20 Trending Mobile App Ideas for Startups in 2022

With the constantly increasing usage of Smartphone devices, mobile apps have become an inevitable part of our lives. Today, there is an app for almost everything you can think of, ranging from booking cabs, flights, movie tickets, an appointment with a Doctor, and a table at a restaurant to ordering food and groceries, attending fitness classes, dating, and meditation. Everything today is indeed virtually available at your fingertips!

As per Statista, there are over 6 million applications available on various app stores. Despite this massive number, only a handful of applications succeed and achieve the goals they set out to achieve. Why do other apps fail to cross that mark? This is the most common question among entrepreneurs looking for an innovative mobile app idea that can steal the market in the upcoming years.

However, the success of a mobile application depends not only on choosing the right development partner but also on how innovative the idea behind it is. For becoming successful, your mobile app idea should be unique and focus on problem-solving. Customers need solutions, and if your app successfully delivers them, it will be a big hit among them.

Looking for million-dollar mobile app ideas to be the next big name in the market? Take inspiration from these 20 cool mobile app ideas that we have curated after hours of in-depth research and analyzing the latest market trends. As a startup, you can execute any of these brilliant mobile app ideas to serve an untapped audience and gain a competitive advantage in your industry. So here we go!

Highlights

• What is the Future of Mobile App Development?
• 20 Unique Mobile App Ideas for Startups
• How Much Does It Cost to Build an App?
• Get, Set, & Execute That Unique App Idea!

What is the Future of Mobile App Development?

If you’re confused about whether or not building a mobile app is a good idea for your startup, take a look at the following statistics:

• The number of smartphone users worldwide is forecasted to exceed 7.5 billion by 2026.

• Global mobile app revenue is expected to reach around $935 billion by 2025.

• The global mobile app market size is projected to reach $654 billion by 2026.

• By 2025, users are expected to download approximately 187 billion apps from the Google Play Store.

• The average smartphone user has more than 80 apps installed and uses nearly 30 of them each month.

All these figures demonstrate the significance of mobile apps for any business. For startups, the future of mobile apps is bright and going to get better with cutting-edge technologies like Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Blockchain, Natural Language Processing (NLP), Machine Learning (ML), cloud computing, etc.

20 Unique Mobile App Ideas for Startups

The uniqueness of a mobile app idea plays a vital role in determining the success of a startup. However, coming up with a creative mobile app development idea is not as easy as you think, as it requires adequate research, analysis, and knowledge. To make your quest easier, here are some of the most demanding mobile app ideas that you can work upon and launch in 2022.

1) On-demand Fuel Delivery App

This could be one of the most innovative mobile app ideas in 2022. Like a food or grocery delivery app, which delivers the purchased goods at the comfort of your home, fuel delivery is the same concept.

An on-demand fuel delivery app allows users to refill their out-of-fuel vehicles stuck by the roadside without visiting a fuel station. Users will have to register on the application, which will automatically detect their location. Alternatively, users can also choose the location of their vehicle. After placing the order, a delivery truck from the closest fuel station will reach the specified location and refill the tank with all safety precautions. That’s it!

2) Agency Banking App

An agency bank, also known as an agent bank, is a type of branchless banking that facilitates traditional banks to expand their network of branches and services internationally in a cost-effective manner with the help of authorized agents. It acts as a middleman for a bank or group of banks looking for quick-to-market expansion in other countries.

Agency banking has recently gained tremendous popularity due to various benefits, such as rapid financial inclusion, risk management, and product availability. Several world’s leading banks, including Kenya Commercial Bank, Equity Bank, and Co-operative Bank, have already embraced this trend, and you too can launch your startup around this trending idea.

3) Scan & Go App

Nobody likes to wait in the ultra-fast era of technological innovations. To fulfill the ever-increasing demands of their customers, traditional brick-and-mortar stores are looking for a way to leverage the true potential of FinTech for their business, and they got the savior in the form of seamless Scan & Go solutions.

