Hi everyone 👋 I’m Emma Harrington, an indie Android developer who’s been building and uploading apps to the Play Store since my college days. If you’ve ever stumbled across a minimalist productivity app called FocusNest or the to-do list app Clarity Tasks, yep—that’s me.
I’ve been riding the indie dev rollercoaster for almost seven years now. From late-night debugging sessions that end in tears (and triumph) to the exhilarating moment when you see your app’s first download notification—it’s been a ride.
But today, I want to talk about something that’s been at the center of nearly every developer’s toolkit since the AI boom: ChatGPT. Specifically, the question a lot of us are asking in 2025—
Is ChatGPT still worth using for coding?
After using ChatGPT through its many iterations (from GPT-3.5 all the way to GPT-5), I’ve got a lot to say—good, bad, and surprisingly emotional. So, here’s my honest take as someone who codes, designs, and markets her own apps.
How I Started Using ChatGPT for Development
Back in 2022, I was struggling to implement in-app subscriptions on FocusNest. I was knee-deep in Google Play Billing documentation, and honestly, my brain was melting. Out of curiosity, I asked ChatGPT for help.
To my surprise, it walked me through the setup step by step. It didn’t just dump code—it explained why certain calls were made, what the pitfalls were, and even offered suggestions for error handling.
That was the moment I realized: ChatGPT wasn’t just a “copilot.” It was like having a senior developer beside me who didn’t mind explaining things 10 times in a row without judgment.
Fast Forward to 2025: Has It Still Got the Magic?
Now, in 2025, things have changed. ChatGPT has evolved massively, but so has the ecosystem around it. We’ve got AI pair programmers, integrated assistants in Android Studio, and specialized tools that make debugging almost magical.
Still, I find myself coming back to ChatGPT—especially GPT-5—for three main reasons:
-
It’s conversational.
I can describe my app feature like I would to a teammate: “I want a bottom sheet that expands into a full-screen modal when swiped up, and I’m using Compose.” Boom. It gets it. -
It remembers context.
If I’ve been chatting for hours about my app architecture, it keeps track. No need to re-explain my project setup. -
It’s creative.
When I hit a design wall, I can ask it for UI ideas that match my aesthetic—minimalist, calming, nature-inspired. It’s like brainstorming with someone who’s seen every Dribbble design ever.
But It’s Not Perfect (And That’s Okay)
There are still moments when ChatGPT confidently gives me wrong answers—like suggesting outdated APIs or syntax that doesn’t exist anymore. The worst was when it insisted that Jetpack Compose had a certain animation API… that wasn’t actually released yet 😅.
That said, I’ve learned to use ChatGPT strategically:
-
For concepts, planning, and refactoring — it’s fantastic.
-
For production-ready code, especially when it involves new SDKs or dependencies — I double-check everything.
Think of it like a super-helpful intern who’s brilliant but sometimes hallucinates. You wouldn’t hand them production access, but you’d absolutely value their insights.
The Best Part: Learning Faster
One unexpected perk of using ChatGPT over the years is how much faster I’ve learned. When I ask why something works the way it does, I get an explanation that’s digestible and immediate.
Last month, for example, I was working on implementing AI-driven personalized app themes. Instead of digging through countless Medium articles, I just asked ChatGPT:
“How can I use ML Kit to detect mood from text input and adjust UI colors dynamically?”
It gave me a solid breakdown—architecture, flow, and even some pseudocode. I didn’t copy it directly, but it saved me hours of research.
What I Use It For in My Workflow (in 2025)
Here’s a peek into how ChatGPT fits into my actual indie dev workflow now:
| Task | How I Use ChatGPT |
|---|---|
| Feature brainstorming | To refine app ideas and user stories |
| UI design feedback | To describe and improve layout logic |
| Code documentation | To auto-generate Kotlin doc comments |
| Marketing copy | To write Play Store descriptions and taglines |
| Bug explanation | To decode stack traces and errors |
| Learning new libraries | To get short tutorials on Compose, Hilt, etc. |
It’s like a Swiss army knife. Not perfect at everything, but always useful for something.
So… Is ChatGPT Still Worth It in 2025?
Short answer: Yes, absolutely—but with caveats.
If you’re a developer looking to learn, prototype, or brainstorm, ChatGPT is still a game-changer. If you expect it to write flawless production code for a complex Android app—well, that’s asking for trouble.
But here’s the thing: tools like ChatGPT are best when used with your brain, not instead of it. I’ve become a better developer not because it writes code for me, but because it helps me think differently about code.
My Personal Verdict
-
Learning: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
-
Debugging help: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
-
Code generation: ⭐⭐⭐☆
-
Creativity boost: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
-
Production reliability: ⭐⭐⭐
So, is ChatGPT still worth using for coding in 2025? For me—an indie developer juggling code, design, and caffeine—it’s not just worth it, it’s essential.
It’s not perfect, but neither am I. And maybe that’s why we work so well together.
Final Thoughts
If you’re still on the fence, my advice is simple: use ChatGPT as your coding buddy, not your coding crutch.
It’s the difference between learning with AI and being replaced by it.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a new app idea brewing—a minimalist journaling app powered by sentiment detection. Guess who’s helping me design the architecture? 😉
Thanks for reading!
If you want to connect or check out my apps, find me on X, Google Play and Instagram!
Comments
Post a Comment