How to Convert an Emergent Project to a Mobile App
Emergent can generate code fast, but getting a polished native app onto the App Store takes purpose-built mobile tooling.
Founder, Natively
You've been building in Emergent and now you want your project on the App Store or Google Play as a real, native mobile app. Emergent is a powerful general-purpose AI builder — it can spin up web apps, backends, and even generate React Native code. But there's a gap between "generated React Native code" and "a polished app sitting in the App Store." Let me explain what that gap is and how to close it.
Key Takeaways
- Emergent is web-first — it excels at full-stack web apps but treats mobile as a secondary output
- Generated code isn't a shippable app — you still need to build, test on a real device, and submit to the App Store
- Apple and Google reject apps that don't feel native — your app needs proper navigation, native UI, and real device integration
- A purpose-built mobile builder handles the full pipeline: code generation, on-device preview, app builds, and store deployment
What Emergent Actually Builds
Emergent is an AI-powered development platform that uses a multi-agent system — planning, frontend, backend, testing, and deployment agents — to generate full-stack applications from natural language prompts. It's genuinely impressive for web development. You describe what you want, and it handles architecture, logic, and implementation.
Emergent's Primary Strengths
Emergent was built for web. It generates full-stack web apps with real backends, databases, and integrations. It can deploy web projects, handle Python or Node backends, and ship working SaaS products. That's where it shines.
What About Mobile?
Emergent does list React Native as a supported output. But there's a meaningful difference between "can generate React Native code" and "is built for shipping mobile apps." Generating code is just step one. To actually get an app into someone's hands, you need to:
- 1.Preview the app on a real iOS or Android device
- 2.Build the binary (.ipa for iOS, .aab for Android)
- 3.Ensure the app passes Apple's App Store Review Guidelines or Google Play's quality policies
- 4.Submit and deploy to the stores
A general-purpose builder generates code. A mobile-focused builder handles the full pipeline from idea to App Store.
The Gap Between Code Generation and a Shippable App
This is where people get stuck. You have an Emergent project with React Native code, but now what? Getting from generated code to a real app on someone's phone involves several things that general-purpose builders don't handle.
No On-Device Testing
Building mobile apps without testing on a real device is like designing a car without test-driving it. You need to feel the scrolling, tap the buttons, test the navigation gestures, and check performance on actual hardware. General-purpose builders show you a web preview. That's not the same as running the app natively on your iPhone or Android phone.
Why Web Preview Isn't Enough
A browser preview of React Native code shows you the layout, but it can't replicate native scrolling behavior, gesture navigation, platform-specific UI conventions (like iOS swipe-to-go-back), haptic feedback, or how the app handles notifications and deep links. These are all things that App Store reviewers check and users immediately notice.
No App Binary Building
To submit to the App Store, you need an .ipa file. For Google Play, an .aab file. Building these requires specific toolchains — Xcode for iOS, Android SDK for Android — along with signing certificates, provisioning profiles, and a proper build pipeline. This is a significant technical hurdle if you're not a mobile developer.
The Manual Alternative
You could download the generated code and set up the build environment yourself. But that means installing Xcode (Mac only), configuring code signing, setting up EAS Build or a similar service, and debugging build errors — which defeats the purpose of using an AI builder in the first place.
No Integrated Backend for Mobile
Mobile apps have specific backend needs: push notification infrastructure, offline data sync, secure token storage, and real-time updates. A backend generated for a web app may not account for these mobile-specific patterns. You end up bridging the gap yourself.
What Apple and Google Actually Require
Getting into the App Store or Google Play isn't just about having code that compiles. Both Apple and Google have specific expectations for how apps should look, feel, and behave. If your app doesn't meet them, it gets rejected.
Two paths to the App Store
General-Purpose Builder vs. Dedicated Mobile Builder
Web-first, mobile as afterthought
Missing Mobile Tooling
No on-device preview, no app builds
App Store
NativelyPurpose-built for native mobile apps
Complete Mobile Toolchain
React Native + Expo + Device Preview + Builds
App StoreWhat Apple Checks
- ✗Native navigation patterns — back swipe, tab bars, modal sheets
- ✗Platform-appropriate UI — no web-style elements in a native context
- ✗Performance — smooth 60fps scrolling, responsive interactions
- ✗Guideline 4.2 — app must offer more than a repackaged website
What Google Checks
- ✗Material Design compliance — proper theming, components, and behavior
- ✗Target API level requirements — must use current Android SDK
- ✗Data safety declarations — how user data is collected and used
- ✗Core app quality — crash-free, responsive, and functional offline
Apple's Guideline 4.2 — Minimum Functionality
Apple explicitly states: "Your app should include features, content, and UI that elevate it beyond a repackaged website." This applies to apps that look like they were generated without mobile-specific polish. If the navigation feels wrong, the UI doesn't follow iOS conventions, or the app doesn't leverage native capabilities, reviewers will reject it.
