Mobile App Modernisation
Mobile app modernisation, without losing what already works
Adapptor assesses, repairs, migrates and rebuilds existing iOS and Android apps. We preserve the functionality your users rely on while replacing the technology, dependencies and delivery processes that are holding the product back. Where a complete rebuild is not the right answer, we will recommend a safer or more economical path.
For enterprise and government teams responsible for an important customer, workforce or service-delivery app.
15+ years focused on mobile · 100% Perth-based team · Enterprise and government experience · iOS, Android, back ends and APIs
Your app is an asset
Make your app an asset again
An app is rarely just an interface. It may be a customer service channel, an operational workflow, a connection to physical infrastructure, a source of valuable data or a piece of intellectual property.
Yet existing apps often drift out of strategic view. The original development team moves on. Updates become harder. Documentation falls behind. Every release is postponed because changing one thing might break three others.
Modernisation restores control. It gives your organisation a supported technical foundation, clear ownership and a team that can keep the product useful.
Sometimes that means a complete rebuild. Sometimes repairing the current app, replacing components in stages or managing it more deliberately is the smarter answer.
Your app does not have to be broken to be holding your organisation back.
When “still working” isn’t enough
An app can keep running long after it stops being safe to change
A dramatic outage is rarely the first warning sign.
The earlier signs are usually that you can't make a change. Can your team build the app against current platform requirements? Can it resolve a new vulnerability? Can it respond to an App Store or Google Play policy change? Can it release an urgent fix without crossing its fingers?
When the answer becomes uncertain, the app is accumulating operational and commercial risk.
Other signs that deserve attention
Releases take longer and carry more risk than they used to.
Only one person understands critical parts of the app.
The iOS and Android versions have diverged.
Planned features are blocked by the existing architecture.
Back-end services or integrations are brittle or undocumented.
The app performs poorly on newer devices.
Crashes, reviews and support issues are not being monitored consistently.
The organisation cannot confidently explain who owns the source code, accounts or infrastructure.
Microsoft ended support for Xamarin on 1 May 2024. Existing Xamarin apps may continue to run, but the framework no longer receives official platform updates, security updates or technical support.
Meanwhile, Apple and Google continue to advance the SDK and target requirements for app submissions. The longer an unsupported app is left untouched, the fewer safe and economical options its owner may have.
An unsupported framework may not stop your app from opening today. It can stop your organisation from safely updating it tomorrow.
Pragmatic before dramatic
Not every app needs a rebuild. We will tell you when it doesn’t.
A rebuild is a means, not the goal.
We first determine what is worth preserving, what creates risk and what genuinely needs to change. We may recommend:
Repairing the existing codebase.
Updating dependencies and platform targets.
Replacing one high-risk component.
Refactoring selected parts of the app.
Moving one platform or service at a time.
Progressively migrating users onto a new architecture.
Rebuilding the app while retaining the existing experience.
Rethinking the whole product through App Design & Architecture.
Where the existing product is sound, we preserve it. Where its users, business model or service have changed, we widen the brief.
The right answer is the smallest responsible change that gives your app a secure, maintainable future.
Start in the right place
Three ways to move forward
You may know exactly what needs to happen. Or you may only know that the current situation cannot continue. Adapptor can meet you at either point.
Pathway 01 — Get clarity
For organisations that need an independent view before committing to a direction.
Adapptor reviews the app’s code, architecture, dependencies, security, requirements, user needs, market context and the organisation’s ability to support it.
You receive documented findings and a practical recommendation. That recommendation may be to maintain, repair, migrate, rebuild or begin a broader design and architecture engagement.
Pathway 02 — Modernise the foundation
For organisations that know their app needs a stronger technical foundation.
We create a controlled path from the current app to a supported product. Depending on what the app needs, the engagement may span new iOS and Android applications, native Swift or Kotlin development, Flutter or React Native development, framework migration, back-end and API redevelopment, data migration, integrations, user experience and accessibility improvements, security review, testing, release, monitoring and ongoing maintenance.
The existing app can remain in service while the modernised product is built, tested and introduced.
Pathway 03 — Rethink the wider product
For complex products where the service, user journeys, business processes and technical architecture need to be considered together.
Adapptor brings together product, technical and design expertise to understand the need, validate concepts and define how the wider product should work.
You receive the documentation, concepts, architecture, scope and expected delivery range needed to move forward with confidence.
More than a code conversion
Modernise the product, not just the code
A rewrite that recreates the same constraints in a newer language has missed the point. Adapptor looks across the mobile product, its technical foundation and the system used to manage it.
We can modernise:
iOS and Android applications.
User journeys and functionality.
User experience and interface design.
Accessibility.
Performance and responsiveness.
Offline use and synchronisation.
Notifications.
Mapping, location and device capabilities.
Authentication and account management.
App Store and Google Play presentation.
We can modernise:
Application architecture.
Native or cross-platform frameworks.
Back-end services.
APIs.
Cloud infrastructure.
Identity and access.
