Is your web app ready for the App Store and Google Play?

Three ways from a web app to the stores

Trusted Web Activity (Google Play only)

Your PWA runs full screen in Chrome inside a tiny Android app (Chrome docs). No rewrite, updates ship with the website. Needs a proper manifest, a service worker and a file on your domain that proves you own it.

Capacitor (both stores)

Wraps the built web app into native Android and iOS projects (Capacitor docs). Plugins add what a browser lacks: push notifications, camera, sharing, native sign-in. iOS builds need a Mac with Xcode.

A native rewrite (Expo or Swift and Kotlin)

Only when the app must feel fully native or needs heavy device features. Weeks, not days: the cost estimator gives a range.

What the stores ask for

• Accounts: Apple Developer Program costs 99 USD a year (Apple); Google Play costs 25 USD once (Google).
• New personal Google Play accounts must run a closed test with at least 12 testers for 14 days before the first release (Google). The rule applies to personal accounts. Plan for it.
• Apple guideline 4.2: an app should be more than a repackaged website (App Review Guidelines). Offline mode, notifications, camera or sharing usually make the difference.
• Apple guideline 4.8: if you offer Google or Facebook login, you also need an equivalent private login option, which in practice means Sign in with Apple.
• Both stores need a privacy policy URL, a support contact, icons, screenshots for phones (and tablets if you support them) and an age rating questionnaire.

What this tool checks

• The web app manifest: name, short name, start page, display mode, colors, 192 and 512 px icons, maskable icon.
• iOS basics: viewport, notch, home screen icon, status bar color.
• Offline: a service worker that answers requests without network.
• What behaves differently inside an app wrapper: login popups, printing, browser dialogs, heavy scripts.
• The store minimum visible on the page: privacy policy and contact.

It does not log in, run your app, test performance, or check security. It reads the public page, manifest, service worker, scripts and one icon, and stores nothing.

Why I can help

I have published 25+ apps with 3.7M+ downloads (2009 to 2017), and I build web apps with coding agents every day now. Getting a web app through store review is mostly packaging and paperwork that nobody enjoys; I have done it many times.

Questions

Can I publish a Lovable or Bolt app in the App Store?

Yes, through Capacitor, after exporting the code to GitHub. Apple will look for something that works better as an app than in a browser, so plan offline mode, notifications or another native feature.

Do I need a Mac?

For iOS builds, yes, or a cloud build service. Android builds work on any computer.

How long does review take?

Usually days, not weeks, but a new personal Google Play account first needs the 14-day closed test with 12 testers.

Will my app update automatically?

With a TWA, yes: it shows your live website. With Capacitor, content from your server updates live, and changes to the bundled code need a new store release.

Is this a security check?

No. It only reads what any browser downloads and looks at packaging. It does not test logins, data or servers.

Sources

1. Apple, Apple Developer Program enrollment (99 USD a year)
2. Google Play Console help, registration fee (25 USD once)
3. Google Play Console help, testing requirements for new personal accounts (12 testers, 14 days)
4. Apple, App Review Guidelines (4.2 Minimum Functionality, 4.8 Login Services)
5. Chrome for Developers, Trusted Web Activity
6. Capacitor documentation
7. MDN, Web app manifest