MIT App Inventor is a free, web-based platform for creating, testing, and sharing mobile apps. Code almost any Android and iOS app with App Inventor using a simple, intuitive, block-based programming language that anyone can learn.
Play games with graphics, sounds, and interactivity
Use artificial intelligence (AI) on images, sounds, and text
Capture and process user surveys and charts
Navigate maps much like the apps you already use on your smartphone
Monitor sensors you place around your home or office
Activate internet-connected devices, and many other things
Once you finish building your app, send it to friends, family, or co-workers to test on App Inventor or package it up like any other commercial app. (Learn more about sharing and installing apps.) Some app builders even sell their apps online!
All you need is a computer with internet, a mobile device like a smartphone or tablet, and our free App Inventor Companion app (iOS and Android), which helps you test as you go along. (There are also ways to build apps without a smartphone or tablet).
Software for smartphones and other mobile devices can address real-world problems globally. In parts of the world, mobile devices are more readily available than laptops. Some of the recent apps built for our annual app-building contest use artificial intelligence to promote climate action or use data science to help fight food insecurity.
Absolutely! Many aspiring app inventors have never coded before. A good first step is to try one of the Hour of Code tutorials.
Over a million people from ages 4 to 84 (and more) use App Inventor every month to bring their app ideas to life. Many engineers and research scientists — who typically use complex programming languages like Java, Python, and Swift — turn to App Inventor to fast-track powerful apps for research studies (here or here, for example), community programs, or prototypes for their business pitches (here, for example).
A small team of dedicated researchers and students at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL) runs the platform day-to-day, 365 days a year — with the vital contribution of hundreds of App Inventor experts who volunteer through our power user and expert trainer community and contribute new features as well as help answer questions new app builders ask.
The site is supported through grants, collaborations with educational organizations, and donations from . . . “coders like you.” Please consider donating to keep this free resource up and running for years to come.
Education Questions
Yes, teachers who are new to coding often lead introductory coding classes and learn App Inventor with their students. We recommend that teachers follow one of the Hour of Code tutorials as preparation before using App Inventor in the classroom.
Click here for instructions on how to set up your classroom, a full set of curricula for App Inventor, tips on getting tech support from our community forum, YouTube videos, books, and more.
Teachers with experience in teaching coding or computer science principles might find the AP Mobile Computer Science Principles course useful. They might also consider participating in our annual Expert Trainers course.
Several options exist to teach app coding without an iPhone or Android phone in hand. If phones are prohibited in your classroom, students can use one of the methods below to view and test apps. Later, outside of class, they may want to install finished apps on their own devices or share their creations with others. (Learn more about sharing and installing apps.)
Chromebook
Students can use Chromebooks to view and live test apps while coding.
They can program apps on one window of the Chromebook then switch to another window to test them.
Instructions here.
iPad
Computer and iPad. We recommend students create their apps with App Inventor on any PC or Mac computer and test apps with the iPad. Instructions here.
iPad only. It is possible to code and test an app all within the same iPad. However, coding on a touchscreen can be tricky. You may want to test this method yourself ahead of time.
Android Tablet
Computer and tablet. Your school may allow Android tablets for academic use within class hours. We recommend purchasing enough devices for teams of 2-4 students. Students can program apps with any PC or Mac computer and test apps using tablets. Instructions here.
Tablet only. Just as with iPad, it is possible to program and test an app all on the same Android device. However, coding on a touchscreen can be tricky. You may want to test this method yourself ahead of time.
Emulator
We offer free emulator software that simulates a cell phone and runs on any Mac or PC computer. That way, students can program App Inventor in a web browser window and switch to an emulator window for live testing. This method does not allow apps to access some advanced features such as phone sensors and Bluetooth. Instructions here.
Mac with Apple Silicon
Newer Mac computers run iPhone apps right on the desktop. In this case, students would program their apps in a browser window and switch to an App Inventor Companion window to test.
We recommend testing one of these methods with a simple tutorial to see how coding and testing apps will work for your class.
You may also want to check whether your school’s policy bans all phones or just personal phones. It may be possible for students to use phones for educational purposes within your classroom. After all, part of the thrill of app-building is running your creations on your own phone!
App Inventor is an open-source tool, so advanced high school and college students could help solve one of the open issues in our open-source repository. Students aged 18 or older can also apply for Google Summer of Code projects to work on MIT App Inventor.
Teachers might consider participating in our annual Expert Trainers course.
MIT provides App Inventor as a free educational platform developed through years of intense research efforts. It is not a commercial product. MIT cannot assume any legal liability on your privacy even though we make every reasonable effort to safeguard everyone's data. Please remember that (1) we do not collect Personally Identifiable Information (PII), and (2) school districts use App Inventor for free without any contractual agreement with MIT. Learn more details in our Terms of Service, "Special Information for Schools".
Technical Questions
To test your app while you code, download our free App Inventor Companion app (iOS and Android) on your mobile device.
The short answer is that MIT App Inventor generally works with most commonly available internet-connected browsers on most laptops and desktops. In some cases, you can even use tablets and smartphones to program apps. For specifics, read here.
MIT App Inventor will always be a free resource, and we do our best to address user questions and problems as quickly as possible. However, the best way to get a question answered is to post it in our community forum.
Projects not showing up is almost always because you are logged in to a different Google account address than the one you used to create the projects. App Inventor attaches projects to the primary email address associated with a Google account.
To delete your account, move all of your projects to the trash. Once your projects are in the trash, click on your email address in the top right and select “Delete Account” from the dropdown menu.
No. Although having a Google name and password allows you to save projects in a convenient place you can access from anywhere on any computer, we know some users will want to remain anonymous. You can log into MIT App Inventor anonymously at this link – http://code.appinventor.mit.edu.ezproxy.canberra.edu.au/. Users can choose to "Continue Without An Account," and a randomly generated revisit code will be generated. If the user wants to return to the project later, they should copy and save that return code in a safe place because otherwise, projects created cannot be retrieved once the user has logged out.
App Inventor does not keep personally identifiable information (PII) nor try to figure out who you are based on your data. Your Google account details are retained only to allow you to keep your project files and only if you log in using a Google account. (You can also use our http://code.appinventor.mit.edu.ezproxy.canberra.edu.au/ login described in the entry above — "Do I have to have a Google account to use MIT App Inventor?")
More on this in our Terms of Service, under "Information about You".
Our open-source code makes it easy to create a pull request on our public GitHub repository. Many of the components you see in App Inventor are the result of work by volunteer users and students around the world.
© 2012-2024 Massachusetts Institute of Technology
