GumStory runs the same Next.js web app on the web, on Android, and on Windows. One early decision made that possible: keep a single codebase and wrap it instead of building three separate apps. Here's roughly how it works, and the parts that were tricky.
The setup
The product is a normal Next.js app. For the mobile and desktop builds, Capacitor wraps it, loading the web app inside a native shell and exposing native APIs where needed.
The model that makes this manageable: the web app is the source of truth, and the native builds are thin shells pointing at it. So most features just work everywhere, and platform-specific code is only needed at the edges.
Where it gets interesting
A few areas needed real platform handling:
Knowing where the app is running. Checking the Capacitor user agent lets the app behave a little differently inside the native shell versus a normal browser tab, for example on the launch screen.
OAuth on mobile. This was the hardest part. A login flow that opens an external browser does not automatically return to the app. It needs a custom URL scheme and deep links so the native app actually receives the callback, instead of stranding the user in Chrome.
- Builds. Web deploys normally, Android ships through the Play Store, Windows through the Microsoft Store, all on the same web bundle.
Worth it?
For a small team, yes. A feature written once shows up on three platforms. The cost is the occasional sharp edge like the OAuth flow, but that beats maintaining three apps forever.
GumStory itself is a workspace for planning sprints, running tests, and auto-generating daily status reports. It's at https://gumstory.com if it's useful to anyone. Questions about the Capacitor side are welcome in the comments.
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