Scan and Go or Scan and Shop is a self-checkout solution designed to provide customers with a convenient and secure shopping experience. The app requires no registration, and you can use it straight away by scanning products’ QR and barcodes at the store.

Once you’re done with your shopping, you can scan the final payment barcode at the self-checkout counter. This makes your shopping even more convenient as you don’t need to take out your items from your basket for payment.

4) Last-Mile Delivery App

Also known as the final mile delivery, last-mile delivery is the last step of the delivery process. At this stage, a parcel is dispatched from a distribution center or facility to its final destination, usually a residential, official, or retail store address. It mostly happens to be the most expensive phase of the journey.

A last-mile delivery app optimizes the delivery process by showing the shortest routes, providing a bird’s view, and enabling automatic dispatching. It makes the driver’s job easy with seamless onboarding, real-time tracking, and hassle-free proof of delivery. On the other hand, customers can receive real-time updates, track their packages in real-time, provide feedback, and communicate efficiently with drivers, dispatchers, and customer care executives. With all these outstanding features, it can be one of the profitable mobile app ideas in 2022.

5) Barter Exchange App

While the old method of exchanging goods and services, called the barter system, is no longer in use, there are times when many folks want to exchange unused goods, equipment, and stuff instead of selling them outright. Many people even prefer to give away their old things to someone who really needs it. No money is involved in this process!

In 2022, people can significantly benefit from a barter exchange app that allows them to exchange useless things for useful ones that other people have. They can list all their products on the application and connect with other people to swap their stuff. This mobile app idea might help you grow a large user base, and you can even make more money with in-app advertising.

6) Disaster Management App

They say man plans, God laughs!

Natural disasters are something no one can stop. However, with the proper implementation of leading-edge technologies, one can build a mobile application to predict a disaster right before it happens, reduce the possible destruction, and, most importantly, save innumerable lives with the help of automatic emergency alerts and warnings.

While this mobile app idea has been seen many times in movies, it also needs to be implemented in real life. You can also give people suggestions about staying safe from possible natural disasters and incorporate functionality to rescue people stuck in hazardous situations. Altogether, a disaster management mobile application is the need of the hour.

7) IoT Powered Apps

The fifth generation of cellular technology, 5G, is gradually replacing 4G. It brings the combination of high bandwidth, insane connection density, and extremely low latency (less than a millisecond). These characteristics open up a whole new world of possibilities in the Internet of Things (IoT), Augmented Reality (AR), and Virtual Reality (VR).

The usage of IoT-related services, like smart home, smart office, smart fleet monitoring, smart asset monitoring, smart energy monitoring, and smart security solutions such as smart doors and IoT-enabled smoke alarms, will boom in the forthcoming years. So if you’re an entrepreneur looking for a startup mobile app idea, then leveraging the strengths of 5G with IoT app development must be on the top of your list.

8) AR/VR Apps

Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) are shaping the future, and these technologies are constantly introducing new ways to establish connections from the real world to the virtual one. While we might take a few years to achieve the futuristic version of AR and VR shown in the Iron Man movie, various industries can leverage the current versions of these technologies to make users’ lives more convenient and comfortable. Here are some possible applications:

• AR Based Interior Designing App: With this kind of app, users can snap pictures of their rooms and visualize how various design options, like colors, curtains, wall stickers, decorative pieces, furniture, and more, will look within their home. This will help them decide the size, color, and general aesthetics before purchasing a product.
• AR/VR Powered Real Estate Apps: Realtors and real estate companies can use these apps to show prospective clients how an under-construction site will look when it’s ready. This functionality is called 360° Virtual Property Tour.
• Tours & Travels Apps with AR & VR: Hotels, resorts, malls, and supermarkets can use these apps to give their prospective clients 360° virtual tours and indoor wayfinding facilities. This way, tourists can shortlist and explore different places in a better manner.
• Virtual Shopping App: With this app, users can check if the clothing or jewelry they wish to buy fits them better or not, right from the comfort of their home. It will save them plenty of time they would otherwise spend changing clothing in the dressing room and waiting in the queue.