Databases and data models.
Third-party services and integrations.
Analytics and observability.
Security controls.
Dependency management.
We can modernise:
Product requirements.
Source-control practices.
Development environments.
Continuous integration and delivery.
Automated testing.
Manual quality assurance.
Independent code review.
Security and dependency scanning.
Release approvals.
App-store submission.
Monitoring, documentation and support.
A controlled way forward
From the app you have to the product you need
01
We establish a clear view of the app, its users and the environment around it. That may include source code, architecture, dependencies, app-store accounts, cloud services, APIs, data, analytics, known issues, current commitments and future requirements.
We also identify missing access, documentation and knowledge before those gaps become delivery surprises.
02
We compare the condition of the existing app with what the organisation needs next. Some functionality may be worth preserving exactly as it is. Other parts may need refactoring, migration, redesign or replacement.
We recommend the approach and technology based on the product’s requirements, risks and expected life — not because a particular framework happens to be fashionable.
03
We plan how the existing and modernised products will operate during the transition. Depending on the app, that may mean:
Maintaining the current app in parallel.
Preserving existing API contracts temporarily.
Replacing back-end services progressively.
Migrating one platform before the other.
Releasing to a controlled group first.
Moving users or features in stages.
Creating rehearsed data-migration and rollback plans.
04
Testing begins before the final release. The plan can cover unit, integration, system, security, performance, usability, accessibility, compatibility, regression and beta testing according to the needs of the product.
Code is independently reviewed. Dependencies and security issues are analysed. Release candidates are approved against documented test results, risks, release steps and rollback plans.
05
Once the modernised app is live, we monitor its health and help manage what happens next. That includes crashes, performance, service availability, security advisories, dependencies, operating-system changes, user feedback and new product opportunities.
See progress before the end
You should not have to wait until the final release to find out whether the approach works.
For suitable projects, Adapptor creates prototypes and early working builds to validate critical journeys, integrations and architectural decisions. This gives the team useful evidence early, when changing direction is still economical.
The form and timing of an early build depend on the app’s complexity, but the objective remains the same: reduce uncertainty before committing the whole product to a path.
Today’s service still matters
Modernise without switching off what users rely on
Most organisations cannot pause an important customer or workforce service while a new app is built. We plan modernisation around that reality.
The current app can remain in operation while the new product is developed. Existing interfaces can be preserved where doing so reduces risk. Complex applications can be migrated by platform, feature, service or user group rather than through a single high-risk change.
Before release, we define:
What needs to operate in parallel.
How data will be migrated and verified.
How internal and external users will test the app.
What constitutes a successful release.
How the app will be rolled out.
How the team will monitor the production environment.
What happens if the release needs to be paused or reversed.
No big-bang release unless it is genuinely the safest option.
What good looks like
A foundation you can change with confidence
After modernisation, your organisation should be better able to:
No artificial lock-in
Your app. Your code. Your choice.
Your organisation owns the project-specific source code, documentation and deliverables created for the engagement, subject to the agreed contract and any third-party licences or pre-existing components.
We want clients to continue working with Adapptor because we create ongoing value — not because their product has been made difficult to take elsewhere.
What happens next
A rebuild is a new beginning, not the finish line
Modern software needs active management. Once the new app is live, Adapptor can keep it compatible, secure and useful — or continue developing it as an important product.
Stability
Stability is for organisations that need confidence that the app will continue to operate as expected. It can include:
App and service monitoring.
Crash and incident triage.
Security-advisory monitoring.
Dependency and platform updates.
App Store and Google Play readiness.
Maintenance releases.
Performance checks.
Support and release management.
Momentum
Momentum is for organisations that want to continue improving the app after modernisation. It can include:
Product roadmapping.
User and usage insights.
New features.
User-experience improvements.
New integrations.
Performance optimisation.
Accessibility improvements.
Regular tested releases.
Ongoing product, technical and quality leadership.
Modernise the app. Stabilise the foundation. Build momentum.
A practical next step
Give your app a clear path forward
Whether you need an independent assessment, a controlled rebuild or a broader product transformation, Adapptor will help you identify the next responsible step.
Not sure whether you need a repair, migration or rebuild? That is a good place to start.
Interested in knowing more?
Let us know a little more about your idea and we can have a call to discuss.
Modernising an existing app involves technical, operational and product decisions. These are some of the questions organisations ask before getting started.
What is mobile app modernisation?
How do we know whether to repair, migrate or rebuild the app?
Can Adapptor take over an app built by another developer or agency?
Do we need access to the source code?
Can you modernise the app in stages?
Can the existing app remain available during the rebuild?
Can you migrate Xamarin, Cordova or Ionic apps?
Does a technical rebuild require a complete redesign?
Can Adapptor modernise the back end and APIs as well?
How long does mobile app modernisation take?
How much does a mobile app rebuild cost?
Who owns the source code and intellectual property?
How do you manage security and quality?
What happens after the modernised app is released?
Does Adapptor work with government organisations?
