About This Project

This is an Android app developed using MIT App Inventor, designed to display news headlines retrieved from a custom-made API that I developed too.

The API was developed in Python with Flask and works by automatically collecting article titles from a website. However, the screenshots shown here use only dummy data created for demonstration purposes.

The main idea was to explore the connection between a mobile app and an external API in a simple and efficient way, without relying on any commercial or third-party platforms. The app fetches the data via HTTP and displays it using multiple labels inside the App Inventor interface.

For privacy and security reasons, I'm not sharing the source code. Still, this project was a valuable learning experience, especially in terms of automating data collection, handling basic APIs, and building mobile apps with user-friendly tools.

FAQ and Challenges Faced

Why use MIT App Inventor?

MIT App Inventor is a great tool for quickly prototyping Android apps with a visual, block-based interface. It allowed me to focus on the app's logic and design without worrying about complex syntax or setup.

How does the app communicate with the API?

The app uses the Web component in MIT App Inventor to make HTTP GET requests to the custom Flask API. The API returns a list of news titles in JSON format, which the app then displays across different labels.

What was the biggest challenge?

A big challenge was handling the API responses inside App Inventor. Since it's a low-code platform, dealing with JSON and dynamic data can be tricky. I had to simplify the app’s structure to work with fixed labels instead of dynamically generating elements.

What did I learn from this project?

I learned how to build and consume APIs, automate data collection with Python, and connect backend services with mobile apps—even using low-code tools. It also helped me understand the importance of simplifying UI/UX when technical limitations exist.