Everything you need to set up, customize, and launch your Shopify store as a fully branded mobile app. Follow these steps and you will be live on the App Store and Google Play in days not months
Getting your Shopify store online was the first step. But if you are reading this you already know that a website alone is not enough anymore. Your customers are on their phones. They are browsing, comparing, and buying on mobile. And if you want to meet them where they are a native iOS and Android app is how you do it.
The good news is that launching your own branded mobile app does not require a developer, a massive budget, or months of waiting. The entire process happens inside a simple dashboard and if you follow the right steps in the right order you can go from setup to live on the app stores in as little as five to seven days.
This checklist is designed to walk you through every single step of that process. From entering your basic business information all the way through to configuring push notifications and submitting your app for review. Nothing is skipped. Nothing is assumed.
Whether you are setting up your app for the first time or working through a specific step you got stuck on, this guide has you covered.
Let us get into it.
Step 1: Enter Your Basic App Information
The first step is straightforward but it is worth taking your time here because some of these details affect how your app appears publicly on the App Store and Google Play.
Here is what you need to fill in.
Company Name
Enter the legal or trading name of your business. This is the name that will appear as the developer name on the app stores. You have up to 80 characters so you have plenty of room but keep it clean and professional. What customers see here should match what they already know your brand as.
Contact Email
This is the email address tied to your app account. Use an email you actively check because important updates, review notifications, and platform communications will come here. Avoid using a personal email if possible. A branded business email looks more professional and keeps things organised.
Country Code and Contact Phone
Select your country from the dropdown and enter your contact phone number. This is used for account verification and support purposes. Make sure it is a number you can actually be reached on.
App Name
This is one of the most important fields in this step. Your app name is what appears under your icon on a customer's phone screen and in the app store search results. You have 30 characters to work with so make it count. Keep it short, recognisable, and consistent with your brand name.
One important thing to note here. Your app name only takes effect after your app is deployed to the app stores. While you are working in preview mode the name you see in the preview may not reflect what you enter here. Do not worry about that during setup. Just make sure the name is exactly what you want before you submit.
Once all four fields are filled in correctly you are ready to move to the next step.
Step 2: Choose Your Theme and Customize Your Brand
This is where your app starts to feel like yours. The theme and colors you set here define the entire visual experience your customers have every time they open your app.
Choosing Your Theme
There are four themes to choose from. Madiva suits fashion and lifestyle brands with an editorial feel. Shoppe is a versatile all rounder that works across most product categories. Fillo goes for a minimal premium look great for clean modern brands. Tuks is bold and energetic, perfect for brands with a younger audience.
Pick the one that feels closest to how your brand already looks and feels. Your app should feel like a natural extension of your store not something completely different.
Customizing Your Colors
Each color field controls a specific part of the app interface. Primary Color is your main brand color. Background Color should usually be white or a very light neutral. Button Color needs strong contrast so customers can easily spot and tap it. Text Color must be readable against your background at all times.
Use the live preview panel on the right as you work. Keep your Shopify store open on your phone beside you and match the colors as closely as possible for a consistent brand experience.
Step 3: Set Up Your Home Page Layout
Your home page is the first thing customers see when they open your app. Getting this right makes a big difference in how long they stay and how quickly they find something to buy.
Hero Banners
You can upload up to 10 banner images that rotate across the top of your home screen. The recommended size is 351px by 132px. Use these banners for promotions, new arrivals, or seasonal campaigns. Keep the design clean and make sure any text on the banner is large enough to read on a small screen.
Top Collections
Select up to 10 collections to display on your home page. These appear as quick access categories near the top of the screen. Choose your most popular or most visited collections here. Think about what your customers are most likely looking for the moment they open your app.
Expanded Collections
You can feature two expanded collections on your home page with more control over how they display. For each one you choose the collection, set the sort order, and pick a layout. Horizontal works well for browsing. Vertical suits detailed product listings. Grid is great for visual product heavy categories.
Take your time arranging this. A well structured home page does a lot of the selling before a customer even taps on a product.
Step 4: Preview Your App on a Real Device
Before anything goes live you get to see exactly how your app looks and feels on a real phone. This is one of the most important steps in the whole process and it is worth spending proper time here.
How to Get the Preview Running
First download the Moby5 app on your phone by scanning the QR code shown in the dashboard. It works on both iOS and Android. Once downloaded open the app, swipe through the welcome screens, and tap Next.
On the next screen tap Connect My Store. Then tap Scan QR Code and allow camera access when prompted. Point your camera at the store QR code shown in the dashboard and your store will connect automatically.
What to Check During Preview
Go through every screen as if you are a customer visiting for the first time. Check that your banner images display correctly. Make sure your collections are showing the right products. Tap through to a product page and test the layout. Run through the checkout flow to make sure everything feels smooth.
If something looks off go back to the dashboard, make the adjustment, and re-preview. Keep going until every screen feels exactly right.
What you see in preview is very close to what your customers will experience after launch so do not rush this step.
Step 5: Build Your Category Tree
The category tree controls how your collections are organised and displayed in your app navigation. A well structured category tree makes it easy for customers to find exactly what they are looking for without getting lost.
How It Works
On the left side you will see all your available Shopify collections. On the right you build your tree structure by adding collections in a hierarchy that makes sense for your store.
Double click or tap the plus button to add a collection to your tree. To make a collection a subcategory under another simply drag it in as a child. Use the sort icon to reorder collections at the same level.
Getting the Structure Right
Think about how your customers naturally browse. A beauty store might have Cosmetics as a top level category with Makeup, Skincare, and Haircare sitting underneath it as subcategories. A fashion store might have Women, Men, and Kids at the top level with clothing types nested below each one.
Keep your top level categories broad and your subcategories specific. Too many top level categories feels overwhelming. Too few makes things hard to find.
