Lovable to App Store

Lovable (and Bolt / Base44-style builders) ship web apps. The App Store and Play need a native binary. The standard path is: push to GitHub, wrap with Capacitor, sign, upload to TestFlight / Play testing. CapWrapp is the desk for that loop — connect the repo, add Capacitor via PR if it’s missing, preview a commit, then ship a store test build without living in Xcode. This page is the checklist. Not a promise that every wrapped SPA passes review — Guideline 4.2 still applies.

Why Lovable ≠ App Store

Lovable (and similar builders) give you a website: screens, auth, and a dist folder. Shoppers do not install a URL from the App Store. Apple and Google distribute a signed app binary with a bundle ID / package name, icons, and a native project.

Capacitor is the usual bridge: a small iOS and Android shell that loads your web build. Without that shell — and without signing and store upload — there is nothing for TestFlight or Play Internal testing to install.

CapWrapp does not replace Lovable. It ships what you already pushed to GitHub.

The path

1. Sync GitHub. In Lovable, connect GitHub so the project is a real repo. CapWrapp cannot wrap a site that only lives on a Lovable URL. See Built with Lovable?.
2. Ship a static web build. Capacitor loads files from your web folder (usually dist). Vite / Lovable SPAs are fine. SSR is a footgun: if the app only exists when a Node server is running, the native shell will show a blank or error screen. You need a static export (SPA or prerender), not a server-only render.
3. Add Capacitor if it is missing — capacitor.config, native ios/ / android/ folders, app ID. CapWrapp can open that pull request; you merge it and paste the follow-up prompt into Lovable so packages and native folders finish.
4. Signing. Create the app record in App Store Connect and Play Console, then paste API keys in CapWrapp. CapWrapp keeps certificates and keystores off your laptop.
5. Upload a test build. Pick a commit, confirm, and GitHub Actions archive iOS / Android and upload to TestFlight and Play Internal testing. That is a test binary, not a skip of App Store review.

The 4.2 gotcha

Apple’s Guideline 4.2 (Minimum Functionality) is why “we wrapped the SPA” is not a store strategy by itself. If the app is just a website in a webview — no real native value, no reason to be an app — review can reject it. CapWrapp will still build and upload. It will not invent native features or argue 4.2 for you.

Be honest in the listing: what the app does on a phone, not only that it has a URL. For deeper reading on review patterns, see AcceptMyApp’s guideline notes.

Where CapWrapp fits

Flow: GitHub → Capacitor PR if missing → you confirm a commit → TestFlight / Play. Docs: How it works and the Lovable product page.

Checklist

• [ ] Lovable project synced to GitHub
• [ ] Static web build (SPA / dist) — not SSR-only
• [ ] Capacitor in the repo (capacitor.config, ios/ and/or android/) on the default branch
• [ ] Apple Developer + App Store Connect app record (for iPhone)
• [ ] Play Console app record (for Android)
• [ ] CapWrapp connected to the repo, keys in Settings, shipping pipeline on
• [ ] One test commit uploaded to TestFlight and/or Play Internal
• [ ] Listing copy that describes a real app, not only a wrapped site (4.2)

After the test build

A binary on TestFlight or Play internal testing is not a store submission. Privacy answers, screenshots, age rating, and the review button are still yours. Continue with the App Store submission checklist and the Google Play submission checklist.

FAQ

Can Lovable publish directly to the App Store? No. Lovable ships a web app. Apple and Google need a signed native binary — typically a Capacitor shell uploaded to TestFlight or Play testing.

Do I need a Mac? Not on your desk. CapWrapp starts GitHub Actions, including macOS runners, to archive and upload iOS. You still need a paid Apple Developer account.

Will Apple reject a wrapped Lovable app? They can. Guideline 4.2 (Minimum Functionality) still applies to wrapped SPAs. A webview of your site is not enough on its own.

CapWrapp vs Capgo? CapWrapp is the desk that wraps the repo if needed and ships TestFlight / Play test builds from GitHub; Capgo is live updates after a store binary already exists.