Top 2 FREE Mobile Apps for Learning Web Development

“The vision is that people should have the ultimate in convenience. Being able to get the things they care about on the appropriate device.” - Bill Gates

Why Phone Apps?

Now you may be asking yourself “Why use phone apps to learn web development?” and it would be completely valid to ask yourself that. However, apps that teach you programming have their advantages. First off, not everyone can sit at their computer for countless hours everyday. As something as complicated as learning code, consistency is key to progress. There is no better way of being consistent than to find what is most convenient for you to practice every single day. Phone applications allow for you to pull out your phone and practice typing or reviewing code for even mere minutes at a time. Second, practicing when the moment of motivation strikes is key to practicing when you are your most focused. Just typing away at a computer without any information retention is pointless. Writing code when you are actually clued in on the meaning behind the code is vital to not only publishing content but also building knowledge to make even more complicated content later on. Lastly, applications with courses are a perfect way to attain some certifications while you are finishing bigger courses on your computer. Although these types of courses do not hold the same weight as college accredited courses, they demonstrate your desire for continued education and show you at least comprehend the basic fundamentals of each concept you studied. By having a certification that shows you are completing educational content, you can display your determination to learn. With using these two FREE educational mobile apps you can learn web development and attain some certifications in the process!

Mimo

The first mobile app I would like to discuss is Mimo by Mimohello GmbH. Mimo is an app I use daily due to its ease of use. As a quick and accessible application, Mimo allows you to finish lessons within minutes. A big benefit to Mimo is that it has pre-planned routes, courses, and programming languages based on what you are wanting to learn. For example the web development path will start you off going through HTML, CSS, Bootstrap, Javascript, React, etc (continuing all the way to learn full-stack). The downside to these courses is that though they are extremely convenient, their convenience comes at a cost. Being short lessons, Mimo courses tend to give very general basic information in less variety. This means your ability to comprehend fundamentals will be there, but any deviation from their coding format may lead you to being confused. In coding the more you are exposed to code variation, the easier it will be for you to decipher pre-existing code. A great benefit to the app however is that it has project ideas on almost all course sections. Learning html? Learn how to set up a form and code input fields. Want to style stuff with css? Learn to change the background, positions, layout, and color. Javascript implementation? Learn how to toggle, add, and remove content based on user actions. These project ideas can be used as templates for your future projects. You can update these projects as you learn more to improve the content.

Sololearn

The second mobile app I believe is the best for learning web development is Sololearn by Sololearn Inc. Sololearn is a mobile app I love to use daily, but something I tend to use less frequently than Mimo. This is not to say it is due to the Sololearn app being worse. It is merely due to the length of time Sololearn requires. Although the app has lessons that are short, they are still a bit longer than Mimo course lessons. Sololearn courses tend to go into more detail, have more code variety, and allow for more typing practice. This is not a drawback, rather it is a benefit to the user. I just tend to lean towards shorter lessons more frequently on busy work days. My favorite part of Sololearn is that unlike Mimo that does not have a desktop site, Sololearn can be used on the phone or your computer. This ability for cross-progression allows users to learn anywhere, while also giving you the ability to copy your code easily from curriculum projects into your own personal projects elsewhere. I find myself using Sololearn more in between projects at home when I have more time to sit and do longer course lessons.

Free Versus Paid

Although both mobile apps are free to use, they do in fact have paid features. With so much free content, these apps need income in order to fund the developers who constructed and published its content. In both applications paid versions allow for more projects and content. However, I did find Sololearn to be less limited by its free version. You can check out the paid versions of the apps though it is not necessary for learning through both apps.

Conclusion

Using free mobile apps for learning web development is a great convenient way to learn web development. Although I always recommend a full desktop setup in order to utilize modern software for web development, using phone apps can help you learn web development on the go. The two top free apps for learning web development are Mimo and Sololearn. While both apps have their pros and cons, using both apps can help you in various ways. If I only had to pick one app to use it would have to be Sololearn. In the pursuit of learning web development, one can and should use any tools available to them in order to be constantly learning. Feel free to give these mobile apps a chance and let me know what you think after completing one course!...one step closer to learning web development guaranteed.

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