1. Introduction

An increasing number of people use mobile devices for various purposes, such as communication, entertainment, and online shopping. As a result, mobile applications, or apps, have become a major area of technology and a multi-billion dollar industry. The App Store and Google Play are two major platforms through which mobile apps are marketed and downloaded. Google Play is particularly important for Android device users as it allows them to search and download apps and offers around 2.7 million apps. Conversely, the App Store, designed for Apple devices, has around 1.8 million apps available for download. The range of apps available is vast and the technology used to develop them is constantly changing. This document provides an overview of the issues and processes involved in the development of mobile apps, from designing and coding an app to marketing and distributing it. Although there is a varied range of types of app available, such as gaming, knowledge, and lifestyle, many popular apps fall into the categories of gaming, fitness, lifestyle, shopping, and children’s apps. Apps that enable users to interact and play games with each other, or that provide interactive experiences such as quizzes, use what is known as “online gaming”. Apps that allow users to find and learn new information about the world or a particular subject use “knowledge”. These kinds of apps are usually linked to another service such as a museum. Apps that make life easier or provide entertainment use “lifestyle”. Such apps might be used to listen to music or get a bus time. Online shops might use apps to advertise and sell products. Apps that are targeted at children must comply with the Data Protection Act 1998 and should have a section explaining to parents how the app works and what information is collected.

2. Section 1: Productivity Apps

Productivity apps help individuals manage their work and personal tasks more effectively. In this digital era, the demand for such apps is on the rise – a study by Zapier in 2018 has found that the productivity software market is now worth a staggering 76 billion US dollars. According to the same study, the market is still growing and there are plenty of opportunities for new investors to join and start making profits. Under the category of productivity apps, there are several subcategories; and in relation to investment purposes, task management apps and selected note-taking apps are two of the most profitable segments. For task management apps, Todoist, Asana, and Trello are the most well-known ones among users. These apps allow users to easily set up tasks and goals, set deadlines, and keep track of each’s progress. Also, they all support team projects and people can track their tasks and projects in a more collaborative manner. This group of software has been around for quite a long time and it is more saturated compared to other subcategories. So, it is considered to be more challenging for new products or services to enter and compete. On the other hand, note-taking apps especially those using cloud-based systems like Evernote, OneNote, and Notion are rising in popularity due to convenient remote working requirements. These apps allow users to sync their notes from phone, tablet, and computer with different operating systems and this offers a high flexibility of accessing anytime and anywhere. Also, users can insert hyperlinks, multimedia, and attachments into the notes and the search function in these popular apps enables users to find what they need more effectively. As investors, to select and invest in the most potential app businesses or company, several factors need to be taken into account other than knowing the current popular apps in the market. For example, the population of users in different age groups, the revenue models, marketing and customer support strategies of the companies behind the apps, and the features and functions offered in the apps will affect the influence to users and eventually the amount of profits. In the selection process of investments, conducting in-depth research and analysis is crucial to mitigate the risk of investment and to find out financially sound and stable companies. Users need to be fulfilled, enjoying the usage, and providers have to listen and respond to users’ comments and suggestions so as to compete and survive in the market in the long run.

2.1. Task management apps

Another popular category within the world of productivity apps is that of task management apps. These are apps that are designed to help people arrange, track, and complete their tasks. They can be used in both personal and professional settings, and a variety of kinds of employees — from low-level workers to business executives — find these apps to be useful in their professional lives. Some of the key options include apps like Todoist, Trello, and Asana. Each of those apps has various features that will appeal to completely different styles of users, and a number of these choices might be more suitable for personal use, whereas others are particularly designed for business use. Additionally, to those general task management apps, there are a range of additional specialized choices. For instance, apps like Microsoft Project are specifically designed to help project managers allocate tasks and track the progress of their workers over time. These apps are also notably general with young employees. Because these are the primary forms of apps they realize to use, by focusing on these apps particularly, I believe it’s potential to realize a higher understanding of recent changes and subsequent effects these kinds of technologies could contribute to strategies and processes within the workplace. These apps build in basic time management features to help pupils manage their study time. Overall, task management apps are popular as a result of they could assist people in overcoming the daily pressures and difficulties that may arise in both the work and home environments. However, the psychological effects and benefits that users discover from using specific task management apps aren’t known. This suggests that additional analysis in this area could facilitate to better understand why and how task management apps might improve daily psychological states.

