Augmented Reality AppDevelopment
Augmented reality earns its place when it answers a real question, such as how a sofa looks in this room, rather than being a novelty on launch day.
Augmented Reality App Development: what the work involves
Augmented reality places digital objects into the live camera view: furniture in a living room, a watch on a wrist, an arrow on a corridor floor, a repair step over a machine. The business problem it solves is hesitation. Buyers who cannot picture a product return it or never buy, and technicians who cannot picture a procedure make costly mistakes.
DevKey builds AR with ARKit on iOS and ARCore on Android, using native Swift and Kotlin, Unity or Flutter with platform plugins, depending on the experience. We handle surface detection, scale and lighting so objects look believable, prepare 3D models from your product files, and add web AR links for quick previews. Each project begins with a small prototype tested on real, mid-range phones.
Core features
Surface detection and placement
Floors, tables and walls recognised by the camera, with objects anchored realistically and movable, rotatable and scalable by touch.
3D model pipeline
Converting CAD or photogrammetry files into lightweight USDZ and glTF models with textures that load quickly and look right.
Product preview and try-on
See a product at true size in a space, or on the face or hand, with colour and variant switching connected to your catalogue.
Indoor navigation and overlays
Arrows and labels placed in the camera view for wayfinding in malls, hospitals and campuses, anchored using markers or mapped spaces.
Guided training and remote assist
Step overlays for assembly and maintenance, with optional live video where an expert annotates the user's view.
Capture and share
Photo and video capture of the augmented scene, with sharing and an add-to-cart or enquiry action attached to the result.
What we get right before launch
Device support and performance
Only certain phones support ARKit and ARCore, and many budget Android devices struggle. We check the support list, keep models light and degrade gracefully where AR is unavailable.
Content cost
Quality 3D models are the main expense, not the code. We help scope which products justify modelling and choose a process that scales across a catalogue.
Camera privacy and permissions
The camera view captures homes and faces. We process on-device where possible, explain permissions plainly and avoid storing images without clear consent.
Tools and technology
- ARKit
- ARCore
- Swift/SwiftUI
- Kotlin/Jetpack Compose
- Flutter
- Unity
- Node.js
- Firebase
- Sentry
Common questions, answered
Is AR worth it for a small business?
It can be when product visualisation drives purchase decisions, as with furniture or eyewear. We usually start with a few hero products, measure interest, then extend the catalogue if it clearly helps.
Do customers need to install an app?
Not always. Modern phones support web-based AR through a link for simple placement, while a full app suits richer features such as try-on, navigation and offline use. We recommend based on your goal.
Which phones will support it?
Recent iPhones and a large share of mid-range and flagship Android phones support ARKit or ARCore. We review analytics from your audience and set minimum device requirements accordingly.
Who creates the 3D models?
We can convert existing CAD files or commission models from 3D artists. Quality, file size and consistent scale matter more than visual flair, so we set a modelling standard early.
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Ready to start your Augmented Reality App Development project?
Tell us what you need and we will come back with a clear scope, timeline and the questions worth answering before any build starts.