03 · Websites and software
iOS and Android apps
An app on the phone when it is worth it, and a straight answer when a web app would do.
In short
Not every product needs to be in an app store. A web app that installs on the home screen is often cheaper to build and every update reaches people at once. When you need notifications, offline use, the camera or a store listing, a real app is the right call.
There is no app-store app in my portfolio yet. What I bring is the rest of the work an app depends on: the backend, the data, the API, the tests and the launch.
What's included
Choosing the approach
Native, cross-platform or an installable web app (PWA), chosen per project from what the app has to do on the phone.
Design for small screens
Controls big enough for a thumb, readable type and flows that work with one hand, tested on real devices.
Backend and API
The server, database and API the app talks to, shared with the website so the data lives in one place.
Offline use and notifications
Data kept on the phone for when the signal drops, and push notifications where they help.
Store release
App Store and Google Play listings, screenshots, privacy details and the review process.
Updates
Releases after launch, changes for new OS versions and crash reports watched.
How I run it
Does it need to be an app?
What must work on the phone that a website can't do. Sometimes the honest answer is a web app.
Flows first
The few screens that matter, tried as a clickable prototype before any code.
Backend
The API and data built and tested first, so the app has something solid to talk to.
App build
Built in the chosen approach and tested on iPhone and Android devices.
Store and launch
Listings, review, a staged release, then regular updates.
Content Monitor · Site Scanner · Polaris CMS
Run on my own tooling
My tooling is built for the web, and every app has a web side: the API, the landing page, the help pages and the content that brings people to the download.
Content Monitor
The dashboard every live site is run from
Landing page traffic
Search Console and GA4 for the app's website: which pages lead to the download, from which countries and devices.
Support inbox
Support email for the app in the same dashboard as everything else, so nothing waits unseen.
Site Scanner
A 98-item launch checklist, a crawler and Lighthouse
Checks for the web side
The app's site and help pages go through the 98-item checklist and Lighthouse before launch, then every 7 days.
Polaris CMS
My own CMS, this site included
Help and release notes
Help articles and release notes published through Polaris CMS, scheduled to go out with each release.
Infrastructure
Docker on my own servers, behind Cloudflare
API hosting
The app's backend as a Docker deploy on my servers, behind Cloudflare, with backups.
Proof
Where this stands There is no published iOS or Android app in my portfolio yet, so this page describes how I would run the project rather than pointing to one.
Questions
Native or cross-platform?
It depends on what the app does. Heavy use of the camera, sensors or platform features points to native; one codebase for both stores usually means cross-platform. I explain the trade-off for your case before anything is built.
What is a PWA, and is it enough?
A progressive web app is a website that installs on the home screen, works offline and can send notifications on most phones. If you don't need a store listing or deep device features, it is often enough, and updates reach everyone at once.
Have you published apps in the App Store?
Not as Scentro, and the portfolio doesn't pretend otherwise. The project pages show the web, data and backend work an app depends on.
Related services
All services →Tell me what you need
A few lines are enough: what you want to build, fix or automate, and any date that matters. I reply in English or Polish.