2.2. Note-taking apps

It explores the market of note-taking apps and offers an overview of four note-taking apps that are currently popular among users. The author then provides a detailed assessment of each app’s target market, specific features, and business models. In addition, the author examines some recent trends in the note-taking app market, including increased competition, the drive for innovative features, and the quest for greater integration with artificial intelligence technology. The author comments that the market for note-taking apps is still growing and has the potential to become even more profitable because notes are not just reminders – they store lots of important information and memories over time. He also suggests that investors should look for apps with clear targeting strategies and feature innovation when considering which note-taking app to invest in. Last but not least, the writer emphasizes the importance of market research and user feedback in the process of app development and recommends less experienced investors to form a strong team with professionals from different areas such as software development, marketing, and finance in order to succeed in app investment.

2.3. Time tracking apps

Major software review platforms like Capterra and G2 list time tracking software in various popularity and functionality rankings. Although the top spots are usually occupied by Toggl and similar well-established apps, this space is subject to rapid changes in user preference and subsequently, the rankings. This goes to show that the popularity of different time tracking apps can be fluid and largely dependent on the business trends in a fast-changing digital age.

Personal productivity has seen a significant increase over recent years, mainly driven by tech-savvy solutions like time tracking apps and increasingly complex project management software. For years, the “big players” in the market, for Google Play and Apple App Store downloads, have been Toggl, Clockify, and Harvest, all of which have millions of users and top ratings. However, in more recent times, due to the circumstances surrounding COVID-19 and the sudden global shift to remote working, other apps such as Everhour have emerged as effective solutions for businesses facing challenges in adapting their operations to better facilitate remote team tracking.

The market for time tracking apps is seen as having substantial growth potential. Over the past few years, the corporate world has seen an increase in demand for time tracking software from small to mid-sized businesses. This is due to digitalization—the shift from traditional manual labor and analogue services to new digital technologies—taking place in more and more industries, and companies are increasingly turning to software solutions to capture and analyze business data.

Most time tracking apps use the “time blocking” time management method, where the user allocates a fixed amount of time to a specific task and focuses exclusively on that task for the duration. Notable features of these apps include the ability to generate reports (helpful for work projects and client billing), integration with scheduling apps, custom tagging systems, and in some cases, even online support and resources provided by the app developers to help users get the most out of the app.

Time tracking apps are used by individuals to monitor and record the time spent on each activity throughout the day. These apps can provide detailed breakdowns of how users allocate their time, such as the proportion of time spent on work tasks and leisure activities. By visualizing the time spent on different tasks, users can identify areas for improvement, set productivity targets, and ultimately develop more efficient work routines.

3. Section 2: Finance Apps

Investment tracking apps are also one of the best options among the ten profit for the apps to invest in. Many of the investment tracking apps provide such a platform where you can link all your investment accounts at one place. It uses the online data collection method to track all the investments. Such apps are very beneficial for the investors because they get updates of their investment in real time and such updates can help the investors to make good decisions at the right time. There are also very advanced sophisticated apps which not only track the investment but also provide the analysis and recommendation to the investors. Such recommendations can be default based on the modern portfolio theory or can be based on the investor’s risk tolerance and investing style. So, such investment tracking apps are very useful which help the investors for the management of their investments and also in the decision making to control risk and maximize the return. Such apps select the investment in a way that adjusts the risk and also maximizes the return. Also, if the goal of the investor is to minimize the tax liability, the apps help to employ tax-efficient and other tax planning strategies. In addition, these apps also can provide the automatic buy or sell recommendation when the condition of the market changes. So, it also provides a good strategy and security against the volatile market activities. Such investment tracking apps may charge for providing the services. Some charge a flat rate that is based on your investment, for example, 0.50% of the investment amount. However, some charge annual fees for the services, for example, $350/year for the services. Some charge transaction fees as you make transactions. So, it ranges from $4.95 to $8.95 per trade. It is also important to note that you must understand and compare how the investment expense will impact over time.

