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Just reach into your pocket or bag to realize it’s far too late to go back and imagine a world without digital impact. The phone, which evolved into the smartphone and feels more like an extra organ than a tech gadget, is proof that life today only tends to become more online, faster, and more practical.

And that’s where the relevance of apps in digital transformation comes in: apps make people better understand the potential of their phones, tablets, and computers to solve problems in “real life.”

Think about it: how many times have you forgotten your phone at home and felt completely exposed out on the street? Some people even feel unwell just thinking they’ll be disconnected all day…

Have you ever been in that situation where the battery died or the internet failed and you had to hail a taxi with a hand signal—so old-school we barely remember how to do it—because you couldn’t access your ride-hailing apps?

And when Brazilian courts temporarily take WhatsApp offline due to legal issues, it’s chaos: the commotion is so intense that, once again, some people even feel unwell because they can’t get updates from groups, kids, or crushes…

In fact, groups, communities, and even the word “crush” only became truly relevant to our daily routine after apps arrived as part of digital transformation. For those who lived through the 1980s and 1990s and saw the first cell phones—basically a brick with buttons—the difference is striking: no one, absolutely no one, suffered because they were offline. Because, in reality, most of the world wasn’t connected, except through landlines, doorbells, and mailboxes.

Remembering that—or imagining the scene—can be stressful, right? But don’t worry: as we said above, there’s no turning back when it comes to digital transformation. What’s done is done.

So what is the role of apps in digital transformation?

In a world where digital transformation almost explains itself—given how quickly new technologies appear and how quickly they become necessary for many people’s routines—understanding what apps have to do with it is just one more step toward the obvious.

Let me explain: when you bought your first smartphone, did you remember what its features were? If the answer is yes, you probably know the main feature that made a phone “smart” was internet connectivity.

But the smartphone screen wasn’t the computer screen, and many websites didn’t care about user experience on mobile. Others, in turn, started to wonder whether they could become software specifically for the “phone” medium—and later for “tablets”—so people could access content more easily and quickly.

That’s where the concept of the app came from.

Apps in digital transformation create new interactions between humans and their inseparable portable machine. If phones used to be for calling, receiving calls, and, at best, sending a text message, today they’re the cocoon where content for social networks, games, product and service companies, and even bank accounts and home utilities management live and evolve.

Companies that build great apps as part of digital transformation have a higher chance of winning and retaining customers than those that rely only on a website to engage users. And it’s always worth remembering: mobile is very different from a laptop. Content, layout, and the overall behavior of any app or site for phones or tablets must be fully dedicated to user experience on these platforms. Otherwise, an app will never be downloaded, opening space for the competition.

Is it expensive to build an app?

The rise of apps in digital transformation has made this format more accessible, but we shouldn’t forget it is still software—and therefore involves a lot of computer science.

What defines an app’s price are its features, its design, database needs, and how quickly it processes information and delivers a solution for users. One example: if Uber took half an hour to find a car, no one would use it. The faster the interaction between apps in digital transformation and the humans who created this reality, the more customers app owners will win.

To learn more about apps in digital transformation—or to understand how you can build and profit from your own app—talk to us! Our agile methodology and specialized team can turn your idea into a useful app that users truly like.