Once your tree feels logical and clean move on to the next step.
Step 6: Set Up Firebase for Push Notifications
This step unlocks push notifications for your Android app. iOS push notifications are handled automatically so you only need to complete this setup for Android.
Firebase is a free Google platform and the setup takes about ten minutes if you follow the steps carefully.
Creating Your Firebase Project
Go to the Firebase Console and create a new project. Give it a clear name like Your Store App. You can disable Google Analytics during setup as it is not required. Once the project is created you are ready for the next part.
Generating Your Service Account Key
Inside your Firebase project go to Project Settings by clicking the gear icon. Click on the Service Accounts tab and then click Generate New Private Key. Firebase will download a JSON file to your device. This file is what you upload to the dashboard.
Uploading to the Dashboard
Back in your app dashboard upload the JSON file you just downloaded. The platform will automatically detect your Project ID from the file. You will then see a progress checklist running through validation, configuration, and setup steps. Wait for all items to complete before moving on.
Once Firebase is connected your Android app can send and receive push notifications. That single feature is responsible for a significant portion of the revenue gains we talked about in earlier articles so it is worth getting right.
Step 7: Complete Your App Store Listing
This is the step that determines how your app appears to the world on the App Store and Google Play. Take it seriously because a well put together listing builds trust and drives downloads.
App Icon and Feature Graphics
Upload a 1024x1024 pixel icon for your app. This is what customers see on their home screen and in search results so make it clean, recognisable, and on brand. For Android you also need a Feature Graphic at 1024x500 pixels. This appears at the top of your Play Store listing and acts like a billboard for your app.
App Description and Subtitle
Write a clear and compelling description of up to 400 words. Focus on what your app does for the customer. Fast shopping, exclusive offers, easy reordering. Keep the subtitle under 30 characters and make it punchy.
Category and Age Restriction
Select Shopping as your primary category. Choose a relevant secondary category based on your product type. Set your age restriction appropriately, most ecommerce apps use 16 or 17 plus.
Screenshots
Upload screenshots for iOS iPhone, iOS iPad, and Android Phone. These are the most viewed part of any app store listing. Use real screenshots from your preview that show your best looking screens. Home page, product page, and checkout are good choices.
Supporting URLs
Add your marketing website, support URL, and privacy policy URL. These are required for app store approval so make sure all three links are live and working before you submit.
Step 8: Configure Order and Shipping Notifications
Order and shipping notifications keep your customers informed at every stage of their purchase. These are not marketing messages. They are transactional updates that customers genuinely want and expect. Getting them right builds trust and reduces support queries.
The Master Switch
At the top of this section you will find a master toggle for all order and shipping notifications. Make sure this is enabled before configuring anything else. If this is off none of the individual notifications will fire regardless of their individual settings.
Order Notifications
There are four order notifications to configure. Order Confirmation goes out automatically the moment a customer places an order. This is the most important one and should always be enabled. Order Cancelled notifies the customer if their order is cancelled. Order Payment Receipt confirms when a saved payment method is successfully charged. Order Refund lets the customer know when a refund has been processed.
Enable all four. Customers expect to be kept in the loop and these notifications do that automatically without any manual effort from you.
Shipping Notifications
Shipping Confirmation goes out when an order is fulfilled and on its way. Shipping Update fires if the tracking number on a fulfilled order gets updated. Both should be enabled. Knowing where their order is gives customers confidence and significantly reduces where is my order messages to your support team.
Once everything is toggled on you are done with this step.
Step 9: Launch Your First Push Notification Campaign
You have set up your app, configured your notifications, and you are almost ready to go live. But before you submit there is one more thing worth doing. Send your first push notification campaign and get familiar with how it works.
What You Will See in the Campaign Dashboard
The campaigns section shows you all your created campaigns, their status, scheduled send time, and how many devices received them. You can search and filter by status to keep things organised as your campaign list grows over time.
Creating Your First Campaign
Start simple. Create a launch announcement campaign to send to your customers the day your app goes live. Something welcoming that tells them the app is available, what they can do with it, and why they should download it now.
Give your campaign a clear name so you can identify it later. Select where the notification should take the customer when they tap it, a specific product, a collection, or your home page. Set your scheduled send time and save it as a draft until you are ready.
A Few Things to Keep in Mind
Active devices shows how many customers currently have your app installed and notifications enabled. In the early days this number will be small. That is completely normal. Focus on driving downloads first and your active device count will grow with it.
Campaigns only reach customers who have your app installed so getting people to download the app early is the most important thing you can do right after launch.
Conclusion & Call to Action
You made it through the complete checklist.
If you have followed every step in this guide you have done something most Shopify merchants have not. You have built a fully branded native mobile app, configured your home page, set up your category structure, connected push notifications, completed your app store listing, and prepared your first campaign. That is no small thing.
Going from a Shopify web store to a live iOS and Android app used to take months and cost tens of thousands of dollars. Today you can do it in a matter of days without writing a single line of code and without hiring a single developer. The barrier is gone. The only thing left is following through.
Here is a quick recap of everything you completed.
Step 1 was your basic app information. Step 2 was your theme and brand colors. Step 3 was your home page layout with banners and collections. Step 4 was previewing your app on a real device. Step 5 was building your category tree. Step 6 was setting up Firebase for push notifications. Step 7 was completing your app store listing. Step 8 was configuring your order and shipping notifications. Step 9 was creating your first push notification campaign.
Your app is ready. Your customers are waiting on the App Store and Google Play. The only step left is hitting submit.
If you found this checklist helpful share it with another Shopify merchant who is thinking about launching a mobile app. And if you have questions about any of the steps drop them in the comments. We are happy to help you get across the line.
Top comments (0)