Mobile and PWA Development in New Zealand
One codebase, every device, no separate native build to maintain. We build installable PWAs used daily on phones, with no app store detour required to try them.
A native app and a website used to be a hard choice: a slow, expensive native build on one side, or a website that never feels like an app on the other. A progressive web app closes that gap for most products: installable from a browser, working offline, and able to use the camera and push notifications, all from one codebase that also runs your website.
Corvidae builds installable PWAs for New Zealand businesses, and we build them on the same stack we use for our own products, several of which are used daily on phones today.
Who it is for
- Products where most usage will genuinely happen on a phone
- Businesses that want one codebase instead of separate iOS, Android and web builds
- Teams that need to ship and update fast, without an app store review cycle for every change
- Products that need offline access, camera capture or push notifications, but not deep native device integration
- Anyone who wants an Android Play Store listing without a second native codebase
Problems we solve
- The cost and slower iteration speed of maintaining separate native apps
- App store review delays for every small update
- Users who will not install a native app just to try a product
- Offline gaps when a mobile connection drops mid-task
- A mobile experience that is really just a shrunk-down website
What we build
When a PWA beats native
Native makes sense when you need deep device integration: background processing, complex sensors, or App Store discovery as your primary growth channel. For most business and consumer products, a PWA reaches the same users faster, with one codebase to maintain instead of two or three.
What we build
- installable PWAs that add themselves to the home screen
- offline-first data sync that catches up when the connection returns
- camera access for photo capture and document scanning
- push notifications
- Android Trusted Web Activity releases for a Play Store listing
- store listing support
Technology
How we deliver
Decide
An honest assessment of whether a PWA fits your product, or whether native is genuinely the better call.
Design
Mobile-first UX built around how people actually use the app on a phone.
Build
One React codebase, installable, offline-capable, wired to your .NET API.
Publish and support
Store listing support and push notifications once the install experience is proven.
Production proof
SnapKai and PickleNudge are both installable PWAs used daily on phones, with no app store detour required to try them.
Corvidae builds and operates its own production SaaS products, so architecture decisions are made with real operating cost, uptime, security, support and users in mind.
Security and quality
- HTTPS is a requirement for installable PWAs, and every product we run has it by default
- Offline data sync is designed to resolve conflicts safely, not silently overwrite changes
- Push notification permissions are requested at a sensible point, not on first load
- The same accessibility and performance budgets apply to mobile builds as to the web product
Engagement model
Mobile and PWA work is usually part of a wider product build rather than a stand-alone engagement, since the API, data model and design system are shared with the web product. We scope it as part of the same discovery process.
If you already have a web product, we can assess it for PWA readiness and add installability, offline support and push notifications as a focused piece of work.
Frequently asked questions
When should I choose a PWA over a native app?
When most of your users are on the web already, when you want one codebase for web and mobile, and when you do not need deep native device features. If App Store discovery is core to your growth plan, native is usually the better call.
Can users install it without an app store?
Yes, on most Android and desktop browsers a PWA can be installed straight from the site. iOS requires a manual add-to-home-screen step from Safari.
Does a PWA work offline?
Yes, when we build it with offline support: data is cached locally and synced once the connection returns.
Can a PWA access the camera and push notifications?
Yes. Camera access for photo capture and web push notifications both work in a modern PWA.
Can you publish to the Google Play Store as well?
Yes, using an Android Trusted Web Activity, which wraps the PWA for a Play Store listing without a separate native codebase.
Does a PWA work on iPhone?
Yes, though iOS has more limited support for background sync and push notifications than Android. We design around those platform differences rather than pretending they do not exist.
Have a product in mind?
Tell us what you want to build. We reply within one business day with an honest read on scope, cost and timeline.
Start the conversation