# Using GraphQL for High-Performing Mobile Applications

DevFeed: [Using GraphQL for High-Performing Mobile Applications](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/using-graphql-for-high-performing-mobile-applications-1667.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://shopify.engineering/using-graphql-for-high-performing-mobile-applications>)

Author: Maryam Fekri

Published: 2021-01-22T21:29:18Z

Content type: article

Language: en

Sources: [Shopify Engineering](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/shopify-engineering.md>), [Shopify Engineering - Shopify Engineering](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/shopify-engineering-shopify-engineering.md>)

Topics: [GraphQL](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/graphql.md>), [REST API](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/rest-api.md>), [Application Development](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/application-development.md>)

Tags: [api](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/api.md>), [application-development](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/application-development.md>), [best-practices](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/best-practices.md>), [bug](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/bug.md>), [data](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/data.md>), [graphql](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/graphql.md>), [json](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/json.md>), [rest](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/rest.md>), [rest-api](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/rest-api.md>), [swift](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/swift.md>)

## AI overview

This article explains how GraphQL can address pain points of REST APIs in mobile application development. It describes the network, data model, view model, and user interface layers, then focuses on reducing repeated mappings between JSON responses, statically typed code, and application models. It also discusses how changing or deprecated server fields can make hard-coded REST endpoint assumptions error-prone and difficult to maintain in released mobile applications, along with practices learned at Shopify.

## Source excerpt

GraphQL is the syntax that describes data that a client asks from a server. The client, in this case, is a mobile application. GraphQL is usually compared with REST API, a common syntax that most mobile application developers use. We will share how GraphQL can solve some of the pain points of REST API in mobile application development and discuss tips and best practices that we learned at Shopify by using GraphQL in our mobile applications. Why Use GraphQL?