How to Access DApps on Your Mobile Phone

In 2021, more people have accessed the internet via their smartphones than desktop computers, globally. According to Statista, the number of smartphone users worldwide has surpassed 6 billion, and is expected to grow by a few hundreds of millions in the following years.

While the United States' smartphone penetration rate is 97%, only 15% of American adults are "smartphone-only" users when they access the internet. However, in emerging economies, a median of 53% have access to internet-enabled smartphones, while a median of 34% have access to either a home computer and tablet. It is safe to assume that people in developing countries using their smartphones to access the internet would continue to grow.

Hence, the user penetration for the current state of the web, also termed Web 2.0, will continue to expand. While that may not yet be the case for Web 3.0, it likely will be in the future, as more augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain applications become mainstream.

In this guide, you will learn how you can access decentralized applications (DApps) on-the-go using your mobile phone.

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What Are Decentralized Applications (DApps)?

Decentralized applications, commonly referred to as DApps, are open-source applications that operate in a distributed peer-to-peer blockchain network.

Unlike traditional software applications, DApps are typically not controlled by a single centralized entity. Instead, DApps are — as the name suggests — decentralized. That means there should be no single point of failure, nor should one entity be in control of the software.

Decentralized applications are composed of a suite of smart contracts that interact with one another autonomously once the protocol is deployed on a blockchain.

Examples of leading DApps include the popular crypto collectible game, CryptoKitties; the leading decentralized exchange, Uniswap; and the decentralized lending protocol, Compound.

How Do DApps Work?

DApps backend code are smart contracts that run on a decentralized network, instead of a centralized server like most Web 2.0 applications. Smart contracts is a set of rules that govern the app logic; it is on-chain and open for all users to review. Once DApps are deployed on the Ethereum blockchain, it is immutable and controlled only by the logic of the smart contract.

Ethereum DApps

The majority of DApps (2,000+) operate on the Ethereum blockchain, which has benefited greatly from its first-mover advantage in the smart contract platforms space. However, you can also find decentralized applications on other smart contract-enabled blockchains, including EOS, Tron and Binance Smart Chain.

On Ethereum.org, there is a collection of the top DApps built on the Ethereum network. The Ethereum DApps are categorized in four main categories: finance, arts and collectibles, gaming and technology. Finance DApps feature top lending and borrowing protocols like Aave and no-loss lottery PoolTogether, while arts and collectibles feature DApps like Foundation, SuperRare and OpenSea.

Another way to track the top Ethereum DApps is through DappRadar, which categorizes Ethereum DApps by balance, users and volume. As of September 2021, the top three DApps by volume are Uniswap V3, Uniswap and SushiSwap.

To use Ethereum DApps, users require an Ethereum wallet that can interact with smart contracts. An example would be Trust Wallet, which enables users to seamlessly interact with decentralized applications on desktop and mobile.

How to Access DApps on Mobile

As internet users move away from their desktops and onto their smartphone screens, DApp usage is increasing. Fortunately, there are mobile wallets with built-in DApp browsers that enable users to interact with decentralized applications directly from the palm of their hand.

DApp Browser

Using Trust Wallet’s in-app DApp Browser, users can access decentralized applications on Ethereum, Binance Smart Chain and other blockchains on-the-go.

While we are using Trust Wallet in this example, the process to access DApps on mobile is effectively the same on all mobile DApp browsers.

To access DApps using Trust Wallet, take the following steps:

Access www.trustwallet.com;
Download the Trust Wallet app;
Once the wallet is downloaded on your smartphone, back it up by writing down the 12-word recovery seed phrase and store it securely in a safe place;
Now, you are ready to start using the wallet and the DApp browser.

Before you start using DApps, however, ensure that you have some tokens of the blockchain you plan to interact with. To interact with DApps, you are typically required to pay blockchain transaction fees, called “gas” fees on Ethereum. Whichever blockchain network you use, ensure that you hold some of the network’s native token in your wallet.

Let’s assume that you want to interact with Binance Smart Chain-based DApps. In that case, you should transfer some BNB to your Binance Smart Chain address in your Trust Wallet, or buy BNB directly via the app.

Now, you are set to explore the world of Smart Chain DApps in the DApp Browser.

To ensure the utmost security for its users, Trust Wallet carefully vets DApps it allows onto its in-app DApp marketplace.

Steps to Access DApp On Trust Wallet

To start, click the DApp Browser button at the bottom of the menu bar, at which point you will be taken to the Trust Wallet DApp Marketplace dashboard.

You can choose between the different types of available DApps ranging from blockchain games to decentralized finance protocols and more.

If you are looking for a specific DApp, the easiest way to access it is to type the URL of the application into the DApp browser.

Once the UI of the DApp pops up, you will be asked to connect your Trust Wallet. At this point, you need to choose which wallet you want to connect.

Let’s assume you want to deposit some crypto to earn interest — one way to do so is to use a decentralized money market protocol like Cream to deposit BNB. Cream, as its decentralized nature suggests, allows users to borrow crypto and earn interest on crypto deposits without the need for a central authority.

In that case, you will need to connect your Smart Chain wallet to the application within the DApp browser.

As soon as you are connected, you can go ahead and deposit BNB tokens into the BNB supply.

To approve the transaction, you will have to confirm the deposit by signing the transaction using Trust Wallet. There will be a pop-up in your DApp browser asking you to confirm the transaction.

And that’s it!

DApp on iPhone iOS

On June 2021, Trust Wallet announced the removal of the DApp browser feature. This was to comply with Apple's app store guidelines. All other features of Trust Wallets and funds are not affected. Iphone users can access DApps manually though browsers like Safari, Chrome or Firefox. Alternatively, they are also use WalletConnect to access DApps, by linking it with Trust Wallet, or use other mobile DApp browsers such as MetaMask.

DApp on Android

Trust Wallet DApp browser remains unaffected for all Android users, as of September 2021.

Final Thoughts

That’s how easy it is to interact with DApps on your mobile phone using Trust Wallet, or any mobile DApp browser. With over thousands of DApps available to mobile users and much more to come, it is indeed an exciting space to watch.

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