamless streaming experience to millions of users worldwide. Their backend uses a cloud-based infrastructure of Amazon Web Services (AWS). Netflix uses AWS services like Amazon S3 for storage, Amazon CloudFront for content delivery, and Amazon DynamoDB to manage user preferences and recommendations.

3. Uber: Uber’s backend is a prime example of a robust and scalable system. With millions of daily transactions and real-time data processing, Uber’s backend needs to handle a massive volume of requests efficiently, ensuring that the app remains accessible and always responsive. Their backend is built on a combination of microservices and uses technologies like Node.js for real-time data processing and PostgreSQL for data storage.

4. Airbnb: Airbnb, the online marketplace for lodging and travel experiences, relies on a robust backend to manage user bookings, search queries, and messaging. Their backend uses a service-oriented architecture (SOA) to achieve better separation of concerns and scalability. Airbnb utilizes technologies like Ruby on Rails for web services and Cassandra for data storage.

5. Slack: Slack, the famous team collaboration platform, has a strong backend architecture to support real-time messaging and file sharing for millions of users. Their backend is built on a combination of custom-developed services and cloud-based technologies and optimized for performance and reliability. Slack’s backend uses technologies like Python for message handling, Amazon EC2 for hosting, and Amazon S3 for file storage.

These examples illustrate how successful companies prioritize backend development to deliver high-performing, scalable, and secure applications.

By employing the best developers who leverage custom backend solutions and up-to-date backend technology stack, these brands ensure a seamless user experience and maintain a competitive edge in their respective industries.

Where to Look for the Best Backend Developers

Finding skilled and experienced backend developers is the first and foremost requirement for building an efficient mobile app backend.

Though they are in great demand, hiring excellent specialists with the right approach is possible. Companies can leverage multiple recruitment channels, utilizing networking and employee referrals, engaging with developer communities, and creating an appealing job description.

Here are some top places to hire backend developers:

1. Online job portals: Websites like LinkedIn, Indeed, and Glassdoor are popular platforms to post job listings and connect with potential backend developers. These platforms allow you to browse candidates’ profiles, assess their skills, and connect directly.
   
2. Freelance websites: Platforms like Upwork, Freelancer, and Toptal offer unlimites access to a global pool of freelancers. Whether you’re looking for a backend or frontend developer, you can review their profiles, portfolios, and client feedback to find developers who align with your project requirements.
   
3. Developer communities: Participating in online communities can be an excellent way to find a backend developer. Websites like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and Reddit have active forums where you can post job openings or engage with people passionate about backend development.
   
4. Tech meetups and events: Attend local tech meetups, conferences, and hackathons to network with backend app developers in your area. These events allow you to meet the pros in person, discuss your mobile app development project, and gauge their interest and expertise.
   
5. Referrals: Ask colleagues, friends, or industry contacts who have worked with talented backend engineers before. Referrals often lead to finding reliable employees with a proven track record.
   
6. Developer bootcamps and coding schools: Consider contacting graduates or instructors from coding bootcamps or schools focusing on backend development. These programs produce skilled professionals eager to work on real-world app development projects.
   
7. Company websites: Many developers showcase their work and expertise on their personal websites or blogs. Searching for experts in your niche or with specific custom backend skills on search engines can lead you to their individual websites.
   
8. Social media: Utilize platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook to post job listings and find the software makers. Many frontend and backend development specialists are active on social media, making it an excellent way to engage with potential candidates.
   
9. Tech-specific job boards: Some job boards focus specifically on tech roles. Websites like Dice and AngelList often attract developers looking for tech-related opportunities.
   
10. Bonus
    

The first step to hire mobile developer, whether frontend or backend, is to create a meticulous job description.

Next, it’s essential to thoroughly review candidates’ resumes, portfolios, and past projects. Conduct technical interviews to assess their skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit with your team. And while running the hiring process, consider involving other team members or tech experts to ensure a well-rounded evaluation of the candidates.

By exploring multiple channels and taking a comprehensive approach to recruitment, you will find the right app development professionals who will contribute to the success of your mobile app project.

Conclusion

Creating a mobile app’s backend is essential in producing high-performance and dependable mobile applications.

Experienced developers can select the appropriate tools and technologies to construct scalable, secure, and user-friendly backends that allow mobile backend solutions to serve their purpose, no matter how much the app scales or the backend technology stack advances.

The mobile app environment is constantly shifting, which means that effective backend development will continue to be a defining component in determining the quality of the user experience and the overall success of an app. Yet, following best practices and having an orderly development process will always be essential for launching a successful app.

Questions You May Have