How to tell if your app developer is doing a good job
Last reviewed 3 November 2026
The app is late, the updates are vague, and you’re not sure whether to worry. You can’t read the code, but you can see more than you think. These checks need no technical knowledge.
Good developers show you working software regularly, explain problems early and clearly, and keep the code where you can reach it. If you can’t try the app yourself, can’t see the code, or keep getting vague answers, ask for those things directly. If that doesn’t help, pay for an independent review.
Five checks you can do this week
- Try the app on your own phone. Ask for the latest version through TestFlight on iPhone, or a test link on Android. If you’ve paid for months of work and have never held it, that’s the first thing to fix.
- Check the code activity. Ask to be added to the code repository. Even without reading the code, you can see when work was last saved and how often. Long gaps are worth asking about.
- Ask for the list of what’s done, in progress and next. It can be simple, but it should exist, and it should match what you see in the app.
- Ask “what’s the biggest risk right now?” Someone in control of the project will have a specific answer.
- Check who controls the accounts. Code, Apple, Google, hosting and domain should be in your company’s name. See why this matters.
Signs it’s going well
- You regularly see new things working, on your own phone.
- They tell you about problems before you find them.
- They explain things so you understand them, and they’ll explain them again.
- They push back on your ideas sometimes, with reasons.
- Bugs get fixed and mostly stay fixed.
- You could name what they’re working on this week.
Warning signs
- “Almost done” for a long time, with nothing new to try.
- Demos only on their machine, or only as screenshots and videos.
- Fixing one thing keeps breaking another. This can point to deeper code problems.
- Slow or shrinking replies, or explanations you can’t follow, followed by irritation when you ask.
- No access for you, with a reason that keeps changing.
- Scope keeps shrinking or the bill keeps growing without a clear reason.
- Different people turning up than the ones you met at the start.
What’s normal, even with a good developer
- Some delays. Software estimates are hard, and honest developers tell you when one slips.
- Bugs. Every new feature brings some, and fixing them is part of the work.
- Early versions that look rough. Function often comes before polish.
- A slower pace on work you can’t see, such as databases and security.
- Saying no to you. A developer who never does isn’t helping you.
What to do if you’re worried
- Ask directly and in writing. Say what you’re seeing and what you need: access to the code, a build on your phone and a dated plan. Good developers won’t mind.
- Get an independent review. A second developer can read the code and tell you what state it’s really in. It costs far less than finding out at launch.
- Secure your code and accounts before any difficult conversation about ending the work.
- Decide based on evidence. Sometimes a project just needs a clearer plan. Sometimes it’s time to move it to someone else. And if they’ve already stopped replying, use our developer disappeared checklist.
Questions founders ask
How much access should I have to the code?
Owner-level access to the repository. It’s your product, and your developer can still work there as a user. If you’re told you can’t have it, that’s worth taking seriously.
Is it rude to get a second opinion?
No. It’s normal for someone paying for a product they can’t inspect themselves. A confident developer won’t be threatened by it.
My app is late. Should I replace my developer?
Not because of lateness alone. Replacing a team costs time as the new one learns the code. First find out why it’s late, and whether you can see real progress. Switch if the code is in poor shape or you can’t get straight answers.