What’s the secret to having a successful Android app?
You could argue it’s having a great team, a good development process, sound marketing strategies, and enough capital to see it through.
These are all important, no doubt.
But all of these are useless without a killer app idea.
Ideas can make or break your app. A well-designed app wrapped around a poor app concept is nothing more than eye candy.
But with millions of apps already in the Google Play Store, how can you even develop something fresh and innovative?
Well, let these 17 app ideas be your starting point.
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Disaster management app
Good apps should make your life easier and happier, but even fewer can actually save it. A disaster management app is one of that select few.
Disaster management apps give people valuable information or connect them to critical services during natural disasters like earthquakes, typhoons, or fires.
For instance, SirenGPS is an app that allows victims to contact first responders during an emergency.
It automatically transmits their location and details, which is useful if they can’t call for any reason.
Similar apps can also be used to prepare for an impending disaster or recover afterward.
One example is the FEMA app, created by the US Federal Emergency Management Agency. It gives those affected critical information, such as local relief centers or shelters.
Vehicle breakdown assistance app
Having your car break down during a vacation or important meeting is always an unpleasant experience. Fortunately, vehicle breakdown assistance apps can aid you in such situations.
If your car breaks down, a vehicle assistance app can help you get help at the touch of a button.
A good app should allow the user to assess the problem and use it to send the appropriate measures.
For instance, if it’s a simple flat tire, the app could send a mechanic to change the tires on-site.
But if it’s something serious like an engine stalling or faulty brakes, a tow truck must bring it to the nearest auto repair shop.
Bicycle servicing app
Like any vehicle, bicycles should receive constant maintenance to keep running smoothly.
The problem is that most people often forget to do this. But a bicycle servicing app can help with that.
Bicycle servicing apps can help you track key metrics in your bike or motorcycle, like air pressure or mileage. It can then remind you if you’re up for servicing.
ProBikeGarage is an Android app that does this well:
These apps allow the person to register an item they lost in a centralized location that the establishment can see. Conversely, it also allows someone to log an item that they found.
Having such a solution at your disposal can improve your odds of finding your item because it involves more people in the search.
Some apps, like Lost and Found, will even shoulder the shipping fee for lost items.
Travel destination finder app
Planning your vacation can be a rewarding but also stressful experience, especially if you have no idea about the country you’re going to.
Fortunately, travel destination finder apps can be a lifesaver.
These apps can help you research tourist spots, things to do, and places to eat at your destination. Some can even create a custom itinerary based on your preferences and schedule.
Plus, there are plenty of niches you can explore. For instance, the Roadtrippers app is a travel planner specifically for road trips.
While destination finder apps can help you plan the perfect vacation spot, tourist helper apps take over once you’re at your destination.
These apps are essential for helping you enjoy your trip even if you’re in an unfamiliar country.
From helping you find the best hidden spots to communicating with the natives better, they could make your vacation smooth sailing—as much as possible.
We could say that Google Translate is one example of a tourist helper app, as it allows users to talk to people at their destinations without knowing their language.
Currency converters are also good convenience apps for tourists. It can be a pain to convert manually when making purchases, so these apps can be a timesaver.
You can also create tourist information apps that give important safety and cultural insights.
Expense tracker app
Budgeting is an essential yet much-hated task for any responsible individual. That’s why expense trackers can be so promising.
These apps can range from rudimentary apps that just let you log in expenses to more advanced solutions that use AI to give smart insights into your spending.
This app facilitates recycling, from reminding you to take the trash to laying out collection points near you.
It also includes helpful learning resources that teach people the ins and outs of recycling.
Food waste reduction app
Every year, as much as one-third of the world’s food supply (worth $230 billion) is wasted, according to the Boston Consulting Group (BCG).
Food waste apps can help cut down on this worrying statistic by encouraging and facilitating businesses and individuals to reduce wastage through sustainable practices.
The premise is simple. The app lists down all the food items in your fridge and suggests recipes and workarounds to existing ones so you can consume them all.
This cuts down on unnecessary waste and even saves money.
Another example is the Food for All app. This platform helps sell or donate a restaurant’s food at a huge discount instead of being thrown away.
