Built in Kotlin
for what Android alone can do
Android gives an app more control over the home screen, background services and the system than iOS does, and some features only make sense if you actually use that access: a live wallpaper, a persistent widget, a background service with real system priority. We wrote native Kotlin for exactly this on our own TaskWall app's Android build, alongside its native Swift counterpart on iOS.
What it is
A native Android app is built directly against Android’s own frameworks, Jetpack Compose for the interface, WorkManager and foreground services for background processing, the live wallpaper and widget APIs for home screen integration, rather than through a cross-platform layer. Android gives more direct access to background execution and the home screen than iOS does, which is exactly why some apps are worth building natively on this platform even when a cross-platform build might be enough elsewhere.
When you need it (and when you do not)
It earns its cost when the feature that matters is something Android-specific: a live wallpaper, a persistent home screen widget that updates in real time, a background service that needs to keep running reliably. TaskWall’s Android build renders a live wallpaper from the user’s actual task list, a feature that needs direct access to Android’s wallpaper service and would be slow or unreliable through a cross-platform bridge.
It is the wrong tool, or at least the expensive option, when your app is mostly standard screens and a backend with no deep platform-specific behavior; building two separate native codebases for that case costs roughly twice what one React Native codebase costs, for no real feature benefit. We say this plainly even when it means recommending a smaller project, because overselling a native build to a client who did not need one is not how we want to be the agency people call back.
How we build it
We confirm native is the right call before writing Kotlin: which specific feature needs direct Android access, and whether a React Native app with one native module would cover the same need for less. When the honest scope really is Android-specific, background services, live wallpapers, deep widget integration, native is the right answer and we build it that way from the start.
The interface is built in Jetpack Compose for new projects, with background work handled through WorkManager or a foreground service depending on how time-sensitive it is, since Android’s battery optimization will aggressively kill background work that is not declared and scoped correctly. We test against real device behavior, not just the emulator, because Android’s wide range of manufacturers and OS customizations (particularly around background execution limits) means code that behaves perfectly on a Pixel can behave differently on a budget device with aggressive battery management.
Automated tests cover the app’s core logic, and Google Play submission, including the store listing, screenshots and privacy disclosures, is part of the build rather than a late addition. Crash reporting and analytics go in from the first release so real usage data, not assumptions, drives what gets built next.
What to watch
Android’s device and OS fragmentation is the single biggest cost-of-ownership factor: a feature that works on this year’s flagship needs real testing on older and budget devices too, since battery optimization behavior genuinely differs across manufacturers. Background services and live wallpapers are exactly the kind of feature Google tightens permissions around in new Android versions, so we build with margin for policy changes rather than against the exact current rule. A fully native Android app has no iOS counterpart by definition; if you need both platforms, we scope whether a parallel native iOS build or a React Native rebuild with native modules fits your budget better.
Price and timeline
| Option | Price | What it covers | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Focused feature app | from $6,000 | Core screens, one or two deep Android integrations, Google Play submission | 6 to 9 weeks |
| Full app with backend sync | from $14,000 | Everything above plus backend, accounts, ongoing data sync | 10 to 14 weeks |
Running cost is backend hosting if the app syncs data, typically $20 to $300 a month; there is no annual Google Play developer fee beyond the one-time registration.
Related
This pairs with native iOS app development if you need the same feature set built natively on both platforms, and with push notifications infrastructure for the messaging layer around the app. See the development service page for our full build process. For a real example, see TaskWall, our own wallpaper to-do app.
Have a feature idea that needs real Android-level access? Get in touch and we will tell you honestly if it needs to be native.
FAQ
How much does a native Android app cost?
From $6,000 for an app with a focused feature set that genuinely needs native code, 6 to 12 weeks. A larger app with several screens, a backend and background services runs $12,000 to $25,000, scoped exactly once we know the feature list.
How do I know if I need native instead of React Native?
If the app's core feature is a live wallpaper, a persistent widget, a foreground service that must keep running reliably while the app is in the background, or deep integration with Android-specific system behavior, native is the right call. If the app is mostly screens, forms and a backend, React Native is cheaper to build and maintain for both platforms at once, and we will recommend that instead.
Jetpack Compose or the older View system?
Jetpack Compose for new projects, it is faster to build with and is where Google's own tooling is headed. We work in the View system when extending an existing app already built on it, since rewriting a working interface just to modernize it is rarely worth the cost on its own.
Who owns the app and the Google Play account?
You. We either use a Google Play Console account you already have or set one up in your name, and the repository is yours from the first commit.
What about Google Play policy and review?
Google Play's review is generally faster than Apple's but has its own strict rules, particularly around background services, battery usage and permissions. We build against current Play policy from the start and handle submission and any review feedback as part of the project.