Do you own your app's code? 5 questions to ask before you hire

Many business owners find out too late that they do not own the app they paid for. The code sits in the developer's account. The app is listed under the developer's name in the store. The server bill goes to someone else's card. When the relationship ends, the app goes with it.

You can avoid this with five plain questions. Ask them before you sign anything.

1. Where will the code live, and whose account is it?

The code should live in a repository (an online folder that keeps every version of the code, such as GitHub) that you own. The developer can be invited in. You should be able to remove them.

2. Whose name will be on the App Store and Play Store listing?

Store accounts are tied to a person or a company. If the developer publishes under their account, moving the app later is slow and sometimes not possible. Open your own developer accounts and add the team to them.

3. Who pays for hosting, and can you log in?

Hosting is where the app's server and database run. Put the bill on your card, in your account, even if the developer sets it up. That way nobody can switch it off on you.

4. What happens after launch?

Ask what support looks like once the app is live: who fixes bugs, how fast, and what it costs. A vendor who will not answer this clearly may not be around in six months.

5. Will you hand over everything if we part ways?

Ask for this in writing: the code, the passwords, the design files and a short note on how to run it. A good team has nothing to hide here.

The short version

Thing	Should be in your name
Code repository	Yes
Store accounts	Yes
Hosting and domain	Yes
Design files	Yes

This is how we work on every mobile app we build: you own the code, the accounts and the hosting from day one. If you are planning an app and want a second opinion on a quote, tell us what you are building.