Convert Bolt to iOS App: Wrapper or Expo for the App Store

Key takeaways

Bolt doesn't publish to the App Store itself: wrap the published bolt.new site in a native shell, or create an Expo project in Bolt and build it with EAS.
Wrapping is fastest for an existing web app but needs real native features to clear Guideline 4.2; Expo produces a React Native app but means starting a new project.
Both routes need Sign in with Apple next to Google, In-App Purchase instead of Stripe for digital features, account deletion and a review account that works inside the app.
WebViewGold, built by our team, turns the published Bolt site into an Xcode project; appsubmitter.io signs, lists and submits either route in your own account.

Our recommended solution

Turn your Bolt app into a real iOS app with WebViewGold

WebViewGold wraps the Bolt web app you already have in a native Xcode project and adds push notifications, a native offline screen, deep links, a QR scanner and more – the native value reviewers at the App Store look for. Built by our own team, and we submit WebViewGold apps all the time.

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Can you convert Bolt to an iOS app?

Yes – but not with a button inside Bolt. To convert Bolt to an iOS app, you either wrap your published bolt.new site in a native Xcode project such as WebViewGold, or create an Expo project in Bolt, download the code and build and submit it with Expo's EAS command-line tools. Both routes end in App Store Connect under your own Apple Developer account; which one fits depends on whether you already have a working Bolt web app.

Bolt, the browser-based AI builder from StackBlitz, works in JavaScript: Node.js on the backend and any JavaScript framework on the frontend. Since Bolt v2 (October 2, 2025), Bolt Cloud adds hosting with a free .bolt.host domain (custom domains on Pro), Bolt Database or Supabase, authentication with email and Google, Stripe payments and security audits, built on Netlify and Supabase according to Bolt. Projects sync with GitHub, and older ones may still be hosted on Netlify. One sentence from Bolt's documentation shapes everything below: "Projects created for web do not easily switch over to mobile." For a native app you write mobile app in the first prompt, and Bolt creates an Expo project.

Wrapper or Expo: the two routes side by side

	Route 1: wrap the bolt.new site	Route 2: Expo app built in Bolt
Starting point	Your existing, published web project	A new project with "mobile app" in the first prompt
What App Review gets	Your live site inside a native shell	A React Native binary
Main review risk	4.2 – too close to the website	2.1 and 4.3 – incomplete or generic
Updates	Web changes go live with Update; native changes need a new build	Rebuild and resubmit, per Bolt's docs
Native features	Wrapper modules: push, offline screen, Face ID, scanners, StoreKit	Expo modules you add to the code
Digital purchases	StoreKit through the wrapper	RevenueCat, which Bolt's docs point to
Build tooling	Xcode or WebViewGold's Cloud Builder	EAS cloud builds; Node.js, Git and an Expo account
Best for	Bolt web apps that already work and have users	Apps that are mobile-first from day one

Two more routes exist. A progressive web app needs no review, but Bolt has no PWA documentation, so manifest and service worker are your job – and you give up App Store presence. Capacitor can package exported code, yet its documentation says loading a remote site via server.url is "not intended for use in production", so a production Capacitor app means bundled assets and native plugins. For most existing Bolt projects, the real decision is the table above.

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Route 1: wrap your published bolt.new site with WebViewGold

Publish publicly on your production domain. Paid plans can attach a custom domain and lose the Made in Bolt badge after a republish; avoid Private visibility and the random bolt.host name Bolt assigns at first publish.
Fix authentication URLs. Bolt projects start with localhost:3000 as the Site URL. Under Database → Authentication → Advanced, set it to the production domain and add every domain, reset route and your app's URL scheme to the URI allow list.
Adapt the layout for iPhone and iPad: viewport-fit=cover, safe-area padding, no hover-only menus, large tap targets. A custom user-agent suffix lets the site hide its web header and footer inside the app.
Configure the project. Enter the production URL in Config.swift, set bundle ID, name, icon and splash screen, and choose which links open outside the app – documents, social profiles, checkout pages for physical orders.
Switch on the modules your app needs (table below) and add a purpose string to Info.plist for each permission they use.
Build in Xcode, or let the Cloud Builder configure, build and upload in the browser; our team also offers a done-for-you setup.

