web app → App Store & Google Play

How to turn a web app into a native mobile app

Everything involved in taking a working web app to the App Store and Google Play: what a native wrapper actually is, when wrapping beats a rewrite, how Apple code signing works, what makes App Review approve or reject you, and what it costs. AppNative automates all of it from your GitHub repo.

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iOS + TestFlight Android + Google Play

How do you turn a web app into a native mobile app?

Compile your existing web app into a signed native binary that renders it in a native web view and exposes device features to your JavaScript. In practice: connect your GitHub repo to AppNative, set the bundle ID and icon, enable native capabilities like push notifications and in-app purchases, add signing credentials, and build — the output uploads to TestFlight and Google Play.

Frameworks supported: React, Next.js, Vue, Nuxt, Svelte, Angular, Gatsby, plain HTML
Builders supported: Lovable, Base44, Bolt.new, Replit and hand-written apps
Mac or Xcode needed: No — iOS builds run on hosted macOS CI
Typical time to first build: Under 1 hour of setup
Apple Developer Program: $99/year, in your name
Google Play Console: $25 one-time, in your name
Web deploys after launch: Live instantly, no store review

How to turn a web app app into a native mobile app, step by step

Six steps, one codebase, no native development. Each step happens inside AppNative except the first.

1
Deploy your web app on a stable URL
The native app renders your live site, so publish it on a domain that won't change — a custom domain is strongly recommended, because the URL is baked into the shipped binary.
2
Get the source into GitHub
AppNative builds from a GitHub repository and branch. Lovable, Base44, Bolt.new and Replit all sync or export to GitHub, and hand-written apps are already there.
3
Decide your bundle ID
Choose a reverse-domain identifier such as com.yourcompany.yourapp. It's permanent once published on either store, so pick it deliberately before your first submission.
4
Prepare store-grade branding
You need a 1024×1024 icon with no transparency and a splash image. AppNative generates every other required iOS and Android size and flattens alpha so Apple's validator accepts the icon.
5
Add the native capabilities that justify a native app
Push notifications, biometric login, camera, offline mode, widgets, Live Activities, Wallet passes or in-app purchases. This step is also what satisfies Apple's minimum-functionality rule.
6
Set up code signing
iOS needs a distribution certificate, an App Store Connect API key and a provisioning profile per bundle ID; Android needs an upload keystore. AppNative can generate the CSR, profiles and keystore, or use ones you already own.
7
Build, test on device, then submit
CI compiles and signs the binaries, uploads to TestFlight and the Google Play internal track, then you complete store metadata and screenshots and submit for review.

Native capabilities your web app app gains

These are real native implementations compiled into the binary — not browser fallbacks — and they're what moves an app past Apple's "minimum functionality" bar.

Push notifications on iOS (APNs) and Android (FCM) with a REST API, badges, deep links, rich media and custom sounds
In-app purchases and subscriptions with StoreKit 2 and Google Play Billing, plus Apple server notifications for renewals and refunds
Face ID / Touch ID biometric app lock
Camera, photo library, microphone, location, contacts and calendar access with correct privacy strings
Offline mode: service-worker precaching plus a branded offline screen
Deep links and custom URL schemes that open any route in the app
Home-screen widgets and iOS Live Activities driven by your own data feed
Apple Wallet and Google Wallet passes with push updates
Native share sheet, haptics, screen recording, safe-area and status-bar theming
Persistent sessions and native handling of Google/Apple OAuth sign-in
TestFlight distribution, tester groups, screenshots and store metadata management
White-label rebuilds so agencies can ship the same pipeline for many clients

web app to mobile: the alternatives, compared

Wrapping vs rewriting in React Native or Flutter

A rewrite gives you native UI primitives at the cost of a second codebase, a second release cycle and permanent feature drift — every web change must be re-implemented. Wrapping keeps one codebase and one deploy, ships in hours instead of months, and still delivers native push, purchases, biometrics, widgets and offline support. Rewrite when your app's core value is heavy real-time graphics, complex gestures or sustained background processing; wrap for almost everything else, especially SaaS, marketplaces, dashboards, booking and content apps.