3.1. Budgeting apps

These apps are used to compare household income to household expenses. Budgeting apps can be linked to multiple bank accounts and can automatically import expenses and income to the app. By using budgeting apps, all the financial information is in one place. Also, budgeting apps help users allocate a portion of their income to savings. There are two main types of budgeting apps. The first type provides a template and requires users to manually input all expenses and income. This allows for maximum customization and can be good for those who have irregular income or expenses, or for users who love data entry. The second type automatically categorizes expenses and usually will graphically show the relation between income and expenses for a user. This can be good for individuals who want to start a budget and need guidance. Examples of the first type of app include “YNAB” (short for “You Need A Budget”) and “Mint”. Both require that the user have some level of computer skills already as they both allow for a large amount of customization and manual entry. An example of the second type of app is “EveryDollar”. All of these budgeting apps have been highly rated and well-received by users and several offer apps for both Android and Apple platforms and can be accessed on a regular computer as well. Also, all offer the ability to link to more than one bank and provide regular updates of account balances and transactions. EveryDollar is free for the basic service and requires a premium payment for automatically linking to bank accounts. YNAB and Mint, however, are free with the option of linking to accounts and “additional features” with a premium payment.

3.2. Investment tracking apps

Next, if you’re contemplating investing in the stock market for the first time, you might want to consider using an investment tracking app. Investment tracking apps provide users with an effective way to manage their investments, including real-time data and continuous analysis of the performance of the stocks. Moreover, many investment tracking apps provide users with the latest news and expert opinions regarding the stocks they are interested in. This can be very helpful to investors, in particular, those just starting out, who may find it difficult to keep up to date with market conditions. Also, users can set up alerts to be notified of any significant changes to stocks in their portfolios. This is a useful tool for people with busy lives and little time to dedicate to monitoring the performance of their stocks. Overall, an investment tracking app can be a useful resource for both new and experienced investors. They enable users to access all the information they need in one place and provide a simple, user-friendly way to monitor the performance of their stocks. Different investment tracking apps may offer different features, and some may be targeted more towards experienced investors. So it’s worth spending some time researching the most suitable app for your needs. For example, a popular free investment tracking app available on both Android and iOS is ‘Yahoo Finance’, which provides users with information about stocks, news articles, and even the views of various analysts. Another free app, again available on both Android and iOS, is ‘Invstr’, which is designed to be a more user-friendly approach to investment tracking and is particularly beneficial to new investors. The app provides a ‘fantasy finance’ feature, which gives users the opportunity to practice their investment skills with virtual money and no risk to their own savings, making it a popular choice among novice investors. Keep in mind that most free apps have some form of premium membership that users can pay for, which often includes additional features such as expert market analysis and no advertisements. Paid-for apps, such as the commonly used ‘Morningstar Investment’ app, offer experienced investors a comprehensive suite of tools, from investment news to portfolio monitoring and even access to a range of market databases. Although the app comes with a subscription fee, for a monthly payment, users gain access to a wide range of sophisticated and securely monitored investment analysis tools.

3.3. Expense tracking apps

These apps are designed to help users keep track of their daily expenses, including personal and business expenses. First of all, users can easily create a new expense record by entering the amount, selecting a category, and adding comments. These apps usually provide a list of predefined expense categories and support custom categories. Moreover, users can take a photo of a receipt and attach it to an expense record. This can save a lot of time and effort in organizing and maintaining paper receipts. Also, GPS tracking can be used to automatically define the expense location. On the other hand, if users have tried budgeting or expense tracking in the past and failed, it is largely because the initial set-up is too complicated and the effort required to maintain the practice over a long period of time is too demanding. That’s why one of the best ways to help reduce the complexity of money tracking and expense reporting is to move away from traditional, manual data input methods. Modern, up-to-date cloud-based systems increasingly offer single click data imports direct from bank accounts and also provide a wealth of reports and metrics that can be used to track spending and monitor budgets. There are two types of expense tracking apps – one comes with an integrated suite of features and the others focuses on doing a single core thing really well. For instance, such apps can provide receipt scanning, report generation, workflow approval, and an automated process for feeding data between different software in the expense process. On the whole, expense tracking apps can be broadly classified as either standalone software for personal or business use, or as a module in comprehensive, integrated solutions targeted at small, medium or large companies. Moreover, some apps focus purely on providing the most effective budgeting tool, providing an easy way of logging spending or providing insight through detailed reports and statistics. It is important to test different apps to see which best meets personal needs. However, it’s good to keep in mind that what works well for the present might not work for the future. Therefore, choosing an app that allows easy migration and doesn’t hold data hostage is a good move. Also, asking for a demonstration of the app may be a good idea in order to fully understand the features that it offers. Such demonstrations are commonly available and can be arranged by app providers or vendors.

