Mobile app development has been steadily growing, in revenues and jobs created. Mobile application development is a term used to denote the act or process by which application software is developed for mobile devices. These applications can be pre-installed on phones during manufacturing platforms, or delivered as free or paid applications in respective stores like Google Play or Apple iTunes / Store. Application software developers also must consider a long array of screen sizes, hardware specifications, and configurations because of intense competition in mobile software and changes within each of the platforms.

As part of the development process, mobile user interface (UI) design is most essential in the creation of mobile apps. Mobile UI considers constraints, contexts, screen, input, and mobility as outlines for design. The user is often the focus of interaction with their device, and the interface entails components of both hardware and software. Mobile UI design constraints include limited attention and form factors, such as a mobile device's screen size for a user's hand(s). Mobile UI contexts signal cues from user activity, such as location and scheduling that can be shown from user interactions within a mobile application. Overall, mobile UI design's goal is mainly for an understandable, user-friendly interface. The UI of mobile apps should: consider users' limited attention, minimize keystrokes, and be task-oriented with a minimum set of functions.

Mobile UIs, or front-ends, rely on mobile back-ends to support access to enterprise systems. The mobile back-end facilitates data routing, security, authentication, authorization, working off-line, and service orchestration. This functionality is supported by a mix of middleware components including mobile application servers, mobile backend as a service (MBaaS), and service-oriented architecture (SOA) infrastructure.