The ‘everything app’ is no longer a distant futuristic concept but is soon becoming an everyday reality set to revolutionise and reshape the way we live, work, and connect in an increasingly digital world.
Elon Musk’s ambition to evolve X – formerly Twitter into an ‘everything app’ recently took another step by announcing the launch of XMoney – a platform that will serve as a digital payments network allowing anyone, anywhere, to make or collect fast and affordable cross-border payments without relying on traditional brick and mortar banks.
In this blog post we will break down what everything apps are, what they can do and the technologies that power them.
What is an Everything App?
An Everything App or Super App can be described as a single platform that brings together numerous services and functions that were once accessed via separate multiple apps but today consolidated into one.
An Everything App will often have separate channels or mini apps within the main user dashboard. From entertainment and digital payments, to e-commerce, social networking and professional services, you can think of
It is a single app that will manage your money, book a medical appointment, rent a car or book a flight, all through one central place.
The goal is simple: create a one-stop-shop where users can handle nearly all their digital needs without having to switch between different platforms.
The key attraction of a Super App is the convenience it offers. Users no longer need to switch between multiple apps and various logins, rather they can check their messages, catch up with the news, make payments, do their shopping and chat with friends, streamlining digital experiences and reducing smartphone clutter.
We Chat – The Modern Super App from China
Dating back to 2011, WeChat is a Chinese Everything App that started out as a messaging app but became the world’s largest standalone mobile app in 2018 and today offers over 1 billion monthly active users a range of services including mobile payments, social media and shopping to food delivery and video games – to mention but a few.
It’s become so integrated into daily life that users often refer to it as ‘the app that does everything’.
App developers and mobile entrepreneurs are keen to develop the next big Everything App as it presents broad opportunities to engage customers, drive loyalty and revenue, all within a single ecosystem.
Behind the Scenes Technology
It is not only the platform but the technology behind it that makes an Everything App become a truly Super App.
Cloud Computing enables apps to process and warehouse large amounts of live data in order for the app to deliver real-time personalised experiences for users.
In order to create tailor-made interactions for users, Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven algorithms are used to predict how users will behave, what their preferences are and even when recommending products or services, or automating everyday tasks with the help of AI Agents.
When users interact seamlessly across devices it is called Cross-Platform Integration and this makes it possible for separate apps such as shopping, banking or messaging to come together on a single platform.
Personal users and business owners stand to both benefit from digital payment technologies such as e-wallets and cryptocurrencies so they can offer an all-in-one solution for app users.
A customer who uses a single app for multiple tasks spends more time within that ecosystem, which increases the chances of brand interaction and sales.
The Future of the Everything App
With the passage of time it can be expected that more and more functions and services will be added within these apps. This could certainly extend to virtual and augmented reality thereby potentially replacing traditional physical interactions in retail environments.
Conclusion
With WeChat already firmly established and with the X Platform setting its direction on becoming the next big Super App for everything, the rise of Everything Apps, despite some challenges, is the technological future of digital interactions that we must all embrace.
