Mobile app development is one of the biggest new industries of the last decade. As of 2017, Google has stated that over 2 billion devices around the world use the Android operating system, alongside Apple’s 1 billion iOS mobile devices around the globe. The capabilities and adopted use of modern smartphones can provide an easy gateway to collect data or engage with participants for research purposes. It might seem a daunting task for newcomers to write a program for the computer in their pocket, but modern tools and software make it more accessible than ever. We will present a brief overview of the differences between Android and iOS development requirements, and provide demonstrations on how to program an app for your Android phone using a Windows PC environment and a sample of free software packages.

A familiarity with programming languages and logic is assumed. Program code presented during the workshop may be written in languages including (but not limited to) Java and C#, familiarity with syntax of these languages is recommended. It is not expected for attendees to program during the workshop, but those who wish to do so are recommended to install the “Android Studio” IDE in advance.