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Given just how big the Android development segment of the global software development market is, it comes as no surprise that there are quite a few Android developers out there. However, the sheer number of Android app coders makes finding the best Android app programmers a very time-consuming task.
Do you have a complex custom Android app development project? If you do then you will be looking to build a first-rate Android development team that comprises of skilled Android app developers and an experienced project manager.
Chances are that you are either looking for some expert Android developers to supplement your existing team or are looking to build a team of dedicated Android developers from scratch to create your Android apps. Well, the good news is that you have come to the right place.
DevTeam.Space has been outsourcing developers to help our clients build their Android applications for over a decade now, and, in this time, we have helped them to build hundreds of great Android apps.
We have a community of more than 1200 developers and 62 development teams, all of whom we personally interviewed and vetted before allowing them to join our platform. So it is fair to say that we know a thing or two about finding that great mobile application developer.
Let’s get started.
We recommend that you begin by thinking through your project requirements very carefully. Only by doing this will you to understand exactly what kind of Android developer you need (i.e., do you need a full stack developer, etc.).
After you have done this, you need to decide how you will evaluate your Android programmers. Here is a list of the general skills associated with Andoid app development. Remember that yours will be unique to your project.
Native Android development skills
Without a doubt, native Android development offers the best user experience, performance, and speed to users, provided your app is coded well of course.
Native Android development utilizes programming languages as well as Android technology tools such as Android Studio that are designed for the Android platform. Native apps offer the best performance and user experience.
If you decide to develop a native Android app, then you should look for the following skills in your software developer:
- Programming languages like Java or Kotlin: Java has been the mainstay for Android development for a long time. This well-established language helps you to develop secure Android apps as well as performant and scalable mobile apps. In recent years, Kotlin has emerged as a very popular choice for Android development. Kotlin helps Android programmers to achieve more by coding less, moreover, it eliminates several common coding errors by design. Our guide “Kotlin vs Java: Which is the best choice?” can help you choose the right one for your project.
- Native Android development tools: Developers should use Android Studio, apopular IDE for native Android development. Native Android application programmers should also know about popular testing frameworks such as Expresso.
- Android SDKs: As part of your project, you will likely use one or more leading 3rd party APIs. This will be to implement common features like mobile payment, etc. Leading 3rd party API providers typically offer Android and iOS SDKs. These expedite development work and help to reduce bugging errors, therefore, native Android developers should know about them.
- Knowledge of how to create and publish an app to the app store that adheres completely to the Google Play store guidelines.
React Native development skills
In some cases, you might need alternatives to native development. In this case, you might choose to use React Native, a popular mobile development framework. This open-source framework will help if you to develop a hybrid app that can be used on more than one OS platform.
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Developing two seperate native Android and iOS apps can be a bit expensive since you will need to hire developers with entirely different skills. Your maintenance costs will also go up too. This is why hybrid development is so appealing as it helps to lower costs (provided you have good developers who write great code that is).
React Native can be a viable alternative. While it can’t fully match the native user experience and performance, React Native does offer a near-native experience.
This application framework can access many native APIs of the Android platform. Many of its building blocks map directly to native components. Therefore, React Native delivers a much better user experience than earlier frameworks based on JavaScript, HTML, and CSS.
React Native allows a significant amount of code reuse. You can write an Android app and reuse the code for iOS app development. This keeps your mobile application development and maintenance costs down. For a mobile app developer, React Native is easy to learn too.
Those are the main pros and cons, you will need to look hard at your project requirements to decide which one is most suitable for your specific needs.
Other cutting-edge technology skills
Depending on your business requirements, you might choose to offer certain complex features in your app. The good news is that modern technologies have made it easier to offer such features.
Based on what kind of capabilities you plan to offer in your app, you might choose to implement technologies like Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), Internet-of-Things (IoT), analytics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), etc.
The exact skill will vary based on the technology you use. For example, if you are planning to offer AI/ML-powered features, then you would need developers with Python skills. Analyze your project requirements thoroughly so you can outline the exact tech stack requirements so you can then look for the appropriate skills in your Android developer and the rest of your team.
Other software development skills
Mobile development on the Android platform requires several other skills too. These aren’t necessarily specific to Android development, rather these are more generic skills that a software developer needs. In this category, you need to look for the following skills:
A. Application security skills
You might need to process aggregate, anonymized data like Google Analytics data in your app. Most apps process some amount of sensitive information, which might include your users’ personal information, etc.
