Installing the Mobile SDK
Table of Contents
This document focuses on Appcues installation in mobile applications, for information about installing Appcues in web applications check out the Appcues Installation Overview doc!
Once you have registered your mobile app in Appcues Studio, the developer of your mobile app can install the Appcues iOS or Android SDK in your mobile app or cross-platform framework. This usually takes less than an hour but can take longer depending on any customizations you need to track user activity or send user or group data to Appcues. Your mobile developer should review our SDK’s GitHub documentation below for details:
iOS
The Appcues iOS SDK allows you to integrate Appcues experiences into your native iOS and iPadOS apps. The SDK is a Swift library, distributed through Swift Package Manager, Cocoapods, or as an XCFramework.
For customers using the Segment Analytics-Swift library, there is an Appcues plugin available https://github.com/appcues/segment-appcues-ios.
Tech Specs
- Swift SDK, using SwiftUI to render flows - open source
- Supports apps targeting iOS 13+ for rendering flows; can run on iOS 11-12 for analytics only
- Compatible with applications written in Swift or Objective-C, using UIKit or SwiftUI for the user interface
- Distributed with Swift Package Manager, Cocoapods, or as an XCFramework
- Available as a plugin for Segment Analytics-Swift
- No additional dependencies are used by the SDK
- < 1 MB additional size for app download
For more on native iOS development, visit https://developer.apple.com.
Android
https://github.com/appcues/appcues-android-sdk
Appcues Android SDK allows you to integrate Appcues experiences into your native Android apps. The SDK is a Kotlin library, distributed through Maven Central.
For customers using the Segment Analytics-Kotlin library, there is an Appcues plugin available https://github.com/appcues/segment-appcues-android.
Tech Specs
- Kotlin SDK, using Jetpack Compose to render flows
- Supports apps targeting API 21 (Android 5.0 Lollipop)
- Compatible with applications written in Kotlin or Java, using Android Views or Jetpack Compose for the user interface
- Distributed through Maven Central and can be integrated through Gradle build scripts
- Available as a plugin for Segment Analytics-Kotlin
- Uses common Android dependencies: Jetpack androidx libraries, Retrofit, Moshi, Koin, Coil - full dependency list available on Maven Central package: com.appcues:appcues
- < 5 MB additional size for app download - likely much less if common dependencies above are already in the app
For more on native Android development, visit https://developer.android.com.
Cross-platform frameworks
React Native
https://github.com/appcues/appcues-react-native-module
Appcues React Native Module allows you to integrate Appcues experiences into your React Native apps for iOS and Android devices. This native module is a bridge between the native iOS and Android Appcues SDKs to support usage in a React Native application. The library is distributed through NPM.
For more on React Native development visit https://reactnative.dev, and for more on native modules visit https://reactnative.dev/docs/native-modules-intro.
Flutter
https://github.com/appcues/appcues-flutter-plugin
Appcues Flutter Plugin allows you to integrate Appcues experiences into your Flutter apps for iOS and Android devices. This Plugin package is a bridge between the native Appcues SDKs in a Flutter application which sends user properties and events to the Appcues API and retrieves and renders Appcues content based on those properties and events.
For more on Flutter development visit https://flutter.dev, and for more on plugin packages visit https://docs.flutter.dev/development/packages-and-plugins/developing-packages#plugin.
Ionic
https://github.com/appcues/appcues-capacitor-plugin
Appcues Capacitor Plugin allows you to integrate Appcues experiences into your Ionic apps for iOS and Android devices. This Capacitor plugin is a bridge between the native Appcues SDKs in a Ionic application which sends user properties and events to the Appcues API and retrieves and renders Appcues content based on those properties and events.
For more on Ionic development visit https://ionicframework.com, and for more on Capacitor plugins visit https://capacitorjs.com/docs/plugins/creating-plugins.