A native application is a software program that is developed for use on a particular platform or device. Because a native app is built for use on a particular device and its operating system, it has the ability to use device-specific hardware and software.

The 2 most important platforms for native mobile development are:

• iOS: for Apple devices such as iPhone, iPad
• Android: for Android devices

Benefits of a native app:

• Best performance: Native apps are very fast and responsive because they are built for that specific platform using the platforms core tools, programming languages & interfaces.
• More interactive and intuitive: Native mobile apps inherit their devices’ OS interfaces, making them look and feel like an integrated part of the device.
• Use all features of the platform: Native apps can directly access the hardware of the device such as the camera, microphone, GPS… As a result they will have access to more features of the platforms and they will be able to use the latest features.
• More Secure: Native apps are more secure because they have no extra intermediate layers that can be the target of possible attacks.