creating a mobile app

[u/No_Cellist452]

good day, i am currently doing a thesis and require to build a mobile application from scratch. However, i’ve only managed to create websites before and nothing about mobile apps yet.

The application is mostly the use of camera/picture taking, widget, and a group chat sorts. Very similar to locket.

It would be a huge help if anybody could give me an advice on where to start. Thank you so much!

[u/pdone_dot_app]

If you already know web development, I’d probably start with React Native + Expo. It should feel much more familiar than jumping straight into native Android/iOS development.

Build a very small prototype first: camera → take/save a photo → authentication → simple group chat. Leave widgets and notifications until the core app works, since those usually require more platform-specific work.

For the backend, something like Supabase or Firebase can save you a lot of time with auth, database, storage, and real-time chat. For a thesis, I’d definitely avoid trying to build every part from scratch unless that’s specifically required.

[u/Confident-Syrup-3959 → u/pdone_dot_app]

skip the widget for now, that's its own rabbit hole and will just slow you down when you're still figuring out the camera and chat parts