WebViewGold is developed by our team, sold as a one-time purchase (Extended license for In-App Purchases), and its documentation lists Bolt among the supported builders. Which modules matter depends on what you built:

What you built in Bolt	Modules that add real value
SaaS dashboard or internal tool	Native sidebar or navigation footer, Face ID re-login, push for alerts, offline screen
AI tool with paid credits or plans	StoreKit In-App Purchases, push when a job finishes, native share dialog for results
Marketplace or community	Universal links for shared listings, push for messages, QR scanner, native rating dialog
Booking or event app	Push reminders, QR check-in, calendar entries, Apple Wallet passes for tickets

Route 2: build an Expo app in Bolt and ship it with EAS

Start a new Bolt project and put mobile app in the very first prompt, so Bolt sets it up as an Expo project.
Test on your phone with Expo Go: the Device Preview icon in Bolt shows a QR code to scan.
Download the code. You need Node.js LTS, Git and an Expo account; install the EAS CLI with npm install -g eas-cli, sign in with eas login, run npm install and check the setup with npx expo-doctor.
Set name and slug in app.json – Bolt's docs warn that the slug can't change after the first build – then run eas init and eas build:configure.
Run eas build --platform ios --auto-submit. The build runs on macOS machines in Expo's cloud; EAS creates the app record in your Apple Developer account, sets up a TestFlight group and submits the build for internal testing. EAS can also generate and manage certificates and provisioning profiles.
Complete the listing in App Store Connect and submit for review. Every later mobile change means a new build and a new submission.

For in-app purchases, Bolt's docs point to RevenueCat's guide for Bolt-generated Expo apps. For Sign in with Apple, the usual path is Expo's expo-apple-authentication module with ios.usesAppleSignIn enabled in the app config.

The shortcut from Bolt to the App Store

WebViewGold: your Bolt app, native on iOS

Instead of building native features from scratch, start from WebViewGold. You get ready-made Xcode and Android Studio projects for your website, with native modules you switch on in the configuration:

Push notificationsOneSignal or Firebase, for real, personal events
Native offline screenNo browser error pages when the connection drops
Native splash screenApp-like start instead of a loading web page
Deep linksLinks open the right screen inside the app
QR & barcode scannerDevice features the website alone can't offer
In-app purchasesNative purchase flows where the store requires them

No tool guarantees an approval: Apple still judges what your app offers. Use the native features in your main user journey – our App Specialists review your WebViewGold app before it goes to the App Store.

Discover WebViewGold Let us submit your WebViewGold app

App Store rules both routes have to meet

Rule	Wrapped Bolt site	Expo app
4.8 Login Services	Sign in with Apple wherever Google appears, via Supabase's Apple provider on a Supabase project you control	`expo-apple-authentication` next to Google
Google sign-in	Never inside the web view: native code with `ASWebAuthenticationSession` or Google's Sign-In SDK, or Google on the website and email plus Apple in the app	A native sign-in flow instead of a web view
3.1.1 In-App Purchase	StoreKit through the wrapper; Bolt's Stripe integration only for physical goods and services	RevenueCat; Stripe only for physical goods and services
5.1.1(v) Account deletion	A Delete account option backed by a server function	The same backend function, called from the app
Purpose strings	Info.plist entries for camera, location, Face ID	`ios.infoPlist` in the app config
2.1 Review access	A confirmed email-and-password account with sample data	The same, in a build that talks to your production database

A handoff of Google sign-in to Safari satisfies Google's rules, but Apple describes sending people to the browser to sign in as a poor experience under Guideline 4, so treat it as a last resort. If your Bolt app sends prompts or files to an AI model, Guideline 5.1.2(i) requires you to disclose that and get explicit permission first. And App Privacy details must cover Supabase, Stripe, analytics and every SDK in the binary.