The Bottom Line
Generated React Native code that hasn't been tested on a real device, refined for platform-specific conventions, and built into a proper binary is going to have a hard time passing review. It's not impossible, but you'll spend more time fixing issues than you saved by generating the code.
Want to understand the technical difference? Our native code vs WebView guide covers it in depth.
Want Your App Idea on the App Store?
Skip the gap between code generation and a shippable app. Natively builds real React Native + Expo apps with on-device preview, built-in APK/AAB building, and App Store deployment — all from a text description.
The Right Way: Use a Mobile-First Builder
If you have an Emergent project and want a real mobile app, the smoothest path is to use a tool that was designed specifically for native mobile development. Your Emergent work isn't wasted — you've figured out the features, the flows, and maybe even the backend. That thinking carries over.
What you need is a builder that handles the entire mobile pipeline, not just code generation. That's what Natively does.
How Natively Is Different
Natively is an AI-powered mobile app builder. Like Emergent, you describe what you want in plain language and AI generates the code. But Natively is built exclusively for native mobile apps, so it handles everything that comes after code generation too:
From Emergent Idea to the App Store
- 1Reference your Emergent project
You already know what your app does. Use your Emergent project's features, screens, and user flows as a blueprint for your prompt.
- 2Describe your app in Natively
Tell the AI what your app does, be as detailed as you want. Natively generates a complete React Native + Expo project with native UI components and proper navigation.
- 3Preview on your phone
Scan a QR code and see the app running natively on your actual iPhone or Android device using Expo Go. Test the scrolling, navigation, and interactions for real.
- 4Iterate until it's right
Keep prompting and refining. Each change can be previewed on your device immediately. Fix the navigation, polish the UI, add features — all through conversation.
- 5Build and deploy
Build your APK (Android) or AAB (Google Play) directly in Natively. Deploy to the App Store with Expo Launch. You own 100% of the source code.
What Carries Over From Your Emergent Project
Your Product Thinking
The most valuable part of your Emergent project isn't the code — it's the clarity you've gained about what the app should do, how users navigate it, and what features matter. All of that becomes your Natively prompt.
Your Backend (If Applicable)
If your Emergent project has a backend or external API, your native app can connect to it. Natively also provides its own built-in backend called Liquid Backend — with a PostgreSQL database, authentication, and file storage included — so you can choose whichever approach fits.
Running Both Web and Mobile
You don't have to choose one or the other. Keep your Emergent web app for desktop users and build a native mobile app with Natively for mobile users. Same product, each platform gets the experience it deserves.
Built with a different tool? We also have guides for Bolt.new, Replit, and v0.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I convert my Emergent project directly into a mobile app?
Not as a direct conversion. While Emergent can generate React Native code, it doesn't provide the mobile-specific tooling needed to turn that code into a shippable app — on-device testing, binary building, and store deployment. You're better off using a dedicated mobile builder and referencing your Emergent project as a feature blueprint.
Does Emergent build native mobile apps?
Emergent supports React Native as one of its output formats, but its strengths are in full-stack web development. It generates code, but doesn't provide the end-to-end mobile pipeline: real device preview, APK/AAB building, or App Store deployment tools.
Will my Emergent-generated app pass App Store review?
Not without additional work. Apple and Google review apps for native feel, performance, and platform conventions. Generated code that hasn't been tested on a real device and refined for platform-specific behavior often fails review. A purpose-built mobile builder like Natively generates code that follows native conventions from the start.
Can I use my Emergent backend with a Natively-built app?
Yes. If your Emergent project has a backend API, your native app can connect to it. Natively also provides Liquid Backend (built-in PostgreSQL, auth, and file storage) and Supabase integration, so you have options.
What is React Native, and does Natively use it?
React Native is a framework by Meta that renders real native UI components — not web views. It powers apps like Instagram, Shopify, and Discord. Natively uses React Native + Expo to generate your apps, which means the output is genuine native code that compiles to iOS and Android binaries.
How much does it cost to build a mobile app with Natively?
Natively starts at $5/month with full source code ownership. You can export to GitHub at any time. Compare that to hiring a mobile developer ($50,000–$300,000+) or spending weeks configuring build tools manually.
Quick Quiz — Win $5 Off
Answer all 3 correctly to unlock a promo code.
Question 1 of 3
What framework does Natively use to build native mobile apps?