# Why companion apps often fail: lessons from automotive and smart-home apps

DevFeed: [Why companion apps often fail: lessons from automotive and smart-home apps](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/your-bad-companion-app-will-drive-away-your-customers-22711.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://medium.com/android-ui-patterns/your-bad-companion-app-will-drive-away-your-customers-c797497b7651?source=rss----75dfb6474397---4>)

Author: Juhani Lehtimäki

Published: 2019-12-02T22:13:46Z

Content type: opinion

Language: en

Sources: [Android UI Patterns - Medium](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/android-ui-patterns-medium.md>)

Topics: [App](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/app.md>), [Mobile](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/mobile.md>), [Development](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/development.md>), [Website](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/website.md>), [React Native](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/react-native.md>)

Tags: [android](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/android.md>), [android-apps](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/android-apps.md>), [app](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/app.md>), [apps](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/apps.md>), [development](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/development.md>), [html](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/html.md>), [mobile](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/mobile.md>), [native](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/native.md>), [react-native](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/react-native.md>), [ux](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ux.md>), [ux-design](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ux-design.md>)

## AI overview

This commentary examines recurring problems in companion apps, including poor design, weak mobile engineering, and reliance on website wrappers or technology promises. It uses Polestar and Fisker apps as examples while arguing that companion apps are often a customer's first contact with a product.

## Source excerpt

The quality of Android apps has really increased in the past years. I've not been writing many rambling about bad design for a long time. App developers and designers (for the most part) understand Android and value the platform specific design and development needs. However, there is still one are which seems to be spawning apps that are really not good. Companion apps. Companion app disasters range from things like tooth brush companions to smart home apps. The companion app often is the very first contact point to the potential new customer. Do you think this will encourage the customer to jump on board with your product: What is it that leads into so many of these disasters even when there is clearly enough skill in the mobile app industry? I think (I'm guessing here) it's often ignorance of what it takes to build a good app. Sometimes it's the management being taken for a ride by a skilled sales people from a bad agency etc. Maybe sometimes it is spending money the wrong way and getting sucked into promises of technologies like React Native or HTML wrappers which promise a lot but end up always producing bad results. Cars are going digital. New cars get apps before they hit the market. These are examples of some of the worst mobile engineering out there. I pre-ordered a Polestar 2 some time ago. And when they launched their app I got really worried. The app is simply a pointless website wrapper. I don't understand why it was done at all. I got so worried, in fact, that I contacted Polestar asking what is happening and offering my help. I was later assured that the actual companion app is going to be built by a skilled team and will, in fact be great. Remains to be seen, I remain sceptical. Recently another car company was tweeting about an upcoming app for their unreleased car: Henrik Fisker on Twitter We will launch the Fisker App end of November &amp; open up reservations for 'no hassle' subscription to our all electric vehicle. Production intend prototype re