Mobile App Security Predictions for 2026: Balancing Security, UX, and Trust

Mobile apps have gone beyond utilities to become gateways to banking, healthcare, shopping, and even our identities. But as software developers build more apps (an average of 13 per year, according to a recent report from Enterprise Strategy Group), the attack surface widens. The report also shows that the consequences of failing to secure that widening attack surface can be steep, with the typical organization experiencing nine mobile app security incidents last year and a total cost of nearly $7 million per incident, on average. Despite these numbers, 93% of organizations still believe their current protections are sufficient. That disconnect points to a looming cultural shift.

In the coming year, organizations will be better able to move from false confidence based on assumptions to real confidence that’s rooted in proactive measures – an approach to security that combines rigorous testing with effective layers of protection. With this opportunity in mind, the following predictions for 2026 will help mobile app developers anticipate some key security trends.

Security and UX must work together

User retention is a major concern for mobile application developers. Research shows that 71% of mobile app users churn within 90 days of download, often due to problems related to user experience (UX). One of the hardest challenges for mobile app development teams is balancing UX with security. According to Enterprise Strategy Group, 42% of organizations say this trade-off is a struggle. When security decisions are handled on the device itself, the result is often clumsy. Blocking rooted devices, for example, can accidentally punish legitimate users and damage brand loyalty.

In 2026, the leading apps won’t treat security and UX as opposing forces. Instead, they’ll use combinatorial threat signals to make smarter decisions on the server side. For a banking app, that could mean letting a user on a rooted device continue — but moving them into a customer service-assisted Know Your Customer (KYC) compliance flow instead of stopping them cold.

The goal is to align protection with business logic, creating security experiences that feel seamless rather than obstructive.

Age and identity verification raises the stakes

Governments in many global regions are tightening regulations across industries where fraud, addiction, or underage access may carry serious consequences — from social platforms, to online gaming and gambling, to healthcare and fintech apps.

As mobile application verification checks become more widely adopted, attackers will be motivated to bypass these controls by modifying the client-side app or verification SDK.

In 2026, tamper-proofing age and identity verification flows will become critical. Without strong safeguards that combine mobile application security testing (MAST) with multi-layered protections, mobile app developers risk targeted fraud attacks, regulatory fines, and erosion of consumer trust.

mHealth becomes a security priority

Healthcare is shifting rapidly to mobile. Between 2020 and 2024, the share of people accessing their medical records via apps jumped from 38% to 57%, and the market is projected to grow at a 45% CAGR through 2028.

That growth comes with high stakes. A November 2025 report from Zscaler shows that the healthcare industry experienced a 224% increase in mobile attacks since last year. According to a recent Ponemon Institute study, insecure mHealth apps are the top cyber concern in the healthcare industry, cited by more than half (55%) of survey respondents.

In the coming year, security will become fundamental to mHealth. Healthcare providers and digital health innovators will respond to these increasing risks by embedding multiple layers of protection throughout the mobile app development lifecycle. This includes things like code hardening, runtime application self-protection (RASP), and app attestation (which is mobile API security, but we’ll cover more about that later).

Threat data shifts the fight against fraud

In the US alone, consumers lost more than $12.5 billion to fraud last year (a 25% annual increase). Even as security defenses become more sophisticated, attackers are adapting. Many are now deploying two-stage fraud campaigns. First, they reverse-engineer a mobile app, modify the code (stripping away security protections or injecting malware), and then repackage it. Second, they use phishing campaigns to trick victims into downloading these compromised versions.

Once installed, these malicious clone apps can steal credentials or leak sensitive information – leading to many different potential types of fraud. Common instances include identity theft, account takeovers, and loss of loyalty program points.

In 2026, threat data will be the most valuable weapon against these campaigns. Developers will need to monitor which tools and tactics bad actors are using, then adjust their protections as quickly as possible. Malware defenses will remain necessary, but they won’t be enough. Real-time threat intelligence will separate the mobile apps that can adapt from those that fall behind.

App attestation becomes the backbone of trust

Here’s a reality many mobile app publishers don’t realize: it’s not enough to secure the app itself. You also need to secure the APIs your app relies on. Threat researchers found that there were more than 40,000 API incidents in the first half of 2025 alone, and 44% of advanced bot activity now targets APIs.

This is where application attestation comes in. Think of it as mobile API security. Attestation ensures that only genuine, uncompromised apps running in secure environments can talk to your APIs. Without it, bots, repackaged apps, or fake clients can flood your services and exploit your data.

Today, only 41% of organizations use app attestation, according to the Enterprise Strategy Group report. But in 2026, that will change. The business case is clear:

• Attestation happens server-side, so enforcement is opaque to attackers.
• Security policies can be updated instantly without republishing apps.
• It prevents API abuse – one of the fastest growing attack vectors today.

For industries like banking, payments, and healthcare, app integrity will become the new trust boundary. App attestation can establish and enforce that boundary with a way to ensure that the mobile application itself is authentic, untampered, and operating in an environment that can be trusted.

Security tools reach every developer

Organizations want more focus on security during mobile app development, but are struggling to achieve those goals due to resource limitations. According to the Enterprise Strategy Group report, 74% of organizations want developers to spend more time on security, yet it already eats up 20% of their time. That’s a high human resources tax that many teams can’t afford, especially with greater time-to-market stress – 74% of app dev teams are under increased pressure to accelerate velocity.

In 2026, expect greater access to developer-friendly, automated security tools that ensure effective testing and protection across the entire mobile app development lifecycle. When security is comprehensive and easy to adopt, it’s much easier to close the potential human skills gaps and embed protections directly into existing workflows, without slowing developer velocity.

From overconfidence to proactivity

The story the numbers tell is clear: even as mobile app security incidents continue to happen, almost all organizations still believe they’re sufficiently secure. That overconfidence is unsustainable.

In 2026, success will belong to those who embrace a proactive approach to mobile app security across all stages of the software development lifecycle. That means combining:

• Developer-friendly testing that integrates into everyday workflows.
• Client-side protections like multi-layered code hardening and runtime defenses.
• Server-side attestation to protect APIs.
• Real-time threat monitoring to adapt faster than attackers.

Mobile app security is quickly shifting from reactive defenses toward integrated systems that help developers ensure trust, meet compliance requirements, and enable users. The cultural shift toward proactive, comprehensive security will help mobile app developers better serve users and grow their organizations in 2026 and beyond.

Ready to protect your apps and your APIs? Connect with Guardsquare’s experts today.