Mobile-friendly is not mobile-first

Since 2012, we’ve been delivering communication solutions to companies of all sizes and industries.

Over the years, we’ve had both a mobile-friendly solution and one that’s truly mobile first.

In this post, we’ll share our (fairly unfiltered) thoughts on the “trend” of mobile first.

What is mobile first?

Lately, mobile first has become a buzzword.

Everyone seems to be “first out,” “changing the industry,” and so on.

Sounds familiar, right?

I won’t stand here pretending to reinvent the wheel — but I will say this: we’re not just mobile-friendly; we’re mobile first.

And yes, I’m sticking my neck out — but not without proof.

Before writing this, I needed a bit of inspiration.

So I hopped into my fossil-free Östermalm-tractor (yes, it’s a car) and headed to Norrköping to meet our CPO — and resident mobile first guru — Johan Åberg.

The first thing I asked when I stepped into the office was, “So, Johan, what does mobile first mean to you?”

In hindsight, I should’ve asked for coffee first.

Back to mobile first

According to Johan, mobile first is a mindset that shapes how you develop a product.

It means that everything — from architecture to interface — must be designed with mobile at the core.

The foundation of a product (in our case, an app) needs to be built around that mindset.

Trying to “become” mobile first later on is… let’s just say a sweaty process.

It’s like trying to cure a serious illness with a Band-Aid, or forcing a square block into a round hole.

Mobile-friendly vs. mobile first — what’s the difference?

Just like mobile first is a mindset, desktop first is another one.

The difference is where you start.

If development begins with a desktop version, you’ll later have to adapt it for mobile — and that’s usually how it goes today.

But with mobile first, you design for the mobile user experience from the ground up and then scale up seamlessly for larger screens.

A mobile-friendly product, on the other hand, is a downsized adaptation of something built for desktop — which often makes it less intuitive and more limited.

To sum it up: both approaches will work on mobile, but something built mobile first will almost always deliver a smoother, more satisfying user experience.

Mobile-friendly apps often lag behind their desktop counterparts in both functionality and development pace.

When did we become mobile first?

lynes officially launched in 2020.

But long before that, Johan and David (our CTO) laid the groundwork for what would become lynes.

That was back in a year when…

• Sanna Nielsen won Melodifestivalen with Undo
• The Swedish Public Health Agency was formed
• Germany crushed Brazil 7–1 in the World Cup
• Pope Francis called the internet a gift from God

Yes, we’re talking about 2014.

That’s when the mobile first mindset took root — as Johan and David began developing an earlier communication app (not lynes, but a precursor).

Fast-forward to 2020: lynes was launched — truly mobile first, scaling across all clients, and working seamlessly across every device.

Wrapping things up

As I left the office in Norrköping, Johan’s final words before the glass door closed behind me were:

“Who’s really responsible for driving mobile first — Marketing or IT?”

I got back into the car and thought about what he’d said.

Was he suggesting I shouldn’t write this blog post?

Was he making a broader point about the industry?

Or was it a subtle jab at those claiming to be mobile first — when, in reality, their marketing team just discovered the term?

I’m not sure.

Some things are better left a mystery — and this is one of them.

So I’ll let Johan’s words echo into eternity and leave it up to you and me to decide.

‍