HOW TO HIRE · MARKETING, DESIGN & TECH · CHECKED OCTOBER 2026
How to hire an Android developer in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.
No licence applies to Android developers. Here is how to agree hours, own the code and listing, and plan users' data.
- Search and compare — no account needed
- Nearest to you first
- One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews
THE 60-SECOND VERSION
Hiring an Android developer in five steps
- Try their published appsInstall apps the Android developer built and use them on your own phone.
- Estimate the hoursPer feature or milestone, with a check-in before going over.
- Hold the developer account yourselfThe Play Store developer account, signing keys and code repository in your business's name.
- Plan the app's dataWhat it collects, why, and what the store's data declaration and your privacy notice will say.
- Check how they are engagedSole trader or their own company; if a company, consider the off-payroll rules.
BEFORE YOU BOOK
Check before you book
No register applies
No law licenses Android or mobile developers in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. Published apps, a reference and written terms are what to go on.
Ask for apps on the Play Store and a client you can contact.
Copyright in the Android code
Code is a literary work under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, owned by the freelance developer until assigned in a signed, written document (section 90).
Put an assignment of the code and assets in the terms, with third-party libraries listed. legislation.gov.uk →
Users' data and the ICO
Apps that collect personal data must keep it secure and tell users how it is used under data protection rules, and most businesses processing it must pay the ICO fee.
Agree a data list and privacy notice with the Android developer before release. gov.uk →
Off-payroll working (IR35)
Where the Android developer works through their own limited company, HMRC's off-payroll rules may apply, and for most clients outside the small-business exemption it is the client who decides employment status.
Ask how they are engaged and record the status decision if one is needed. gov.uk →
VAT
App development is standard-rated, so a registered Android developer adds 20% to the hours for each feature and to the Play Store release work. Registration becomes compulsory once an Android developer has VAT-taxable turnover over £90,000 in any rolling 12 months; from then VAT must be charged and shown as a separate line on the invoice.
Ask the Android developer for the VAT number and for each invoice to show the hours, the net fee and the VAT at 20% one under another. gov.uk →
A good answer: Apps you can install, with the Android developer's own part explained.
A good answer: An estimate and a check-in before exceeding it.
A good answer: Yes. Losing the signing key or account can stop you updating your own app.
A good answer: A reasoned recommendation and what it means for an iPhone version later.
A good answer: A range of screen sizes and Android versions, named.
A good answer: A minimal, specific list matched to features.
A good answer: Yes, by a signed assignment on payment.
Getting the quote right
- Hourly rate and estimated hours per feature
- Who actually attends to the code: the Android developer you interviewed, an employed developer, or a subcontractor offshore or in the UK
- Testing devices and Android versions covered
- Play Store release preparation included
- Back end, design and third-party services: included or extra
- Code assignment; accounts and keys in your name
- Engagement basis
- The VAT number, with VAT at 20% shown under the hours for each feature
Walk away if
- Publishes under their own developer account
- Keeps the signing key to themselves
- No estimate before starting
- No published apps
- Collects data the app does not need
- Refuses to assign the code
What an Android developer costs: £20–£150 per hour
Android developers usually charge by the hour or day against estimates; larger builds may be quoted as fixed projects. Android Developer price guide →
Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.
KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE
Android developers near you, with the badges that matter shown
ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.
Or post the job free and let them come to you, or book by the hour.
- Requirements and estimateFeatures and screens agreed and the hours estimated.
- DevelopmentCode written in milestones.
- TestingTested on a range of Android devices.
- Store preparationListing, data declaration and screenshots prepared.
- ReleasePublished under your account, with code handed over.
- APK / app bundle
- The file formats an Android app is packaged in.
- Signing key
- The key that proves updates come from you; keep it safe.
- Kotlin
- The main language for native Android apps.
- Cross-platform
- One code base for more than one phone platform.
- Data safety form
- The store's declaration of what data the app collects.
- SDK
- A software kit added to the app, which may collect data of its own.
AFTER
When the job is done
Hiring an Android developer: questions people ask
No. No licence or registration is needed in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, and no qualification is set by law.
The developer until they assign it to you in a signed document.
They can if the developer works through their own company. HMRC sets out who decides status depending on the client's size and sector.
The range is £20–£150 per hour, and £60 is a typical figure. Experience, back-end work and device testing move the hourly rate. The Android developer price guide covers what changes it; enter your town above to compare local Android developers.
You may be unable to update your app. Keep the key and developer account in your business's name.
Small fixes take hours; a first version usually takes weeks to months.
MORE GUIDES
More hiring guides in marketing, design & tech
Android developers near you
Sources — checked October 2026
- Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, section 90 — assignment in writing
- gov.uk — data protection and your business
- gov.uk — understanding off-payroll working (IR35)
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
- Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue
- gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
- VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
- GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register