9) Blockchain Applications

There’s been a lot said about Blockchain, from being a cornerstone of tomorrow’s economy and the “new Internet.” Due to the success of Bitcoin, Blockchain technology is here to stay for long. The applications of Blockchain are not only limited to cryptocurrencies, and this revolutionary technology is capable of disrupting almost all the major industries. Some brilliant mobile app ideas that can leverage the benefits of Blockchain are:

• Blockchain Tax and Invoicing App: Doing tax returns is expensive and time-consuming for both individuals and businesses. You can build a blockchain tax and invoicing app to calculate the amount of tax the user needs to pay according to his income. You can even add an option for generating invoices for all transactions.
• Cryptocurrency Exchange App: 2022 is going to be the year of crypto. So you can develop a cryptocurrency exchange app for allowing users to trade or exchange crypto assets. You can also add an option to send virtual crypto gifts to friends and family members.

Other blockchain mobile app development ideas include a notary app, storing digital identity, and offering gifts and loyalty programs. While you’re building a Blockchain app, make sure you follow all the laws and regulations.

10) Artificial Intelligence Apps

The list of the best mobile app ideas is incomplete without mentioning apps you can build using Artificial Intelligence (AI). Although the technology is very much under process yet, it is reaching new heights every day. While you can use AI in almost all the ideas mentioned above, there are many other applications where this breakthrough technology can be used. For example:

• AI Calendar & Scheduler App: You can utilize the potential of AI in your calendar and scheduler apps to take insights and optimize users’ schedules. This will help users save more time in their busy schedules.
• Apps to Check the Freshness of Food: You can develop a food inspector app that allows users to click and upload a photo of food and uses Artificial Intelligence to determine whether the meal is fresh or rotten.
• Apps to Track Human Emotions: Another unique AI mobile app idea you can encash in 2022 is tracking a user’s emotions during video recording. You can train the app to detect emotions, such as happiness, anger, sadness, nervousness, etc., based on the body language, hand motions, voice tone, and other gestures of the concerned person.

11) Dropshipping Apps

Dropshipping is an emerging business model that eliminates the need for managing inventories and allows the supplier to ship products directly to consumers. Thus, this concept saves users’ a lot of time and effort, allowing them to focus on other critical management-specific tasks.

You can develop a Dropshipping app to solve the hustle of warehouse management and other similar problems. The app receives the order, passes it on to the wholesaler, manufacturer, or retailer, and delivers it directly to customers. An added advantage of this mobile app idea is that you don’t need a hefty investment to launch it.

12) NFT Marketplace Apps

NFT, which refers to Non-Fungible Tokens, usually defines tangible or intangible digital assets that users can not trade or exchange with any other similar product. These tokens are unique, encrypted, non-interoperable, and backed by blockchain technology, such as Etherum, which saves everything in the form of a chain with the highest level of security. The asset can be anything, like images, videos, virtual sports, virtual spaces, etc. So why wait? Take the initiative and rock the market!

13) Personal/Women Safety Apps

Everyone wants to feel safe both at home and on the roads. Especially, women need extra security while stepping out of their homes. If you wish to do something for society, build a women’s safety app right now!

Using this security app, women can share and update their location with a network of family and friends in real-time via a GPS trace. Additionally, you can add an option for emergency calls through an alert button. If any irregular movement is found, an alert will be sent to the nearest police control room or the respective person. You can launch this incredible mobile app idea with either a freemium, subscription-based, or free model.

Likewise, you can also create an app to check the criminality index of a particular area, allowing users to determine whether the place is safe or unsafe to shift or invest.

