A native application (native app) is an application program that has been developed for use on a particular platform or device. Because native apps are written for a specific platform, they can interact with and take advantage of operating system features and other software that is typically installed on that platform.

The Android NDK is a companion tool used only in conjunction with Android SDK which allows application developers to build performance-critical portions of their apps by use of native (C/C++) code. This provides benefits in form of reuse of existing code and increased speed.

Native apps are more expensive to develop. However, they are faster and more efficient, as they work in tandem with the mobile device they are developed for. Also, they are assured of quality, as users can access them only via app stores online.

A native app is installed directly on a mobile device and developers create a separate app version for each mobile device. The native app may be stored on the mobile device out of the box, or it can be downloaded from a public or private app store and installed on the mobile device. Data associated with the native app is also stored on the device, although data can be stored remotely and accessed by the native app. Depending on the nature of the native app, Internet connectivity may not be required.