Mobile App Development · United Kingdom

Mobile App Development Company UK

A remote team that builds iOS and Android apps for UK companies, from Open Banking integration to the DTAC evidence that NHS-adjacent apps need.

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How we work

A mobile app for UK users meets rules that a US-only build would not necessarily face. The ICO's Children's code (the Age Appropriate Design Code) covers any app likely to be accessed by children, including apps that were never built for them, and a fintech app that moves money is expected to support Open Banking connections and Strong Customer Authentication in place of a username-and-password login. A mobile app development company working with UK businesses makes these architecture decisions at the start and avoids a compliance pass added just before submission.

Health apps built for or alongside the NHS face a further hurdle: the Digital Technology Assessment Criteria (DTAC), which expects documented evidence on clinical safety, data protection, interoperability and usability before a trust will adopt the app.

Market

What the UK buyers expect from this work

The ICO's Children's code applies more broadly than expected
An app doesn't need to be marketed at children to fall under the Age Appropriate Design Code; it applies if children are likely to access it. That changes default settings (no profiling for ads, high privacy defaults, no nudging toward weaker privacy choices) for a wider range of consumer apps than founders usually expect.
Open Banking and Strong Customer Authentication for fintech apps
UK users of a finance app expect Open Banking connections through the frameworks UK banks support, letting the app read account data or initiate payments with the user's consent, and Strong Customer Authentication for anything moving money, generally two-factor confirmation combining something the user has and something they know or are.
NHS DTAC evidence for health apps
An app intended for use inside or alongside the NHS is assessed against the DTAC's criteria on clinical safety, data protection, interoperability, usability and accessibility. We structure the build so that evidence, data flow maps, risk logs, accessibility testing, exists as a natural output of development rather than a document produced after the fact.
App Store and Play Store expectations
UK apps go through the same Apple and Google review process as anywhere else, but privacy nutrition labels and data safety declarations need to reflect UK GDPR-based consent flows specifically, which differ in places from a US-only privacy policy adapted for a different market.
Push notifications and marketing consent
Marketing push notifications and in-app messages fall under PECR's consent rules in much the same way as marketing email, so we build an explicit opt-in for promotional notifications separate from the functional ones (order updates, appointment reminders) a user would reasonably expect without asking.

Compliance we plan for

ICO Children's code (Age Appropriate Design Code) for apps likely to reach children
UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 for personal data collected through the app
Strong Customer Authentication for apps handling payments
NHS DTAC criteria for health apps used inside or alongside the NHS

How the engagement runs

Mobile projects are typically scoped as a fixed-price build through the first App Store and Play Store submission. Where the app touches NHS adoption, the project plan includes the documentation the DTAC assessment expects as a deliverable, not a separate engagement afterward.

IP assigns to the client on payment, and the app is published under the client's own developer accounts from the first submission, with delivery meetings sitting inside UK working hours.

Industries

Industries we often work with here

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Does the ICO Children's code apply to our app if it's not aimed at kids?

It can, if children are likely to access it regardless of your intended audience. We assess this early since it changes default settings around profiling, advertising and data collection well before launch, rather than something to revisit after a regulator inquiry.

How do you add Open Banking to a UK fintech app?

We integrate with the Open Banking frameworks UK banks support, letting users connect an account or authorise a payment with their consent, and build Strong Customer Authentication into the flow so money-moving actions meet the two-factor requirement by default.

What evidence do we need for an NHS DTAC assessment?

Documented evidence across five areas, clinical safety, data protection, interoperability, usability and accessibility, generated through data flow mapping, risk logs and accessibility testing carried out during development rather than assembled afterward.

Do we need a UK-specific privacy policy for our app, separate from a US one?

Yes, if you're serving UK users. A US-drafted privacy policy usually doesn't reflect UK GDPR's consent and lawful-basis requirements correctly, and the App Store and Play Store data safety declarations need to match what the app actually does under those rules.

How long does it take to build a UK Open Banking-enabled app?

Typically four to six months for a first release, with a meaningful share of that time spent on the Open Banking connection and Strong Customer Authentication flow, since those integrations need careful testing against real bank sandboxes before going live.

Do we need separate consent for push notifications versus order updates?

Yes. Under PECR, promotional push notifications need an explicit opt-in separate from functional ones like order confirmations or appointment reminders, which a user would reasonably expect as part of using the app. We build the two as distinct consent flags rather than one blanket notification toggle.