3.4. Cryptocurrency apps

Last but not least, cryptocurrency apps are another type of finance app that has the potential for high returns on investment. Cryptocurrency has been a hot topic in the technology world in recent years. Now more than ever, people are looking for ways to trade cryptocurrencies quickly and conveniently. This is where cryptocurrency apps come into play. There are cryptocurrency portfolio management apps and cryptocurrency exchange apps. Portfolio management apps allow users to track the performance of their investments in real time. They usually provide a user-friendly and intuitive way to display the latest data from the world of digital currency. With these apps, users can check the current prices, changes over the last hour, day or week, the market cap, and the volume of each cryptocurrency. Some even provide functionality for setting price alerts. On the other hand, cryptocurrency exchange apps, as the name suggests, are used to buy and sell digital currencies. These apps enable users to make a trade on a market on the move. They usually offer many tools for trading, access to the latest market data and a seamless order system. There’s no need to stay at your computer to manage your positions. Besides, these apps often provide regular updates and give you access to the latest security features, such as Two Factor Authentication (2FA). Some apps even offer the flexibility for opening a new, or managing existing, positions whilst on the go. In fact, as the value of cryptocurrencies is becoming more and more significant, so does the benefits coming from the utilization of these apps. Over a long period of time, the top cryptocurrencies have been constantly growing and have shown consistently and significant return on investment. This makes it a great choice for traders to easily engage in cryptocurrency investment and diversify their profit opportunity. On the other hand, while the cryptocurrency market is held to be a very attractive opportunity for the potential exceptional return, it remains volatile and a market that is not for the faint-hearted. However, no matter if you are using cryptocurrency portfolio management apps or cryptocurrency exchange apps, one thing is for sure: convenience. Thanks to the advancement in technology and the popularity of cryptocurrencies, anyone can potentially earn some digital money whenever they may be, even at a grocery store. For many, this convenience will drive up the demand for development in new forms of cryptocurrency apps in the market.

4. Section 3: Health and Fitness Apps

The health and fitness industry has seen substantial growth throughout the years and holds a large opportunity for app developers and investors. In such a large and diverse industry, there are many different ideas and niches for a new app to fill. With the likes of Apple investing heavily in health feature development, and the growth of medical services moving online, starting a health or fitness app seems to be a very favourable pathway into a successful product. Therefore, a compelling and convincing business plan and pitch to investors can get the ball rolling for a successful app or online service, and it is clear that more and more people are seeking professional advice for good nutrition and weight management. It is also true that the NHS is seeing a marked increase in obesity, especially in children – in fact, the government’s Public Health England is asking for applications to access the Change4Life initiative data set, which is aimed at helping families to eat well and move more. There are many online programme managers and marketing patient relationship systems to choose from, which operate in a preferable condition of low competition. Also, there is a growing demand for online individual practices and clinics to modernise and use online appointment booking, symptom checking and mobile consultation apps. Apps supporting long-term fitness, including on-the-go exercise and healthy habit tracking have been shown to increase user engagement in their health improvement. Research suggests that personal trackers and wellness technology might be the first step in encouraging patients to actively engage in their health, where 80% of doctors have said that using fitness apps and activity tracking, like the Apple Watch, helps their patients to improve and manage their health. A report published by a market research enterprise, attributing to the rapid changes in consumer’s digital habits, forecasts the global health and wellness app market to grow at an annual growth rate of 12% in the next year. In fact, it is predicted to be worth a total of $74 billion by next year. The majority of the income for these apps comes from the sale of software and subscriptions. This means that with the right market and the right app, investors and developers are sure to enjoy a very high return on investment.