Given growing concerns about data security, you need to proactively secure your Android app. You must comply with the stringent data security and privacy regulations applicable to your industry. Since many mobile applications now work in sync with web apps, security is vital as you will need to ensure your gateways are safe and resistant to breaches by hackers, etc.
You should look for programmers that know how to code secure apps. Developers need to follow applicable coding standards and best practices, which mitigate many key application security vulnerabilities. They also need to use modern techniques like multi-factor authentication, encryption, etc.
B. API development skills
You will likely develop 1st party APIs so that the front-end of your Android app can access the backend using a consistent framework. Using APIs can also help you to scale your development process since this can help you to iterate rapidly.
REST, or “Representational State Transfer” is the de-facto standard for API development. You need programmers that know how to develop RESTful APIs. They need to use appropriate API development tools, utilize modern databases smartly, and create effective rules for API requests/responses.
Developers need to smartly design the API endpoint URLs. Finally, they need to secure the APIs they create using techniques like authentication tokens, encryption, digital signature, quotas, throttling, etc.
C. The familiarity with cloud platforms
There is now a way that you can focus on the mobile app front-end and business logic and spend less time and resources on your mobile backend. Cloud platforms are the answer to this problem.
Mobile-Backend-as-a-Service (MBaaS) platforms are cloud platforms that help you to build and manage your mobile backend. These platforms are fully managed by cloud providers. AWS Amplify is an example of an MBaaS platform.
MBaaS platforms manage cloud infrastructure, persistent storage, etc. You can use them to easily integrate APIs, moreover, MBaaS platforms can help you to scale your app.
Using an MBaaS platform can save considerable time, which allows you to focus on the front-end. Look for developers that have familiarity with popular MBaaS platforms like AWS Amplify.
D. The experience of reviewing code
You must plan to thoroughly test your Android app, however, you need to do more. Successful project execution requires you to identify bugs early, and effective code reviews help significantly with this.
One example is application security. A number of key application security vulnerabilities are hard to find during testing, however, experienced reviewers can spot them.
Code reviewers are developers too, however, they are experienced developers who have learned a lot about bugs and how to best fix them over the years. Look for developers that also know how to review code.
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E. The knowledge of successfully delivering software development projects
Technical skills are important when creating any software for mobile devices, however, developers also need to know how to succeed in complex projects. The following examples illustrate this:
- While Android developers aren’t exactly UI designers, they need to know how to implement the user interface design in their code. (Keep in mind there are different Android versions where UI rules do differ slightly. Your developer needs to know about these).
- A software architect makes the architectural decisions, however, a programmer should know how to code in line with a specific architectural pattern.
- Developers need to collaborate proactively with testers and DevOps engineers. This collaboration is a crucial element in establishing an effective CI/CD environment.
Look for programmers that have the skills and experience to make your project a success.
How to find the best Android developer?
By now, you know the skills that you should look for when hiring Android app developers. You now need to take the following steps to hire such a programmer:
1. Decide what kind of platform to hire Android developers
There are numerous freelancer sites that provide access to freelance software developers. You can hire a freelance Android developer from any of these sites. Since these sites allow you to directly communicate with freelancers, you might even be able to negotiate a low rate.
However, remember that these freelance platforms have a few big disadvantages.
Firstly, they don’t provide any project management support, so you are on your own. Freelancers generally work on your project only on a part-time basis. They work on multiple projects simultaneously to increase their income. Therefore, you will likely not get as much time and dedication from a freelancer as you will get from dedicated Android developers.
Other freelancer platforms focus primarily on software development. This can be an advantage since you can get high-quality programmers. However, you don’t get any other managerial support from such platforms once you hire a developer. Finally, you will need to integrate the work of the freelancer with the rest of your team, which can be both time-consuming and problematic.
To hire full-time developers, you should contact a professional app development company that outsources its full-time developers or dev teams. A key advantage of hiring developers from a mobile app development services company like DevTeam.Space is you get instant access to a vetted community of field expert developers via our streamlined hiring process that allows fast and efficient onboarding.
Not only will you hire using a transparent contracting process, but DevTeam.Space assigns a dedicated account manager to monitor the performance of all of our developers and we offer a replacement if the developer gets sick, etc. You account manager can even manage the development process should you require them to.
You can learn more by contacting us with your project requirements simply by clicking on one of our “Get Started” banners.
