A mobile application, sometimes known as an app, is software that runs on a mobile device such as a

smartphone or tablet computer. Mobile applications frequently provide users with services that are
similar to those available on PCs. Apps are generally small, individual software units with limited
function. Apple Inc. with its App Store, which offers thousands of programs for the iPhone, iPad, and
iPod Touch, popularized the usage of app software. An app, web app, internet app, iPhone app, or
smartphone app are all terms used to describe a mobile application.

Mobile applications are a departure from the traditional integrated software systems seen on PCs.
Instead, each app offers a single, limited feature, such as a game, calculator, or mobile web browsing.
Although early mobile devices' restricted hardware resources prevented programs from multitasking,
their uniqueness is now part of their appeal because it allows consumers to choose what their devices
can and cannot accomplish.

The most basic mobile apps are just PC-based software that have been ported to a mobile device. This
strategy is becoming less effective as mobile apps become more sophisticated. A more advanced
method involves building expressly for mobile devices, taking advantage of both their limitations and
benefits. Apps that use location-based features, for example, are inherently created with a mobile user
in mind, because unlike on a PC, the user is not tethered to a specific area.

Apps are categorized into two broad categories: native apps and web apps. Native apps are designed
specifically for a mobile operating system, most commonly iOS or Android. Native apps have superior
performance and a more refined user interface (UI), and they often go through a far more rigorous
development and quality assurance process before being launched.

Because web apps are run through a browser, they are written in HTML5 or CSS and use very little
device RAM. The user is forwarded to a specified web page, and all data is saved in a database on the
server. The use of web apps necessitates the availability of a reliable internet connection.

There are several types of apps currently available.

 Gaming apps: The equivalent of computer video games, they are among the most popular
forms of apps. They're responsible for a third of all app downloads and three-quarters of all
consumer spending.
 Productivity apps: These focus on enhancing business efficiency by easing numerous chores
such as sending emails, tracking job progress, booking hotels, and much more.
 Lifestyle and entertainment apps: These are becoming increasingly popular and cover a wide
range of personal lifestyle and socialization activities, including dating, talking on social media,
and sharing (and watching) films. This category includes some of the most well-known apps,
such as Netflix, Facebook, and TikTok.