Native app vs progressive web app (PWA)

A PWA installs from the browser and skips app review, but it cannot be listed in the App Store or Google Play, cannot sell digital goods through StoreKit, has limited and unreliable iOS push, and gives up Face ID, widgets, Live Activities and Wallet passes. Store listings are also a discovery and credibility channel: users search stores, and a store badge converts better than 'add to home screen' instructions.

Why wrapped apps get rejected — and how to pass

Apple's guideline 4.2 rejects apps that only repackage a website. Rejections cluster around four things: no native functionality, missing privacy usage descriptions, sign-in walls with no way to evaluate the app, and web payment links for digital goods. Fix all four: enable real native capabilities, ship accurate privacy strings, offer a demo account or guest browsing, and use in-app purchase inside the app. AppNative generates the native code and privacy strings and runs a pre-submission check for these exact issues.

Do-it-yourself wrapper vs a managed pipeline

You can hand-roll a WKWebView project, but the work isn't the web view — it's certificates, provisioning profiles, bundle-ID registration, entitlements, icon asset catalogs, CI runners, TestFlight uploads, Play App Bundle signing, version and build-number collisions, and store metadata. That pipeline is what AppNative automates, and it's why a first build takes an hour instead of a fortnight.

web app to mobile app: every question, answered

The exact questions people ask before shipping a web app project to the App Store and Google Play.

Can I put my web app on the App Store?

Yes, once it's compiled into a signed native binary that adds native functionality. Apple does not accept a URL or a website archive, and it rejects shells with no native value under guideline 4.2. Add push notifications, biometrics, camera use, offline support or in-app purchases and wrapped apps pass review routinely.

How much does it cost to turn a web app into a mobile app?

With a managed pipeline, budget an AppNative subscription (see pricing) plus Apple's $99/year Developer Program and Google Play's one-time $25 fee. That compares with roughly $30,000–$150,000 and several months for an agency-built native rewrite of an equivalent app.

How long does it take?

Setup is typically under an hour and CI builds take minutes, so a TestFlight build the same day is normal. Apple's first review usually lands within 24–48 hours; Google Play is often faster, though brand-new developer accounts can face extra verification delays.

Do I need a Mac to build an iOS app?

No. iOS builds must be compiled on macOS, but AppNative runs them on hosted macOS CI runners, signs them with your certificate and uploads them for you — so you can ship to the App Store from Windows, Linux or a Chromebook.

Will my app update without going through app review?

Yes for anything in your web app. Because the shell renders your live site, deploying your web app updates every installed copy immediately. Only changes inside the binary — icon, splash, bundle ID, or a native capability — require a new build and review.

Which web frameworks can be wrapped?

Any of them. React, Next.js, Vue, Nuxt, Svelte, Angular, Gatsby, Remix and plain HTML all work, along with anything generated by Lovable, Base44, Bolt.new or Replit, because the native shell renders your deployed app rather than compiling your framework.

Can I charge for subscriptions inside the app?

Yes, using Apple's StoreKit and Google Play Billing, which the stores require for digital goods sold in-app. Keep Stripe for web checkout and have both paths write the same entitlement in your database, so a single paywall serves web and mobile users.

Do wrapped apps feel slow?

Not if the web app is well built. The native web view uses the same engine as Safari and Chrome with hardware acceleration, and the wrapper adds a native launch screen, cached assets, native scrolling behavior and safe-area theming. Perceived speed comes from your bundle size and API latency, not the wrapper.

Who owns the app and the store listings?

You do. Builds are signed with your certificates and published under your own Apple and Google developer accounts, so the listings, reviews, subscribers and payouts are yours, and the generated native project sits in your own GitHub repository.

Can I ship apps for clients this way?

Yes. Agencies use the same pipeline per client — separate bundle IDs, signing credentials and store accounts — and AppNative offers a white-label option so the platform can be presented under your own brand.

