Mobile App Development in Action: The Story of Building a Ride-Sharing App, from a Developer Lens

At Sensidev, we understand the challenges facing the modern workforce. The rise of the gig economy has brought flexibility and freedom to many, but it's also created new hurdles. For ride-sharing drivers, managing finances can be a tangled mess of receipts and late nights spent wrestling with spreadsheets.

But the good news is that one of our clients is on a mission to solve this issue, and we were excited to use our mobile app development skills to turn this idea into reality.

App Development Agency, Sensidev: the story of PickRide

It all started with a simple question: How can we make life easier for ride-sharing drivers like those on Uber and Bolt? Discover PickRide, an idea turned into a mobile application, designed to be the ultimate accounting companion for these hustling heroes of the road.

PickRide's mission is clear: to streamline the financial management of ride-sharing drivers.  We all know the drill – keeping track of completed rides, expenses incurred, and calculating that oh-so-important profit can be a paper trail nightmare. PickRide cuts through the chaos, offering a user-friendly platform to manage all things financial.

But building a mobile app isn't exactly a walk in the park. Sure, the concept was sound, but the real challenge came in transforming that vision into a functional reality.

One of the biggest hurdles we faced was keeping up with the ever-changing regulatory landscape.  As the laws governing ride-sharing services evolved, PickRide had to adapt. This meant building flexibility from the get-go, ensuring the app could seamlessly integrate updates as needed.

Speaking of building, the tech behind PickRide was all about efficiency and making sure it worked on any phone, no matter if it was Android or iPhone. That's why we went with React Native; it lets you write code once and have it work on both platforms. To make things even smoother, we threw TypeScript into the mix for its error-catching superpowers (because, trust us, catching bugs before they cause problems is a lifesaver). On top of that, we added a bunch of specialized React Native libraries to give PickRide all the features it needed.

No ride-sharing app is complete without seamless financial transactions. That's where our trusty third-party payment processing service swoops in, handling the money matters securely and efficiently.  But PickRide goes beyond simple payments. For our driver-partners looking to establish their presence on the ride-sharing scene, we partnered with Rollee to simplify the Uber/Bolt account setup process.  And because invoices are a necessary evil, we incorporated Oblio, a third-party invoicing service, to streamline that aspect as well.

Mobile App Development Agency

Technology is powerful, but even the best tools can throw curveballs. Thankfully, in our case, the development process went smoothly. But that doesn't mean we left our performance to chance. For a mobile app as crucial as PickRide, speed and responsiveness are paramount.  Enter lazy loading and caching mechanisms, our secret weapons in the fight against sluggishness. By prioritizing content that loads first and then fetching the rest in the background, lazy loading keeps things moving.  Caching, on the other hand, stores frequently accessed data, minimizing the need to constantly reload information and keeping the app nice and zippy.

How do we know PickRide is running like a well-oiled machine?  Here's where the world of application performance monitoring (APM) tools comes in.  These watchful guardians keep a constant eye on PickRide's performance, providing real-time data and letting us know if anything needs tweaking.  And to truly test PickRide's grit, we put it through its paces with stress and load testing.  By simulating high user demand, these tests helped us identify and address any potential bottlenecks before they became real-world problems for our drivers.

PickRide is a testament to the power of technology to simplify and empower.  From managing finances to streamlining onboarding, it's everything a ride-sharing driver needs to focus on what they do best: getting people where they need to go. 

So, the next time you hail a ride, remember the invisible companion working behind the scenes – PickRide, ensuring a smooth journey for both driver and passenger.

Do you also want to turn your idea into a seamless mobile app? Contact us today and we’ll make it happen!