4 ways to use AWS for your mobile app
Tags: aws, amazonappstore, howto, amazon
Published: 2024-01-09 22:34:34

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/dy8dhdmprvvtf0gpx8z5.jpg)


If you’ve launched websites or backend services before, you’ve likely used AWS or another hosting provider for your infrastructure. In this article, we’ll discuss four developer use cases for AWS tools specific to building and improving mobile applications in addition to speeding up overall development time.

 
## 1. Create new mobile app prototypes in minutes
Are you planning to launch a new mobile app and want to spin up a prototype in minutes? [AWS Amplify](https://aws.amazon.com/amplify/) is a JavaScript library accompanied by a set of tools and services to help you build and deploy serverless applications in the cloud with AWS. It’s a full-stack application platform that utilizes code from both the client and server sides and can be used for several common applications requirements:
* Create a unified backend: Create a unified backend for your apps to support iOS, Android, Flutter, web, and React Native. Once Amplify is configured, your project will possess both real-time and offline functionality.
* Build rich user interfaces: Use [Amplify Studio](https://aws.amazon.com/amplify/studio/) to build rich user interfaces with React Components connected to your cloud backend. Convert designs from Figma into reusable code components, saving the need to write thousands of lines of code.
* Fully managed hosting: [Amplify Hosting](https://aws.amazon.com/amplify/hosting/) offers a fully managed hosting services with built-in CI/CD pipelines. In addition, Amplify allows direct deployment to [CloudFront](https://aws.amazon.com/cloudfront/), an AWS Content Delivery Network (CDN), allowing you to leverage it’s points of presence (PoP) to quickly reach your customers.
Learn how you can let Amplify worry about your app backend infrastructure so that you can focus on application coding. Check out the [docs](https://docs.amplify.aws/start/) to get started.

 

## 2. Streamline device testing with AWS Device Farm

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/3ypoibkn5poma2adpqej.png)


**[AWS Device Farm](https://aws.amazon.com/device-farm/)** operates as an application testing service that facilitates testing your mobile apps across a broad range of Android and iOS devices. This helps save time and resources during quality assurance checks by allowing you to:
* Run concurrent tests across devices
* Test multiple OS versions for each device
*Upload your own test suite or utilize pre-built tests
* Review the logs and reports available for each device after testing
Enhance your device testing with [AWS Device Farm](https://aws.amazon.com/device-farm/) and receive your first 1,000 device minutes free with [AWS Free Tier](https://aws.amazon.com/device-farm/pricing/?loc=ft). The [interactive device list](http://awsdevicefarm.info/) includes view filters and additional information.

 

## 3. Engage customers effectively with Amazon Pinpoint
Seamlessly deliver communications across channels, segments, and campaigns at scale with with [AWS Pinpoint](https://aws.amazon.com/pinpoint/).

### Communication channels
Pinpoint offers a multichannel messaging platform to engage with your customers through email, voice, push notification, and SMS. You can create multi-step campaigns for defined user journeys in the drag-and-drop editor.

### Analytics
Understanding how customers use your app is crucial to improving customer engagement. Pinpoint collects usage metrics and attributes to identify trends in customer interactions with your app. Streamline your communications today. Check out the [docs](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/pinpoint/latest/userguide/gettingstarted.html) to get started.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/j5ylpmbi8plubbxq5dlt.png)

## 4. Optimize game servers with Amazon GameLift
[Amazon GameLift](https://aws.amazon.com/gamelift/) offers a streamlined approach to deploying, operating, and scaling dedicated game servers for session-based multiplayer games. This allows for:
* Simplified server management: GameLift takes away the complexities of server infrastructure management, allowing developers to focus on game development.
* Cost-effective scaling: The service dynamically scales capacity and optimizes resource utilization.
* Enhanced security: GameLift provides robust protection against DDoS attacks for a secure gaming experience.
* Efficient player matchmaking: [Amazon GameLift FlexMatch ](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/gamelift/latest/flexmatchguide/match-intro.html)enables developers to implement real-time player matchmaking with ease. By allowing the creation of custom rule sets to define multiplayer functionality, it ensures compatible players are matched seamlessly.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/ahzhgxclcfbrt6mlslgb.png)

### Cross-platform
Today, games are becoming increasingly cross-platform to provide users seamless experiences. Typically these platforms include mobile, PC, and console so that users can hop from one platform to another to continue playing. If you have considered making your mobile game work across platforms, AWS has new guidance for building scalable cross-platform backends on AWS.
 

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/z713bkty4mtlomb8wxm5.png)

Read the latest [blog](https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/gametech/new-solution-guidance-for-building-scalable-cross-platform-game-backends-on-aws/) post on the updates in addition to the sample code on [GitHub](https://github.com/aws-solutions-library-samples/guidance-for-custom-game-backend-hosting-on-aws/tree/main). The article covers how to use the framework to simplify getting started with AWS and backend game development with support for popular game engines such as Unreal, Unity, and Godot 4.

 

## Conclusion
Building mobile apps and games requires strategic planning to ensure that backend services run smoothly and deliver an exceptional gameplay experience as new users join. The AWS services mentioned above will help save time and effort spent on infrastructure, allowing you to focus on enhancing your apps and games.

Just getting started with the Amazon Appstore? You are eligible for additional benefits including 80/20 revenue share and AWS promotional credits! Learn more about our [Small Business Accelerator Program](https://developer.amazon.com/apps-and-games/small-business-program).

 

Related resources
* [AWS Amplify Documentation](https://docs.amplify.aws/)
* [AWS Device Farm](https://aws.amazon.com/device-farm/)
* [AWS Pinpoint](https://aws.amazon.com/pinpoint/)
* [AWS GameLift](https://aws.amazon.com/gamelift/)
* [AWS GameLift testing toolkit sample on GitHub](https://github.com/aws-samples/amazon-gamelift-testing-toolkit)
* [AWS GameLift FlexMatch](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/gamelift/latest/flexmatchguide/match-intro.html)
* Amazon Appstore [Small Business Accelerator Program](https://developer.amazon.com/apps-and-games/small-business-program)

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