Lovable can't publish to the App Store or Google Play by itself. It builds web apps, and its own docs say it has no built-in flow to package or submit a project to either store. Your options are a PWA (not listed in the App Store), a wrapper around your published site, or converting the app into a native React Native app.
Can Lovable publish to the App Store?
Not directly. Lovable builds web applications: apps created from May 13, 2026 use TanStack Start, and older apps use React and Vite. Publishing always deploys your project to a web address.
Lovable also has an app for iOS and Android, but that is for building with Lovable on your phone. It does not turn your project into an app you can list in the stores.
Lovable builds web applications, which you can design to be fully mobile friendly, and it does not generate React Native projects.
Lovable FAQ
Your options: PWA, wrapper or native app
Progressive Web App
- How it works: People add your site to their home screen from the browser.
- Stores: Not in the App Store. Google Play only through a Trusted Web Activity.
- Watch out for: It isn't where most people look for apps.
Wrap your site
- How it works: A native shell, for example Capacitor, loads your published site.
- Stores: Possible on both.
- Watch out for: Apple rejects apps that are mostly a repackaged website (Guideline 4.2).
Convert to a native app (recommended)
- How it works: Your screens are rebuilt as a React Native and Expo app.
- Stores: Yes, both.
- Watch out for: More work than a wrapper, but much less likely to hit Guideline 4.2.
Lovable's own docs suggest the first two. A wrapper is the quickest route into the stores, but it is also the one most likely to run into Apple's Guideline 4.2. If that has already happened, see how to fix a Guideline 4.2 rejection.
Lovable PWA vs a real app
Lovable's docs suggest turning your published app into a Progressive Web App that people add to their home screen. It is still your website; it just opens like an app once installed.
| Lovable PWA | Native app | |
|---|---|---|
| Listed in the App Store | No | Yes |
| Listed on Google Play | Only through a Trusted Web Activity | Yes |
| How people install it | Add to Home Screen from the browser | From the store |
| Push notifications on iPhone | iOS 16.4 and later, once added to the Home Screen | Yes |
| Phone features | What the browser allows | Full native access |
| Updates | Instant, like your website | Through store review |
| Cost | Free | $99 a year (Apple) and $25 once (Google), plus the build |
A PWA is enough for internal tools, for testing an idea, or when your users already find you through your website. You need a real app when your users look in the App Store or on Google Play, when you sell digital features (which need Apple's and Google's in-app purchase), or when you need reliable push notifications on iPhone.
Can Lovable export to React Native or Expo?
No. Lovable doesn't generate React Native, so it can't output an Expo project either. What you can export is your web code:
- Two-way GitHub sync with github.com, on every plan.
- A .zip download of the whole codebase, on paid plans.
- Your backend (Lovable Cloud, Supabase or third-party APIs), which a native app can keep using.
React Native and the web both use React, but they render different things. A web app draws HTML styled with CSS; a React Native app draws native views and uses native navigation. So getting to React Native means converting the app:
| Carries over | Has to change |
|---|---|
| Your backend (Lovable Cloud, Supabase or your APIs) | Every screen's UI components |
| Business logic and data fetching | Routing and navigation |
| Your design and brand | Sign-in redirects and web-only libraries |
| Your content and users | Payments for digital goods, which must use Apple's and Google's in-app purchase |
You can rewrite it in Expo yourself, rebuild it with an AI builder that outputs React Native, or have it converted. Our Export plan hands you the converted React Native and Expo source code; see pricing.
Getting a Lovable app on Google Play
- An Android App Bundle (.aab). New apps have had to publish as App Bundles since August 2021.
- A target API level of Android 16 (API 36) or higher, for new apps and updates from August 31, 2026.
- A developer account, with a one-time $25 registration fee.
- A Data safety form and a privacy policy, even if your app collects no data.
- A closed test, if your personal account was created after November 13, 2023: at least 12 testers opted in for 14 days before you apply for production access.
A PWA can reach Google Play through a Trusted Web Activity, which Google documents and supports with its Bubblewrap tool, but the app still shows your website. A native conversion gives you one app for both stores. More on the 12-tester requirement.
What you need before you submit
Developer accounts on both stores, a privacy policy, privacy labels, account deletion, a demo login for reviewers and store screenshots. The full list, with every fee, is in the Lovable launch checklist and costs.
How LetsDeployIt helps
We convert your Lovable app into a native React Native and Expo app, then handle the store work: icons, screenshots, privacy labels, signing, submission and reviewer replies. Preview the native version on your phone for free, then pick a plan on our pricing page.
Try a free native preview of your app on your phone: letsdeploy.it.
Common questions about publishing from Lovable
Does Lovable have a button to publish to the App Store?
No. Lovable's docs say it has no built-in flow that packages and submits a project to the App Store or Google Play. Publishing in Lovable deploys your app to a web address.
Can I submit my Lovable PWA to the App Store?
Not as a PWA. The App Store only lists native apps. To get in, you need to wrap the site in a native shell or convert it into a native app.
Will Apple accept a Lovable app wrapped with Capacitor?
Sometimes, but it is risky. Apple's Guideline 4.2 asks apps to go beyond a repackaged website, and a wrapper that only loads your site is the classic case it rejects.
Does Lovable support React Native or Expo?
No. Lovable's docs say it builds web applications and does not generate React Native projects, so it can't output an Expo project either.
Can I export my Lovable code?
Yes. Lovable offers two-way GitHub sync on every plan and a full .zip download of the codebase on paid plans. The code is yours, but it is web code.
Can I put my Lovable app on Google Play?
Yes, but not from Lovable directly. You need an Android build of the app, a Google Play developer account and, for new personal accounts, a 14-day closed test with 12 testers. A PWA can also go on Play through a Trusted Web Activity.
Will my Supabase backend still work in a native app?
Yes. The backend doesn't change. The native app talks to the same Supabase project, so your data and users carry over.
Do I have to stop using Lovable?
No. Lovable can keep powering your website, and you can sync your Lovable code to GitHub at any time.
Sources
- Lovable FAQ
- Lovable: Git integration
- Apple App Review Guidelines
- WebKit: Web Push for web apps on iOS
- Android: Trusted Web Activities
- Google Play: developer account fee
- Google Play: testing requirements for new personal accounts
- Google Play: target API level requirements
- Android App Bundle
- Google Play: Data safety section
Originally published on letsdeploy.it. Facts checked 2026-10-12.
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