The developer experience
Now that I have covered mini apps per se, I want to focus on the developer experience for the various super app platforms. Mini app development on all platforms happens in IDEs that are provided for free by the super app platforms. While there are more, I want to focus on the four most popular ones, and a fifth for Quick App for comparison.
Mini app IDEs
Like the super apps, the majority of the IDEs are available only in Chinese. You actually want to make sure that you install the Chinese version and not a sometimes available English (or overseas) version, since it might not be up-to-date. If you are a macOS developer, be aware that not all IDEs are signed, which means macOS refuses to run the installer. You can, at your own risk, bypass this as outlined by Apple help.
Mini app starter projects
To get started quickly with mini app development, all super app providers offer demo apps that can be downloaded and tested immediately, and that are sometimes also integrated in the "New Project" wizards of the various IDEs.
Development flow
After launching the IDE and loading or creating a (demo) mini app, the first step is always to log in. Usually you just need to scan a QR code with the super app (where you are already logged in) that is generated by the IDE. Very rarely do you have to enter a password. Once you are logged in, the IDE knows your identity and lets you start programming, debugging, testing, and submitting your app for review. In the following, you can see screenshots of the five IDEs mentioned in the paragraph above.