CW Developer Network

Retool mobile, a shiny spanner for native iOS & Android apps

Adrian Bridgwater
Adrian Bridgwater

Enterprise software application development uses ‘tools’.

Embracing the notion of virtual software-based spanners and wrenches enough to name its company after this reality, Retool describes itself as a developer platform for business software.

The company’s new Retool Mobile has just hit public beta.

The software works to help developers to build native apps for iOS and Android, even (and we quote) when they have ‘no previous experience’ developing for mobile platforms.

Building native mobile apps typically requires specific knowledge of mobile programming languages. With Retool Mobile, developers can now build these apps using just Javascript (which GitHub ranks as the most popular programming language) and SQL.

Drag-&-drop UI builder

With Retool Mobile’s drag-and-drop UI builder, any developer who knows SQL and JavaScript can build custom native iOS or Android apps.

These apps can take full advantage of mobile hardware features like GPS, camera functions, NFC, barcode scanning etc. 

“Retool Mobile has already been used by customers to accelerate their roadmap for mobile apps,” said Sean Ren, product manager at Retool. “[It] is a game-changer for companies with large field workforces, which typically have relatively minuscule engineering teams to support them. Now, even solo developers can build apps that support the work of their colleagues in the field.” 

Retool Mobile also allows for seamless over-the-air (OTA) updates, so administrators need not worry about version control or app store submissions.

“Retool has always been about giving developers the tools to build better software, faster,” said David Hsu, CEO and founder of Retool. “Retool Mobile extends this vision to the mobile workforce, giving businesses and employees full-featured, native mobile apps customized for their unique operation models.”

Retool Mobile supports a broad swathe of use cases and empowers teams to build apps that might otherwise have been just ideas or relegated to a roadmap backlog.