Grocery price comparison app
Everyone loves a good bargain, especially with buying essential groceries. A grocery price comparison app can help you find them.
The app does as its name suggests. It allows users to get the prices of a grocery item from multiple stores, making comparisons convenient and fast.
For instance, the Flipp app is a marketplace that includes over 2,000 establishments. This can help you hunt for the best grocery deals and save money.
Another example is ShopSavvy. This one’s more versatile, allowing shoppers to scan barcodes of items at a physical store to determine if there’s a better deal or price elsewhere.
Grocery delivery app
The recent Covid pandemic allowed grocery delivery platforms to flourish. And it looks like it’s not going away anytime soon.
The main appeal of grocery delivery apps is convenience. Instead of driving to the supermarket, you can restock your pantry at the touch of a button.
It’s especially useful if you only have to buy a few items.
Instacart is perhaps the most popular grocery delivery platform.
But there are plenty of opportunities to innovate in this niche. For instance, you can use AI to offer personalized offers to customers based on their past purchases.
You can even predict when they might run out of supplies and send them a reminder.
Drone service app
Drones have many uses, from taking photos to delivering items to customers. The problem is that a good, quality drone can be expensive.
Plus, flying a drone in most cities requires a license.
The solution? An app that allows users to rent a drone or get the services of the drone owner, like the service shown below.
Drone service apps are also beneficial to the owners themselves. It allows them to monetize their hobby, helping defray some of the upfront costs of owning and learning to operate a drone.
Tenant finder app
Have a few properties you’d like to monetize? A tenant finder app can help!
Also called landlord apps, these can help property owners find suitable tenants. Most of these are online platforms advertising available properties, such as the Rentable app.
In the future, you can introduce innovative features to this simple process. For instance, the app should require tenants to verify their financial capacity and good standing.
This streamlines the application process while ensuring landlords are only getting responsible tenants.
Tutor finder app
The online tutoring industry is a substantial one, valued at $7.69 billion in 2022. This tells you that there’s a legitimate demand for the service that an app could fill.
Tutor finder apps aim to solve the biggest hurdle of the service—helping students find capable and experienced tutors.
Tutor Around is like a marketplace for tutors. Students can browse potential tutors based on their qualifications, rates, reviews, and availability.
This transparency helps facilitate the process and makes landing a good tutor much easier.
Wedding planner app
Weddings can be incredibly stressful to plan, which is why a planner app can be tremendously helpful.
These apps take the role of a virtual wedding planner. They can help organize the moving parts and tasks involved in a wedding, such as catering, the DJ, invitations, venue, and others.
One example of an app that does this is WeddingHappy.
Wedding planner apps are, at their core, to-do lists made specifically for weddings. You can thus use the same features of a good to-do list, such as a simple UI, offline sync, and prioritization.
Gift suggestion app
Thinking of what gift to give your friends or family on their birthday or during the holidays? It might seem like a straightforward task, but it’s nevertheless one that stumps most people.
You can create a gift suggestion app that takes some stress off that plate. These apps can curate a list of gift ideas based on factors such as the occasion or the receiver’s preferences.
Some apps, like Giftata, even have a live concierge whom you can ask for gift ideas if you’re really at a loss. You could also leverage AI to deliver smart gift suggestions.
Toy exchange app
Toy exchange apps are great ways to help parents reduce clutter stemming from toy overwhelm.
These apps function like online marketplaces, where toy owners can connect with buyers who want to buy second-hand toys at a bargain.
They could also choose to swap toys with them instead.
Toy exchange apps have psychological, social, and environmental benefits. By selling or giving toys instead of disposing of them, people can reduce the carbon footprint from toys.
Need help bringing these ideas to life?
We hope you’re inspired by the ideas shared in this article.
The fact is that you’ll never run out of great ideas for your app. You just need to think outside the box, do your market research, and partner with the right development team to flesh it out.
An Applied Sciences graduate and a true connoisseur of tech, Ivan is a software developer with a genuine love for exploring new technologies. QAs love his code, and his fellow developers always value his input. For Ivan, there is no issue too small to talk over, and no problem that can’t be solved together.
When he is not coding, Ivan is usually hiking or playing football. His ideal workspace? Probably a cottage in the mountains, with a serious gaming setup and fast internet connection.
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