14) Agriculture Farmer App

It is one of the most innovative and thoughtful mobile app ideas on the list. You can create an agriculture farmer app to mitigate or eliminate any tedious tasks or heavy labor on the farm. The farmers can request and schedule services at their convenience. Some examples of farming services that can be offered are:

• Farming commodities
• Crop monitoring
• Driverless tractors
• Animal nurturing
• Automatic watering
• Irrigation, and many more.

Alternatively, you can also build an app for health-conscious individuals to connect with farmers to purchase organic foods directly from them.

15) Liquor/Beverages Delivery App

Another wonderful mobile app idea for 2022 is to build an application to deliver their favorite beverages to users. Customers can easily pick their favourite drinks by category or brand and add them to their basket. Like any other drink, you can also deliver liquor to customers right at their doorstep. However, make sure the receiver is an adult who shows valid ID proof at the time of delivery.

16) Car Parking Space Finder App

If you live in a crowded city or population-dense area, you already know how challenging it is to find empty vehicle parking spots. Especially in big metropolitan urban areas, parking spaces are getting smaller day by day. Consequently, people usually have to drive around to find a parking space.

You can develop a smart parking space finder app to help users find vacant parking lots in a specific location to solve this problem. The automated app can utilize GPS, CCTV cameras, and sensors to find you a parking spot as per your vehicle size in real-time. You can even pair this with a social networking app, like Facebook.

17) Online Shopping Limit App

Add to Cart! One-click, so easy, right? With online shopping becoming easier and more hassle-free day by day, it’s no wonder you often end up spending way more than you can afford.

Imagine an App that monitors your online spending and warns you whenever you cross your budget limit. How easy will it be to stay within your budget with such an app? Exactly, let’s work on this fantastic mobile app idea!

18) Product Authenticity Checker App

In the new era of online shopping, it’s very challenging for customers to detect whether a product is original or duplicate. Spending a massive amount of money on a copy is a waste. So, as a startup, you can harness the power of artificial intelligence and machine learning to build an app that helps users buy genuine products with absolutely no hassle. The app will check a product’s authenticity by simply scanning its OR or barcode.

19) Virtual Group Study App

If an industry has seen exponential growth during the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s online learning. Many educational institutions have shifted most of their academic activities to online, which created a high demand for eLearning apps.

While software like Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom are already there to connect educators and students for virtual study, there is a great requirement for an app that allows students to study collaboratively online. Students can work on projects simultaneously, exchange their notes, and discuss their lessons using a virtual group study app. You can even combine AR and VR to create a genuine real-life-like study hall experience.

20) AI Healthcare Chatbot App

The extent of chatbots is enormous in the healthcare industry. These chatbots can offer quick answers to users’ questions and even provide speedy treatment and cures based on symptoms, eliminating the need to visit a specialist. These sorts of applications are very much in demand at the moment.

Harnessing the power of machine learning, you can build efficient and intelligent healthcare chatbots that are available 24×7 at a much lesser price than actual virtual agents. Hosting chatbots for healthcare startups is also a great app idea. You can help other businesses better deal with their customers by developing their chatbots.

How Much Does It Cost to Build an App?

Well, the perfect answer to this question is, “it depends on the type of functionality you want in your app.” Although several factors affect the cost of mobile app development, there are mainly four factors that determine the final cost of a mobile app:

• The Complexity of the App
• Choice of Platforms
• Development Duration
• Hourly Rates in Different Regions

Different companies have different rates in different regions, so consult your mobile app development company to estimate the budget.

Get, Set, & Execute That Unique App Idea!

Whether you’re a developer looking for some inspiration or an entrepreneur seeking some trending mobile app ideas for your startup, this guide is sure to give you plenty of inspiration. However, keep in mind that finding the right app idea is just the first step! Your next step should be to hire a proficient team of dedicated mobile app developers to execute your dream app idea smartly. Contact us now and book a FREE consultation with our highly experienced App consultant. We will give you all estimates on designing and developing a mobile app according to your idea.