2. Interview the shortlisted candidates
Assuming you have decided on which type of hiring platform to use and shortlisted the best candidates, you now need to interview them. If you are a technology expert, then you already know which questions to ask to judge their skill level.
Top Tip: You must have someone skilled in Android development to ensure you can really ask the cutting questions to your candidates.
You need the right technical expertise.
You can ask a friend or associate to interview candidates on your behalf if they have the necessary technical knowledge. Remember to cover the various kinds of skills we have highlighted. If you don’t have the skills, get in touch and we can assist you.
Gain insights about the work experience of the candidates.
Ask about the various projects they have worked on, how they achieved success, what kind of challenges they had to face, etc. When appropriate, ask the candidate to show the app they developed. Be sure to check references.
Explain your Android mobile app development requirements to the candidates in detail.
Ask them about how they would approach such a project. You should expect detailed answers and not waffle. We like to follow up the initial question with an in-depth rebuttal or enhancement on a point made in their answer to really test the candidate in full.
3. Undertake a final interview to double check everything
This is standard and a no brainer. However, the key point here is that you double check everything to make sure you are 100%.
Top Tip: If a candidate has struggled on any answer in the skills interview, we like to ask them it again here to see if they have found out the solution. If they have, you have a well-motivated developer on your hands.
Interview tips for hiring Android developers
Consider the following interview tips when you hire Android app developers:
A. Choose early between native Android development vs cross-platform development
To hire top Android developers, you need clarity regarding your requirements. Decide early on your Android app development approach. Choose between native development vs cross-platform development. Software engineers need vastly different skills for them. Channel your efforts efficiently.
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B. Think long-term regarding your Android applications
While you can use either Java or Kotlin for native Android development, Kotlin might just be the better long-term choice. The creators of Kotlin designed it for native development. Many expert software developers believe that Kotlin is safer than Java. Also, some languages are better than others for specific functionalities, i.e. Python for blockchain development, etc. Consider the long-term aspects when hiring Android app developers.
C. Focus on the non-functional requirements (NFRs) too
Understandably, you need to focus on the functional requirements. Don’t cut corners concerning the NFRs though. Scalability, performance, usability, etc. are very important too. They make a sustained impact on the overall user experience.
The best Android developers know how to balance functional and non-functional requirements. Look for specialized Android developers with this knowledge.
You might find it hard to assess this skill in any freelance Android developers. Freelance Android developers might show you an impressive project portfolio. However, you can’t really gauge their true contributions to those projects.
Hire Android app developers from trustworthy software development companies like DevTeam.Space that offer to outsource their full-time developers. Since we follow a stringent vetting process for our developers and work with them every day, we know their abilities well.
D. Prioritize the knowledge of app development processes
Look for software engineers with knowledge of relevant app development processes. These include your chosen software development methodology, quality management process, software architecture, etc. Android app developers with knowledge in these areas improve the chance of your project being a success.
You might find it hard to evaluate these skills when interviewing Android development freelancers. This is another reason to hire from companies like DevTeam.Space that have their own comprehensive screening process.
Sample interview questions to find Android developers
Ask questions to assess the relevant Android development experience. The following are a few examples:
A. How to set up an Android device for app development and testing?
Answer: Take the following steps:
Categorize your app as “debuggable” when you register it.
Activate “USB Debugging” on your device.
Follow the Android guidelines to make configuration changes for detecting the device.
B. How do you pinpoint memory leaks in Android apps when using Android Studio?
Answer: Use the Android Device Manager (ADM) in Android Studio. ADM helps you to pinpoint memory leaks. Launch the ADM, and you will find a heap sign. Activate it and it will help you to pinpoint memory leaks.
C. Mention some of the preliminary steps for troubleshooting an Android app that crashes often.
Answer: Take the following preliminary steps before the specific troubleshooting work:
Remove app data usage;
Clean up the memory;
Check memory usage;
Check for compatibility issues.
Review our Android interview questions for more examples.
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Developing an Android app can be complex. You need competent Android developers with well-rounded skills and experience.
Finding competent Android developers for hire can be hard. We have explained the skills that you should look for, the various hiring platforms, and how you can best interview candidates.
Keep in mind that hiring individual developers and managing their work can take a lot of time and effort. However, you can save that time if you outsource the development project to a trustworthy software development company like DevTeam.Space.
We recommend that you spend a few minutes and fill out the DevTeam.Space product specification form. A dedicated account manager will contact you to answer any questions that you might have.
