How to Build an App Without Knowing How to Code

Web and mobile apps offer a remarkable way to generate additional income or, in some cases, to form the basis of an entire business. Between 2019 and 2020, more than 250 million app downloads were occurring every single day. The simple fact is that a lot of people use apps. As a result, the concept of developing an app and potentially making a profit from it is an appealing one.

The challenge is that few people know how to code effective mobile apps. Compounding this challenge is that it can take months, if not years, to learn how to code to the level of competency required to develop a good app.

Thankfully, you don’t need to know how to code to create an app.

Whether you’re building a web app, iPhone app, or Android app, there are techniques you can use that don’t require you to type a single line of code.

How to Build a Web App Without Knowing Code

Think of web applications as a type of computer program. People use these apps for various purposes, from online retail to ordering food or booking vacations. However, even something as simple as an online calculator is a web app.

These apps work by retrieving information from the users and then storing it using a server-side script, which is typically coded in a language like PHP or ASP. A clients-side script, often coded in JavaScript or HTML5, will present any relevant information back to the user. Of course, if you don’t know how to code, this may all sound confusing to you.

Thankfully, you don’t need to learn any of the programming languages mentioned to create a web app. Instead, follow these simple steps.

1. Come up with an idea for a web app.
2. Conduct competitor research to ensure nobody else has created an app based on the same idea.
3. Research your target audience, so you know that there is demand for the app you hope to create.
4. Determine both your time and monetary budgets for creating your web app.
5. Create some rough sketches to create a basic idea of how the app will work in practice.
6. Refine those sketches into a storyboard that details how users move from one app element to another.
7. Create a requirements document to outline everything that the app needs to have.
8. Choose an appropriate no-code platform to develop your app in.
9. Use your chosen platform to create the app.
10. Test the app extensively, both on your own and with the help of friends or third-party testers.
11. Launch the app using the instructions provided by your no-code platform.

The eighth step may prove the most difficult here, as there are many no-code platforms that you can use for your web app. Examples include:

• Bubble – uses a drag-and-drop interface so you can add page elements to your app
  
• Tilda Publishing – helps you to build attractive websites with some minor web applications without coding
  

You need to conduct some research to see which tools are available and, more importantly, whether they suit your specific purposes for your web app.

The key to each of these platforms is that they offer a visual method for creating your app. They automatically generate the required code based on the choices you make. For example, choosing Google Maps integration in one of these platforms will create all of the code in the background. You will simply see Google Maps visually inside the platform.

How to Build an iPhone App Without Knowing Code

As of November 2020, Apple’s App Store had over 4.3 million apps, collectively achieving millions of downloads every year. At the beginning of 2021, the company also announced an active installed userbase of over 1.65 billion devices. This means the market for apps is enormous, thus ensuring plenty of potential for profit if you develop an iPhone app.

Many of the instructions for building an iPhone app without knowing code are the same as those for building a web app. As a refresher, they include:

1. Form an idea for an app.
2. Check to see if that idea is already in use by a competitor.
3. Examine your target market.
4. Create time and financial budgets.
5. Develop rough sketches for your app.
6. Flesh out those sketches into a full storyboard.
7. Create a requirements document for the app.
8. Choose a no-code platform.
9. Use the platform’s tools to build your app.
10. Test the app.

However, releasing an iPhone app to the market requires more steps than releasing a web app. With a web app, you simply need to insert your generated code into a website. To release an iPhone app, you need to follow Apple’s procedures for submitting the app to the App Store.

Follow these steps to ensure the app you’ve built reaches your audience:

1. Confirm your app meets the App Store Guidelines.
   
2. Create an Apple Developer Account.
   
3. Install both Xcode and Keychain Access.
   
4. Assemble the information the App Store requires. This includes screenshots, the app name, a description, keywords, URLs, and category information, among other details.
5. Create a Bundle ID for your app via your Apple Developer Account.
6. Use Keychain Access to make a certificate signing request.
7. Upload your certificate signing request to your Apple Developer Account and use it to make an App Store Production Certificate.
8. Use your Apple Developer Account to make a Production Provisioning Profile, allowing users’ devices to install your app.
9. Create an account on iTunes Connect and use your Bundle ID to create a listing for the App Store.
   
10. Use your no-coding tool and Xcode to create the released build of the app that will be uploaded to the App Store.
11. Provide the most current version information.
12. Submit the newest version of your app for App Store review.
13. Release the app when you see the “Ready for Sale” status in your Developer Account.

By following these steps, you will be able to build your app and release it on the App Store successfully.

How to Build an Android App Without Knowing Code

Android apps are built for and released via Google Play. While not as large as the App Store, Google Play still hosts over 2.7 million apps. Uploading an app to Google Play also requires you to meet fewer restrictions.

Of course, you must build the app before releasing it. The steps for this are much the same as they are for an iPhone or web app:

1. Come up with your idea for an app.
2. Research the market to see if any competitors have had the same idea.
3. Research your target market.
4. Create your financial and time budgets.
5. Sketch out the basics of the app.
6. Refine your sketches into a logical storyboard showcasing user flow through the app.
7. Create a requirements document.
8. Choose a relevant no-code platform to build your app in.
9. Use the platform’s tools to build your app.
10. Test the app before releasing it.

Much like the App Store, you need to follow specific procedures to release your app on Google Play. The steps are as follows:

1. Register for a Google Play Console account. You will need to pay a one-time fee of $25 and may need to wait up to 48 hours for approval.
   
2. Set up a Merchant Account via the Google Play Console.
3. Head to “Reports,” then “Financial Reports.”
4. Select “Set up a merchant account now” and complete the steps.
5. Click the “Create Application” button in the Google Play Console and create a title for your app.
6. Complete your Google Play listing by providing all of the information required for your new app.
7. Upload your Appl Bundles and APK to Google Play. Your no-code tool should provide these to you.
8. Use the “Content Rating” option in the left-hand navigation bar to create a content rating for your app.
9. Select the app pricing and distribution.
10. Publish the app by clicking the “Start Rollout to Production” button. It typically takes approximately two hours for your app to be reviewed and published.

No Coding Required

Creating a web, iPhone, or Android app without coding can be surprisingly simple with the appropriate tools. Of course, making the app is just the first step. You also need to meet several requirements to get it published on the App Store or Google Play.

Have you coded an app before? Have you used a tool to create an app with no coding? Tell us about your experiences in the comments section.