App development company in Chicago
A mobile app gives your Chicago customers a way to use your service on their phones, with screens designed for iOS and Android and a backend for accounts and data. We also build the admin tools your staff need to manage the service. At MSH Technologies, an India-based studio, we work with your feedback to refine the screens before writing code.
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What happens next
- 01Tell us what you need, in the form or on WhatsApp.
- 02Sohail replies within 1 working day (Mon–Sat, IST).
- 03We agree the scope together, then send your quote.
- Projects delivered
- 0+Projects delivered
- Years building for the web
- 0+Years building for the web
- Live and in use
- 0%Live and in use
What you get
What’s included in mobile app development
App design
Screens and flows designed for iOS and Android conventions.
Cross-platform build
One React Native codebase for both platforms, with native modules where needed.
Backend & APIs
Accounts, data, notifications and admin tools behind the app.
Push notifications
Timely, targeted notifications that bring people back.
Payments & subscriptions
In-app purchases and subscriptions on both stores.
Store launch
App Store and Google Play listings, submission and release.
Tools we use: React Native, Expo, Swift, Kotlin, Firebase, Node.js.
Choosing
Should you build a cross-platform or native app?
We usually recommend React Native for an app that needs to run on both iOS and Android. It shares a codebase across the platforms, while using native modules when a feature needs them. React Native uses JavaScript or TypeScript and renders each platform’s own interface components, so web developers can contribute and some logic can be shared with a React website.
Native development suits an app built around deep device features, heavy graphics or complex background work. It gives you access to those platform capabilities, with the work of maintaining separate iPhone and Android codebases. Flutter is another choice: it draws its own interface and suits a highly customised design if your team is willing to work in Dart.
A progressive web app is worth considering for a staff tool. It skips store review, although it will not appear in the stores unless packaged for them. On iPhone, it can request notification permission only after someone adds it to their Home Screen. Decide where people need to find and use the product before choosing a route.
Local
What Chicago businesses need from an app
Chicago’s transport and commerce organisations may have people working away from the office. A delivery or inspection team needs job forms, photos, signatures and location details on the phone, with records synced back when signal returns. For an appointment business, the useful screens are different: customers need booking and reminders, while staff need a view of the day’s schedule and payments.
Chicago’s restaurants serve residents and visitors to the city’s attractions. An app for repeat customers can put reordering, loyalty and saved payment details close at hand. The checkout needs to be quick, and notifications need to arrive at a useful point in the customer’s relationship with the restaurant.
Rules
Payments to plan for in the United States
For a business in the United States, Stripe is an available option for accepting payments. We set up payments and subscriptions for the app stores, with the checkout choice matched to what you sell. Google Play requires its billing for digital goods and subscriptions sold in the app; it must not be used for physical goods or services such as groceries, transport or event tickets. Some regions allow alternative billing.
How it runs
How an app project runs with us
We work remotely over video calls, WhatsApp and shared project boards, keeping decisions and feedback visible between conversations. IST is 10h30m (Eastern) to 13h30m (Pacific) ahead of the mainland US in winter, and 1 hour less during daylight saving time.
- 01
Discover
We learn about your business, audience and goals, then agree the scope with you. Bring the tasks you want customers or staff to complete in the app.
- 02
Prototype
Put the clickable design in front of a few customers or staff and tell us where they hesitate. Changing a screen before it is built takes less work.
- 03
Test
We send builds to your phone through TestFlight on iPhone or a Google Play testing track on Android. Use the app for real tasks and share what needs attention.
- 04
Prepare submission
If the app has a login, provide a working demo account and keep the backend live for Apple’s review. Leave room to fix issues and resubmit.
- 05
Release
We handle the store listings, submission and review under your own developer accounts. You can check the listing details with us before submission.
Checklist
What to have ready before we talk
Gather these details so we can discuss the app and the systems around it.
- Developer accountsRegister Apple and Google accounts in your company’s name; organisation accounts need a D-U-N-S number.
- Connected systemsNote your website, CRM, booking software and payment provider, their APIs and who holds admin access.
- Privacy policyHave a policy that matches the data the app collects, ready to link in the app and its Apple listing.
- Account deletionPlan an in-app deletion route if people can create accounts; deactivation alone is insufficient.
- Play testingNew personal Google Play accounts need a closed test before production release.
Cost & time
What affects the cost and timing?
The scope determines the work involved. These choices change what needs design, development and testing.
User roles
Customers, drivers and staff each need their own screens and permissions, even when they share a backend.
Live features
Tracking, chat and presence need persistent connections and more backend work than screens that load data on request.
Integrations
Each payment gateway, booking system or connected device adds setup, testing and handling for failures.
Screen design
Custom animation, extra languages and tablet layouts add design and testing across screens.
User content
Posts from users need moderation features, including reporting, blocking, filtering and published contact details.
Avoid
Mistakes to avoid
A compulsory login too soon
Let people use the app without signing in when it has no significant account-based features. They can see its value before creating an account.
An immediate notification request
Ask when the benefit is clear, such as after an order. On Android 13 and later, notifications remain off until the person allows them.
Outdated privacy answers
If an analytics or advertising SDK is added, update the store information too. Google Play’s Data safety form must cover data collected by third-party SDKs.
Questions
Asked by businesses in Chicago
Page updated 5 November 2026
How much does it cost to develop an app?
There is no fixed price: the scope determines the work. Offline editing and later syncing require more work than displaying the last loaded data. Notifications also need a sending service, rules for recipients and timing, and settings for the categories people want to switch off. We agree the scope with you before preparing a quote.
Which company should I choose for app development?
Choose a company that can explain the whole product and how you will assess it after release. Ask how customer accounts and data will be stored, what staff will manage in an admin panel, and how screen use and crashes will be reported. Those answers make the proposed scope easier to compare.
Can the app share data with our website?
Yes. We can build a shared backend for your app, website and admin tools, so customer accounts and data live in the same place. When discussing the project, identify the information each part needs to read or update, along with the people who will use the admin tools.
Will we own the app and its accounts?
You own your code, content and domain, with no lock-in. Keep developer accounts, signing access and code repositories in your business’s name as well. That gives you control of the assets needed to move the app later, instead of having them held in an agency’s or freelancer’s name.
What support is available after launch?
We provide ongoing support for bug fixes, updates for new iOS and Android versions, and new features. Some JavaScript and content fixes can be delivered over the air. Changes to native code, new permissions and Expo SDK upgrades still need a store release, so the update route depends on what changed.
How should we assess the app after release?
Look at retention and the main task, not download counts alone. Check how many people return after installing and where they leave the task you want them to complete. The crash-free rate also helps you see whether a release improved stability or made it worse.
Tell us what you need
Sohail, Founder, replies within 1 working day (Mon–Sat, IST). Free and no obligation.
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