Whether you’re looking to transition into computer science or are a self-taught programmer, you may benefit from a mobile development boot camp online. Mobile development is the act of building software that will run on mobile devices, including phones, tablets, smart TVs and smartwatches. Online boot camps offer a convenient way to learn mobile development skills. 

A mobile development boot camp online is an intensive educational course that helps teach you the skills to create mobile apps. Boot camps are typically brief, lasting only a few weeks or months, compared to other educational pathways such as a bachelor’s or master’s degree. They’re also fast-paced. Boot camps require a lot of time studying and practicing outside of the remote classroom.

People enroll in boot camps for a variety of reasons. Some people enroll with little or no experience, using the boot camp as a tool to change careers. Others use mobile development and other coding boot camps to conquer a new skill. If you already have development experience, this approach may prepare you for advanced positions or promotions. 

The economy for mobile apps is thriving. App Annie is a mobile app analytics and insights platform. In its 2017-2022 App Economy Forecast report, it notes the following:

The programming skills you need to participate in a mobile development boot camp online depend on the program. Some programs might be structured for beginners, while others might be structured for more experienced programmers who already have basic mobile development knowledge. Additionally, there typically isn’t a minimum degree requirement to enroll in a development boot camp. In fact, many people learn to code and start coding careers without a bachelor’s degree. Others may have degrees unrelated to computer science and choose to use coding and mobile development boot camps to switch careers. 

Here are some fundamental skills you need to succeed in a mobile development boot camp online:

Your daily experience with a mobile development boot camp depends on how the online course is structured. Some boot camps allow you to complete courses on your own time. Others require you to complete courses within a certain number of weeks as a full- or part-time student. 

When a mobile development boot camp online is self-paced, you may typically finish whenever you’re able to. It’s up to you to set your schedule, review the materials and complete assignments. You can take as long as you need to finish the course. In-person and hybrid boot camps, on the other hand, often require you to attend sessions and complete assignments by certain dates. In this case, you’ll likely have to put in a few hours of work each day to complete the fixed-term course. If you enroll in a full-time course, expect to put in eight hours a day. 

Whichever boot camp format you choose, you need to be a self-starter who will study and complete practice materials each day. Online programs don’t have in-person classes or meetings. To make up for this, they typically offer online “office hours,” during which you can talk with your instructors. It’s also common for boot camps to have an online messaging channel for students to communicate throughout the day. 

There are several fundamental skills you need to build mobile apps for Android, iOS and Microsoft Windows devices. A mobile development boot camp will likely teach you certain languages or dev environments that you can apply to mobile development. Boot camps typically focus on building mobile apps for either iOS or Android devices.

In an online mobile development boot camp, you might learn to code in one or more of these languages: 

You’ll also learn to work in a dev environment, such as: 

Other skills you might learn include: 

If you went into a boot camp with minimal programming experience, you may be eligible for junior developer positions or related entry level roles. If you had a few years of experience as a programmer and used a boot camp to learn additional skills, then you might be a good fit for slightly higher positions. 

Common job titles you may look for after you complete your mobile development boot camp online include: 

Before choosing a boot camp, pay close attention to its completion and job placement rates. If the numbers seem misleading, or even if they don’t, consider contacting program alumni. Ask about their experience finding jobs after completing the boot camp and whether they received support from the program. 

Whether or not you apply for iOS or Android mobile app development jobs typically comes down to your preference. You might find one area more interesting or feel more confident in a certain setting. You can be strategic about what kinds of jobs you look for.

One way to decide between iOS vs. Android development jobs is to find out which captures the greatest percentage of the U.S. and other mobile app markets. Or, you could find out which industries tend to focus on Android or iOS. If you’re interested in a specific industry, you might develop a clear preference between iOS vs. Android jobs.

Luckily, this choice doesn’t influence the rest of your career. You should apply for whichever jobs you feel qualified for—whether they design for iOS, Android or both. After gaining more experience, you can work on improving your skills in other languages and environments. 

The salaries of mobile developers varies depending on the industry, region and years of experience. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports salary statistics for a number of computer and information technology careers. While it doesn’t report salary data for mobile developers specifically, it does report median annual wages for the careers below. 

When researching mobile developer salaries, it is important to look for data by industry, position, region and even company. The average salaries at one company may not be the same at another. For example, a start-up may pay mobile developers differently than an established tech company.

Choosing the best mobile development boot camp online involves weighing a number of factors. Some mobile development boot camp factors to consider:

Last updated: July 2020