TestFlight, review notes and the rejections to expect

Test the TestFlight build on an iPhone and an iPad with a fresh install: sign-up with email confirmation, sign-in with the review account, password reset, purchase, account deletion and – for the wrapped site – Airplane Mode. Then write Notes for Review that name every native feature, explain which content comes from your Bolt site and give the review account. The rejections Bolt apps tend to collect:

4.2 when the wrapped site offers nothing beyond Safari – see 4.2 for WebView apps.
2.1 when the reviewer can't sign up because a redirect still points to localhost or the free hosting quota ran out.
4.8 for Google sign-in without Sign in with Apple – 4.8 for WebView apps has the details.
3.1.1 for Stripe checkout of digital features.
4.3 and 4.2.6 for generic generated designs, or apps an agency publishes for clients under its own account.
5.6 when features appear after approval – our article on Bolt apps and Guideline 5.6 covers the fix.

Signing, listing and submission without the detours

appsubmitter.io supports both routes. For a WebViewGold app we set up certificates, provisioning profiles and a fastlane pipeline; for an Expo app we set up signing and CI/CD – for example GitHub Actions or Codemagic – on the repository Bolt syncs to. We prepare the App Store Connect listing and App Privacy details, run an AI-powered pre-submission check reviewed by an App Specialist, write the Notes for Review and handle every message with App Review – in your own developer account, with our specialists working as members of your team. Code changes aren't included and are quoted upfront.

Book the iOS service or talk through your Bolt project in a free consultation call. Planning Android as well? Our guide to converting Bolt to Android covers Google Play.

Checklist before you submit

You chose a route: wrap the existing bolt.new site, or build a new Expo project in Bolt.
The site is published publicly on your production domain, without the Made in Bolt badge.
Site URL and URI allow list point to the production domain and include your app's URL scheme.
Native features serve the core journey – not just a splash screen around a web view.
Google sign-in never runs inside an embedded web view, and Sign in with Apple is offered next to it.
Digital features are sold through In-App Purchase; Stripe only covers physical goods and services.
Users can delete their account in the app.
Every permission has a purpose string, and App Privacy details include Supabase, Stripe and analytics data.
Data sent to AI models is disclosed, and users give explicit permission first.
The review account works inside the TestFlight build, and the Notes for Review describe every feature.

Frequently asked questions

Can I publish a bolt.new app on the App Store?

Yes, but Bolt doesn't submit it for you. Either wrap the published bolt.new site in a native shell such as WebViewGold, or build an Expo project in Bolt and ship it with EAS. In both cases you submit from your own Apple Developer account, and App Review checks the app against the same guidelines as any other.

Do I need a Mac to convert Bolt to an iOS app?

Not for every route. EAS builds Expo apps on macOS machines in Expo's cloud, so the Expo route works from Windows or Linux, and WebViewGold's Cloud Builder builds a wrapper app in the browser. You need a Mac with Xcode only to build the WebViewGold project yourself. A real iPhone for TestFlight testing helps either way.

Should I rebuild my Bolt web app as an Expo app?

Only if mobile is the main product. Bolt's docs say web projects don't easily switch to mobile, so Expo means a new project, a second codebase and rebuilding features you already have. If your web app works and has users, wrapping it with native features is faster; if you start from scratch and mobile comes first, Expo is the cleaner foundation.

Can I update my Bolt iOS app without going through review again?

With a wrapped site, content and fixes you publish with Update appear in the app right away; native changes and new features belong in a new build with Notes for Review. With Expo, Bolt's docs say mobile updates mean rebuilding and resubmitting. Either way, keep the feature set App Review approved consistent with what users actually get.

How long does App Store review take?

Apple's App Review page says it typically reviews at least half of all submissions within a day and 90% within two days. Expect extra rounds if the reviewer can't sign in, a redirect fails or information is missing – so test the review account inside the app and give App Review complete notes before you submit.

Does Apple reject WebView apps made with Bolt?

Not for being WebView apps – nothing in the guidelines bans them. Apple rejects apps whose experience stays too close to the website (4.2) or that change after review (5.6). WebViewGold, which our team makes, adds the native layer – navigation, push, offline handling, Face ID, StoreKit – but no tool can promise an approval.

Sources and further reading

Store policies and third-party products change regularly – always check the current versions. This article is independent advice and not affiliated with or endorsed by Apple, Google or any other company or product mentioned; all trademarks belong to their owners. WebViewGold and appsubmitter.io are made by our team at jocapps GmbH.

Convert Bolt to an iOS App: Wrap Your bolt.new Web App or Build It with Expo