4.1. Fitness tracking apps

Fitness tracking apps are software programs that use data gathering and analysis in order to provide personal health and exercise support to the user. It serves millions of consumers globally, and the market is continuously growing, expected to reach $7.8 billion by 2021. Fitness trackers can range from mobile apps that use your smartphone’s or smartwatch’s built-in sensors in order to track your activities. Some of the more advanced programs involve the use of specialized hardware – like a heart rate chest strap or a GPS watch – that can provide better accuracy and more advanced metrics. Many of the modern-day fitness apps allow people to connect and help each other reach their goals. This sort of social aspect – when friends can share and compare their statistics, and gather together online to support each other – is proven to greatly improve individual success and engagement. In fact, almost all fitness tracking apps available on the application stores (like Apple’s App Store or Google’s Play Store) use social aspects as their main marketing advantage. This is why lots of companies nowadays are investing in mobile and digital health industries, trying to take advantage of emerging technologies in our everyday life. The most popular examples include Google Fit and Apple Health, two hardware-independent but feature-rich applications on iOS and Android platforms. Both of these focus mainly on creating a personal health database for the user and are capable of connecting and extracting data from a wide range of external sources, in the hope that one day it will be the only source of health and activity information.

4.2. Meditation apps

Meditation apps are designed to help users focus, relax, and gain awareness. These apps offer a wide range of meditation sessions, and some even customize meditation plans based on users’ goals and progress. The main target audience of meditation apps is office workers and people who suffer from mental diseases such as depression and anxiety. The fast pace of modern urban life puts a lot of stress on people’s mental health. When it comes to investment in meditation apps, it is promising and profitable. New research on the benefits of mindfulness has contributed to the growth of this industry. According to data from market research firm Sensor Tower, mobile users spent more than $195 million on the 10 most popular meditation apps in the United States across the App Store and Google Play during 2019, compared to $94 million three years ago. People are more willing than ever to invest in their mental health and stress-reducing routines. Also, an increasing number of employers and health insurance companies have started making investments in mindfulness apps. These companies incorporate these apps into their employee well-being packages and also grant their employees subsidies for purchasing the paid version of these apps. For example, the meditation app “Headspace” partnered with 49 companies in early 2018, like Google and LinkedIn, to provide daily meditations for employees on-site and also made it covered by health insurance. Since the potential of these apps is enormous, but as of now, the market share is occupied by a small number of leading companies. For example, “Calm,” the leading app, generated $92 million in direct revenue through the App Store and Google Play worldwide in 2019. “Headspace” generated $37 million. After the recent $93 million Series C funding, “Insight Timer,” a lesser-known app but with a large quantity of meditation choices, has become considered to be more on the rise. So, when we analyze investment in meditation apps, either investing in companies like “Calm” which are already leading the market, or investing in the emergence of a rising star like “Insight Timer,” is a good choice due to the continuous growth in population and revenue of the whole market.

4.3. Meal planning apps

Meal planning apps are useful tools that help users schedule and organize their meals. Users can plan meals for the week or even the month, add recipes to their meal planner, and create a shopping list based on these recipes. Many meal planning apps have built-in features for users to import recipes from websites, which makes the meal planning process even more convenient. In recent years, there has been a growing number of people using meal planning apps. According to Quora Creative, the keyword search volume for meal planning apps has been rising in the past 5 years. Most of the meal planning apps offer free versions with limited features and a paid premium version with more advanced features. For example, the meal planning app “Prepear” has comprehensive meal planning and recipe management features. Its free version allows users to schedule meals, create a shopping list, and add up to 30 recipes. The premium version of Prepear costs $8 per month and $60 per year, which offers extra features such as the ability to combine recipes, set own nutrition goals, and import an unlimited number of recipes from any website. Another meal planning app called “Mealime” focuses on quick, simple, and healthy meal plans. The free version of Mealime allows users to access over 200 customizable meal plans and create a shopping list. If users upgrade to the pro version with $60 per year, they will get exclusive and customizable meal plans, nutritional information for each recipe, and a “smart scale” feature that portions the correct amount of any side or main.