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How native employee apps are reinventing the intranet
Markus works in sales for a medium-sized company. His daily routine consists of customer appointments, travel, and short stays at the office. Until now, he often found it tedious to find information on the intranet: endless clicks, difficult-to-access documents, and news that wasn’t really relevant.
However, for several months now, his company has been using a native employee app that replaces the traditional intranet. Instead of struggling through complex web interfaces, Markus has all content directly on his smartphone—fast, personalized, and available everywhere.
News directly on the home screen
Markus sees the most important company news as soon as he looks at his phone in the morning. On his iPhone, it appears as a widget on the lock screen, and on Android, it appears via a Glance widget on the home screen.
Deep integration into the operating system ensures that information is visible without even having to open the app. For Markus, this feels seamless, and for internal communication, it means a reach that a traditional intranet could never achieve.
Smart search with on-device AI
Later, when Markus has a question about the expense policy while on the train, he opens the app. Instead of digging through PDFs, he types in a search term and immediately finds the right passage. This is made possible by AI functions that run directly on the device: Core ML on the iPhone and ML Kit on Android.
What makes it special is that the data remains on the device and is not uploaded to external clouds. This makes searching not only fast, but also secure.
Collaboration in communities
During a short break, Markus posts a question in the sales community. A colleague responds immediately, and another colleague shares a document. The app offers discussion rooms that feel like social networks but are integrated into the system. Push notifications run via the native notification APIs—reliably and with the option to reply or like directly from the notification.
Voice control and assistance
While driving, Markus uses Siri to check the latest company news. His colleague with an Android smartphone uses Google Assistant for the same purpose. Both experience that the employee app is not just another tool, but rather, through its integration into app intents and app shortcuts, becomes a personal companion that interacts seamlessly with the operating system.
Security that builds trust
Security is crucial, especially in a business context. Markus logs into the app with Face ID, while his colleague uses Android Fingerprint. Sensitive documents are protected in the Secure Enclave on iOS or in the Android Keystore.
This allows confidential content such as strategy documents or HR documents to be used on mobile devices without taking any risks.
Motivation through gamification
Markus receives a reminder on his Apple Watch to take part in an internal step challenge. The sales team is competing against the product development team to see who can take the most steps in a month. It’s a small incentive that’s fun and keeps the app present even outside the workplace.
On Android, he gets a similar experience via a Wear OS tile. Native extensions like these make all the difference in everyday life.
Conclusion and outlook
For Markus, the new employee app was an uncomplicated everyday helper—for the company, it meant less effort, greater reach, and improved security. Features such as widgets, on-device AI, and biometric logins are only possible because the app was developed natively and accesses iOS and Android directly.
Native employee apps are therefore more than just a digital intranet. They leverage the full power of the platforms—from personalized news to secure communication—and create a tool that employees really enjoy using.
At Polario, we focus specifically on native app development because this is the only way to achieve this level of integration, performance, and security. Some of the ideas described are already reality, while others are being developed further in collaboration with customers.
Which feature would be most valuable for your employee community? Or is there a feature that you feel is missing from your intranet app? Feel free to contact us—we look forward to working with you to shape the future of your employee app.
