There are some basic rules you should follow when you want to create a mobile SDK. I have decided to write down and share from my experience in the mobile SDKs field.

1. Mobile SDK
Best Practices
Gal Keidar

2. What is mobile SDK?
Mobile SDK is a library that
serves a set of core
capabilities for an external
hosting application

3. SDK best practice
Mobile SDK must adhere to
certain basic rules to be
indicated as efficient, stable
and trusted

4. Minimum use of
resources
Don’t drain the battery

5. Minimum use of
resources
Save user’s data plan
● Small payloads
● Batch requests
● Communication type (poll/long
poll/websockets)

6. Minimum use of
resources
Don’t use local storage it you
don’t have to. If you do - use it
efficiently and make sure to
purge when you’re done

7. Minimum use of
resources
Be performant

8. Minimum use of
resources
Be as small and light as you
can

9. Minimum use of
resources
Disable logs on released
version

10. Easy to integrate
One line initialization -
SDK.Init(API_KEY)

11. Easy to integrate
Follow native language
conventions

12. Easy to integrate
Meaningful APIs and callbacks
names

13. Easy to integrate
Give feedback to your host app
● Return values
● Descriptive error messages

14. Easy to integrate
Be generous with comments

15. Easy to integrate
Support dependency managers
like Cocoapods, Maven,
Carthage...

16. Maximum
compatibility
Support all relevant OS
versions

17. Maximum
compatibility
Support all most popular
devices

18. Complete
transparency
Let your user know what you’re
doing inside their app

19. Complete
transparency
Write clear, efficient code with
lots of comments - it’s your
company’s face

20. Complete
transparency
Don’t try to ‘hide’ anything

21. Complete
transparency
Don’t use data you’re not
suppose to

22. Don’t crash the host
app
Ever!

23. Don’t ask the user
for permissions
Let the host app do it for you or
do it yourself if it approves you
to

24. Avoid using 3rd
party libs
As much as you can.
Your users will hold you
responsible for their faults