<commit_before>---
description: Explains the basics of creating and using Auth0 Applications.
toc: true
topics:
  - applications
contentType: 
    - index
    - concept
useCase:
  - build-an-app
---
# Applications

Applications are primarily meant for human interaction, as opposed to APIs, which provide data to applications through a standardized messaging system.

The term application does not imply any particular implementation characteristics. For example, your application could be a native app that executes on a mobile device, a single-page app that executes on a browser, or a regular web app that executes on a server.

Auth0 categorizes applications in three ways:


* Auth0 application type: To add authentication to your application, you must first register it with Auth0 and select an application type.
* Public versus Confidential
* First-party versus Third-party



## Applications in Auth0

To add authentication to your application, you must first register it with Auth0 and select an application type. Auth0 recognizes four application types:

- **Native/Mobile Apps**: Mobile, desktop, or hybrid apps that run natively in a device (e.g., Android, iOS, Ionic, Windows, OS/X). Learn to [configure your Native/Mobile App using the Dashboard](/applications/native).<commit_msg>Update index.md<commit_after>---
description: Explains the basics of creating and using Auth0 Applications.
toc: true
topics:
  - applications
contentType: 
    - index
    - concept
useCase:
  - build-an-app
---
# Applications

Applications are primarily meant for human interaction, as opposed to APIs, which provide data to applications through a standardized messaging system.

The term application does not imply any particular implementation characteristics. For example, your application could be a native app that executes on a mobile device, a single-page app that executes on a browser, or a regular web app that executes on a server.

Auth0 categorizes applications in three ways:


* Auth0 application type: To add authentication to your application, you must first register it with Auth0 and select an application type.
* Public versus Confidential
* First-party versus Third-party: First-party and third-party refer to the ownership of the application. This has implications in terms of who has administrative access to your Auth0 domain.



## Applications in Auth0

To add authentication to your application, you must first register it with Auth0 and select an application type. Auth0 recognizes four application types:

- **Native/Mobile Apps**: Mobile, desktop, or hybrid apps that run natively in a device (e.g., Android, iOS, Ionic, Windows, OS/X). Learn to [configure your Native/Mobile App using the Dashboard](/applications/native).
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