Web app to mobile app: key terms defined

Native app wrapper: A native app wrapper is a compiled iOS or Android application that renders your existing web app inside a native web view (WKWebView on iOS, WebView on Android) while exposing real device capabilities — push notifications, biometrics, camera, in-app purchases — to that web code through a JavaScript bridge.
Hybrid app: A hybrid app ships web technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) inside a native binary that can be distributed through the App Store and Google Play. It differs from a progressive web app, which is installed from the browser and cannot be listed in either store.
App Store guideline 4.2 (minimum functionality): Apple's rule that an app must do more than repackage a website. Apps that add native capability — push notifications, biometric login, camera use, offline support, widgets, in-app purchases — satisfy it; a bare website in a shell does not.
Bundle ID / package name: The permanent reverse-domain identifier for your app (for example com.yourcompany.yourapp). It's registered once with Apple and Google and can never be changed for a published app, so it must be decided before your first submission.
Code signing and provisioning profile: Apple requires every binary to be signed with a distribution certificate and matched to a provisioning profile tied to your bundle ID and team. Android requires an upload keystore. Without them a build cannot be installed or submitted.
TestFlight: Apple's beta distribution service. Uploading a signed build to TestFlight lets up to 100 internal testers install the app immediately, before public App Store review — the fastest way to see your wrapped app on a real device.
Over-the-air update: Because a wrapper renders your live web app, deploying your web app updates the mobile experience instantly with no store review. A new native build is only required when something inside the binary changes: icon, splash screen, bundle ID or a native capability.
StoreKit and Google Play Billing: The in-app purchase systems Apple and Google require for selling digital goods inside an app. Stripe stays valid on the web, so most apps run both and grant the same entitlement from either payment source.

web app to mobile app: frequently asked questions

What is a native app wrapper?

A native app wrapper is a signed iOS or Android application that renders your existing web app inside a native web view while exposing device capabilities — push notifications, biometrics, camera, in-app purchases, widgets — to that web code through a JavaScript bridge. It's how you get store distribution and native features without rewriting your app.

Is wrapping a web app allowed by Apple and Google?

Yes. Both stores accept web-view-based apps; Apple simply requires the app to provide native value beyond a website (guideline 4.2). Apps with push, biometrics, offline support, widgets or in-app purchases meet that bar, and Google Play has no equivalent restriction.

What do I need before I start?

A deployed web app on a stable URL, its source in a GitHub repository, a 1024×1024 icon, an Apple Developer Program membership and a Google Play Console account. Everything else — Xcode projects, certificates, profiles, asset sizes, CI — is generated for you.

Can I send push notifications to a wrapped web app?

Yes, real native push on both platforms. AppNative registers device tokens with APNs and FCM, ties them to your logged-in users, and gives you a REST endpoint to send from your own backend with badges, deep links, custom sounds and rich media.

Does a wrapped app work offline?

With offline mode enabled, yes. A service worker precaches your app shell and data responses so returning users can open the app and read cached content with no network, and a branded offline screen covers a first launch with no connection.

What about apps that need the camera or Face ID?

Both are native. Camera and photo library access are granted through native permission prompts with your own privacy usage strings, and Face ID / Touch ID is available as an app lock and biometric gate callable from your JavaScript.

Can I migrate an app that's already on the stores?

Usually yes. You keep the same bundle ID and Apple app record, and on Android you either upload your existing keystore or reset the upload key through Google Play. AppNative then produces the next version as a normal build.

What happens if I want to leave later?

The generated native iOS and Android project lives in your own GitHub repository, and the store accounts and certificates are yours, so you can continue building the project yourself in Xcode or Android Studio at any time.

Other AI app builders we ship to the stores

Started your app in an AI builder? These pages walk through the exact steps for each one.

Lovable → mobile app Base44 → mobile app Bolt.new → mobile app Replit → mobile app

Ship your web app app to the App Store and Google Play

Connect your repo, toggle the native features you need, press Build. Your first TestFlight build can be in testers' hands today — and your web app workflow doesn't change at all.

Read the docs