How Long Does It Take to Build an App? Timelines and the App Development Process

Indians downloaded 25.5 billion apps in 2025 and spent 1.23 trillion hours in them, according to Sensor Tower data reported by TechCrunch (January 2026). So more businesses in Delhi, Noida and Gurgaon want their own app, and the first question is almost always the same: how long will it take?

The honest answer depends on what the app has to do. This guide gives realistic timelines by app type, explains each stage of the app development process, and shows where projects usually lose time.

1. How long each type of app takes

The table below groups common business apps by size. The times are for a first version, built once for Android and iPhone with a cross-platform framework such as Flutter or React Native.

Approximate times for a first version, from an approved plan to a build ready for the stores. Every project depends on scope. App store review time is extra (see section 4).

Older industry data points the same way. In a 2013 survey of 100 mobile designers, backend vendor Kinvey found an estimated 18 weeks to build version 1 of an app, with 10 weeks of that for the backend alone (Kinvey, now part of Progress, January 2013). The survey is old and vendor-run, but its main lesson still holds: the parts users never see often take longer than the screens.

2. What decides how long your app takes

• Features and screens: every extra feature needs design, code and testing. Login, search, cart, payments, chat and notifications each add time.
• One codebase or two: a cross-platform app runs on Android and iPhone from one codebase. Two fully native apps (Swift for iPhone, Kotlin for Android) take longer, but suit apps that rely heavily on the phone's hardware. If you are weighing iPhone first, read why many startups start with iOS.
• Backend and admin panel: most business apps need a server, a database and a web panel where your team manages products, bookings or users.
• Integrations: payment gateways such as Razorpay or PhonePe, maps, SMS or WhatsApp messages, and links to your website, store or CRM.
• Design: a clean standard design is quicker than a fully custom look with complex animations.
• Your content and data: logo, product lists, photos, prices and policy text. Missing content is one of the most common reasons for delay.
• Decision speed: each round of feedback that waits a week adds a week to the project.

3. The app development process, stage by stage

Most app projects move through the same six stages. Design and development overlap, and testing runs through the whole project, not only at the end. The week numbers below are an illustration for a 12-week project, not a quote or a promise.

Here is what you do at each stage, step by step:

1. Plan: write down who will use the app and the three to five things they must be able to do. Mark everything else as "later".
2. Design: review the wireframes carefully. Changing a drawing takes hours; changing a finished screen takes days.
3. Development: join each milestone demo and test the working build on your own phone.
4. Testing: ask a few staff members and real customers to use the test version and report problems.
5. Launch: approve the store text, screenshots and privacy policy before submission.
6. Support: plan updates from day one. From 31 August 2026, new apps and app updates on Google Play must target Android 16 (API level 36) or higher (Android Developers), so every app needs regular technical updates.

4. App store accounts and review time

Building the app is not the last step. Both stores review every new app, and opening the right accounts can take days. Start this in week 1, not in the last week.

• Apple App Store review: Apple says it reviews at least 50% of submissions in less than 24 hours and 90% in less than 48 hours. Incomplete submissions can be delayed or rejected (Apple App Review).
• Apple account for a company: to publish in your company's name, you need a D-U-N-S Number. Apple asks you to allow up to 5 business days to get it from D&B, then up to 2 business days before Apple receives it (Apple Developer).
• Google Play testing rule: personal developer accounts created after 13 November 2023 must run a closed test with at least 12 testers, opted in for at least 14 days in a row, before they can apply for production access. Google says that review typically finishes within a week (Play Console Help).
• Google Play review: some apps and developer accounts get extended reviews that can take up to 7 days or longer in exceptional cases (Play Console Help).

5. Three examples

These are illustrations to show how scope changes the timeline. They are not CoregenX clients.

• A salon chain in Gurgaon wants customers to book services, pick a stylist, pay online and get reminders. Staff manage slots in a simple admin panel. This is a booking app, so it usually lands in the middle of the 8 to 16 week range.
• A grocery store in Noida wants 1,500 products, a cart, UPI payments, delivery slots, order status updates and a screen for delivery staff. The catalogue and delivery rules push it towards the upper end of the range.
• A logistics startup in Delhi wants a customer app, a driver app with live GPS tracking, chat and an admin dashboard. This is more than 16 weeks of work, so a sensible plan launches booking and tracking first, then adds chat, ratings and reports in later updates.

6. A checklist to save weeks

• Write a one-page brief: who the app is for, the must-have features and what can wait.
• Choose cross-platform if you need Android and iPhone and the app does not depend heavily on phone hardware.
• Collect your content early: logo, product data, photos, prices and policy text.
• Open Apple and Google developer accounts in your company's name in week 1.
• Name one decision maker and reply to each design or demo within two working days.
• Arrange access to the systems the app must connect to: payment gateway account, CRM, website or store.
• Line up a group of real users to test the app before launch.
• Agree on what happens after launch: fixes, updates and the next set of features.

7. How CoregenX can help

CoregenX builds Android and iPhone apps for businesses in Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, across India and abroad. Our team has 15+ years of experience, and we are an authorized partner of Razorpay and PhonePe.

• In a free online consultation, we look at your idea, split the features into "version 1" and "later", and tell you how long your scope is likely to take.
• We design and build native and cross-platform apps (Flutter and React Native), with an admin panel and payment gateways.
• You see working progress at every milestone, and we publish the app on Google Play and the Apple App Store.
• A typical business app usually takes 8 to 16 weeks, depending on scope, and we offer support and updates after launch.

See our mobile app development services, or contact us with a short list of the features you need.

8. FAQs

How long does it take to build a simple app?

A simple app with a few screens, a login and an enquiry or booking form usually sits near the lower end of 8 to 16 weeks, depending on scope. Online payments, a custom design or an admin panel add time.

Does building for both Android and iPhone double the time?

Not usually. With Flutter or React Native, one codebase runs on both Android and iPhone, so the app is usually ready sooner than two separate native apps. Testing and store submission still have to be done for each platform.

How long do the App Store and Google Play take to approve an app?

Apple says it reviews at least 50% of submissions in less than 24 hours and 90% in less than 48 hours. Google Play review can take up to 7 days or longer for some apps and accounts. A new personal Google Play account must first run a closed test with at least 12 testers for 14 days.

Can I launch faster with a smaller first version?

Yes. A first version with only the must-have features can launch sooner and start getting real feedback. Other features are added in later updates, based on what users actually need.

What happens after the app is launched?

An app needs regular updates for bug fixes, security and new Android and iOS versions. Google Play also requires new apps and updates to target a recent Android version. Most businesses keep adding features after launch, based on user feedback.