With AI changing rapidly, mobile app development trends are also not slowing down. Since 2025’s main theme being AI app generation, the focus has significantly shifted to a user-centric approach.

This article includes the top 7 mobile app development trends of 2026.

1. AI app generation

In recent years, AI app generation has taken a turn for the better. It allows anyone to build mobile and web apps without coding — and it takes only a few minutes to create the first version.

Platforms like Natively are becoming increasingly popular for their ability to build stable, functional native mobile apps. The best of all: users simply need to prompt the AI agent what they want to build.

With this, many non-coders and vibe coders are able to create and scale apps in no time. In addition, you can now create MVPs in minutes that otherwise would take months to develop.

2. App personalization

In 2026, an app’s success relies heavily on personalization. That’s where AI is being used to personalize app experiences in different ways, such as:

Behavior analysis and pattern recognition: Apps have AI algorithms integrated to track user activity within the app. It can help decode behavioral patterns to make the app’s UI and UX better.
Predictive analytics and recommendations: With user behavior data, AI can also predict the user’s next most likely action or need. Thus, it can suggest similar options and next moves.
Smart push notifications: With user data, you can personalize your app’s push notifications to make them relevant. This makes them retain users better.

Personalized user experiences can increase your app’s retention rate and convert more users. You may also create a competitive edge in the market.

3. IoT-connected systems

The Internet of Things (IoT) is expanding fast, with mobile apps connecting easily to smart devices, wearables, and sensors. It creates an ecosystem that makes digital experiences feel effortless to the end-user.

In addition, spatial computing is becoming increasingly popular as AR/VR interfaces are being used to control IoT data. The goal is to reduce app fatigue and unify experiences.

4. AR integrations

For several years now, Augmented Reality (AR) has become a rapidly growing trend for mobile apps. According to Statista, there were an estimated 1.07 billion mobile AR users in 2025. This figure is estimated to reach 1.19 billion users by 2028.

If you’re wondering where all these users are coming from, it’s across industries. Entertainment, retail, and travel are the most popular industries for AR mobile apps.

5. Voice user interfaces

The surge of AI has also led to the rise of voice user interface (VUIs). These are meant to integrate smoothly into workspaces and everyday use.

Some of the most common VUIs include:

Speech-to-text feature in mobile apps
Audio transcripts from meetings
Voice-activated virtual assistants such as Siri or Alexa

People use voice user interfaces for almost everything — setting alarms, controlling music, and so on. With this, the voice user interface market size is projected to reach $116.8 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 20.8% from 2025 to 2032.

6. Cross-platform apps

Although it’s become much easier to build native apps with AI, cross-platform apps are surprisingly in trend. The reason is: businesses get to save costs, resources, and time with cross-platform apps.

In addition, these apps have a similar interface as native apps. It allows businesses to scale faster efficiently while providing the best user experience possible.

7. AI features

In 2026, almost every app is integrated with AI features — including productivity apps. Even if an app doesn’t brand themselves as an “AI app”, it likely has some form of AI functionality in the background.

AI features in an app could look like:

Chatbots for customer service
Visual search that can search image libraries
Personalized recommendations based on user behavior
Smart labeling to organize data
Real-time translation
Speech-to-text features

You must’ve already used these features on platforms like Google Translate and Netflix. At the same time, platforms as simple as Notion have also added AI features.

If integrated well to fulfill user needs, it can be your competitive edge as well. For instance, you could add features to reduce friction in user journeys. The more you leverage it, the better results you’ll achieve.

Bottom Line

In conclusion, AI and AR are taking the lead in app development this year. While it’s become easier to build native apps with platforms like Natively, cross-platform apps are also rising in trends.

You can use the trends to give your app an edge in a competitive market. In addition, make all your solutions user-centric — that’s another hidden trend of 2026.