Quick answer
A native app is a mobile application built for one specific operating system using its own languages, SDKs and UI components (Swift for iOS, Kotlin for Android), installed from an app store with full access to device features.
What is a native app?
A native app is a mobile application built specifically for one operating system, using that platform's own languages, SDKs and UI components: Swift or Objective-C with Apple's frameworks for iOS, Kotlin or Java with the Android SDK for Android. It is installed from an app store and runs directly on the device, with full access to hardware and system features such as the camera, sensors, notifications, background tasks and secure storage.
The alternatives are cross-platform apps (one codebase compiled or rendered for several platforms, such as Flutter or React Native), hybrid apps (web code inside a native shell) and web apps / PWAs (websites that behave like apps in the browser).
Native vs cross-platform vs hybrid vs web apps
| Native | Cross-platform (Flutter, React Native) | Hybrid (web view in a shell) | Web app / PWA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Codebase | One per platform | Mostly shared | Shared web code | One web codebase |
| Performance | Highest | Near-native for most apps | Lower for complex UI | Depends on browser |
| Device access | Full | Broad, via plugins | Limited, via plugins | Limited by browser APIs |
| Look and feel | Platform-standard | Close to native (React Native) or custom (Flutter) | Web-like | Web-like |
| Distribution | App stores | App stores | App stores | URL; optional install |
| Cost to build and maintain | Highest | Medium | Lower | Lowest |
Advantages and disadvantages of native apps
Advantages: best performance and responsiveness; full use of platform features; consistent platform UI conventions; reliable offline and background behavior; earliest access to new OS features.
Disadvantages: two codebases and often two teams; features ship at different times on each platform; higher development and maintenance cost; store review for every update.
Analytics for native apps
Native apps report analytics through platform SDKs. Typical data: app starts (cold and hot), screen views, custom events, sessions, crashes, ANRs (Android), device model, OS version, app version and network type. Unlike websites, screen views are not automatic in every UI framework: UIKit view controllers and Android activities can be captured automatically, while SwiftUI, Jetpack Compose and fragments often need explicit screen calls.
Native apps in TapCub
TapCub has native SDKs for Android and iOS, plus Flutter, React Native and HarmonyOS. App reports cover active users, retention, engagement, stability (crashes, ANRs, cold start), versions and devices. See track screen views.
Related terms: SDK, device ID, mobile app analytics.
Sources
- Apple Developer. Swift.
- Android Developers. Kotlin and Android.
- web.dev. What are Progressive Web Apps?
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