BuildMay 19, 20264 min read

From web app to App Store: the Pickleloonies native roadmap

What it actually takes to bring an existing Next.js app to iOS and Android — the plan, the costs, and an honest timeline.

by VincentAI-drafted, edited by Vincent
Two pickleball paddles and a ball arranged on a court
Photo by Fellipe Ditadi on Unsplash

Pickleloonies is a Next.js web app today. PWA install works, push notifications work on Android, the site feels native enough on iOS. So why bother shipping to the App Store? Three reasons: iOS push, discovery, and trust. Here's the honest plan and timeline.

Why I didn't start native

Three years ago, "build for both" meant React Native or two codebases. Expo wasn't where it is now. The web app was faster to ship and gave us 95% of what we needed. PWA install + service workers handled offline + Web Push for Android.

iOS is the gap. iOS PWA push notifications work but they're awkward — users need to install to home screen first, the prompt is buried, and even after install the icon often looks off. Friend-group apps live or die by reliable notifications. We can't have iOS users missing RSVP reminders because their PWA doesn't notify reliably.

The Expo bet

Expo Router lets us wrap the existing Next.js codebase in a native shell using the same React + TypeScript code. The screens become RN screens, the navigation becomes RN navigation, but the business logic — RPCs, state, types — stays identical. Shared src/lib, separate routing layer.

Critical things Expo gives us:

  • EAS Build — cloud build pipeline that signs and packages for App Store / Play Store
  • EAS Submit — uploads to App Store Connect / Play Console
  • EAS Update — OTA updates without a new App Store submission
  • Universal Links / App Links — deep linking that opens the native app from email magic links

The bet is that Expo's ergonomics are good enough that one developer can ship and maintain both apps without doubling the workload. We'll find out.

The App Store gate

This is where solo developers get stuck. The Apple side has more steps than the code itself:

  1. Apple Developer account — $99/year. Get this early. Approval can take a few days.
  2. App ID + provisioning profile — set up in App Store Connect.
  3. Signing certificates — EAS handles this with credentials.json. Don't try to do it manually unless you enjoy keychain debugging.
  4. App icon + screenshots — 7+ device-class screenshot sets. Use a real device or simulator, take them at the correct dimensions, run through a framing tool.
  5. App Privacy declaration — list every data type collected, why, and whether it leaves the device. We collect almost nothing on device beyond profile info.
  6. App Store review — 24–72 hour turnaround in 2026. They'll reject anything that looks like a wrapper. Demonstrate native UI, native gestures, native auth.

The Expo documentation covers all of this in painful detail. It's worth reading start to finish before submitting.

The Play Store gate

The Google side is faster but stranger:

  1. Google Play Console — one-time $25 fee.
  2. App signing by Google Play — let them hold the upload key. Simpler than self-signing.
  3. Data safety declaration — Google's version of the App Privacy form.
  4. Closed testing track — required before you can ship to production. Even 12 testers for 14 days counts.
  5. Production rollout — staged at 10%, 50%, 100% over a few days.

Closed testing is the timeline killer. The 14-day window is non-negotiable for first-time apps. Start it early.

The honest timeline

From "working web app" to "App Store live" — realistic timeline:

  • Weeks 1–3: Expo project setup, port routing, port auth, get demo running on simulator.
  • Weeks 4–6: Port screens, fix RN-specific UI issues (lots of small ones — keyboard avoidance, safe areas, etc.).
  • Weeks 7–8: Native push notifications wired up via Expo Notifications. Universal Links / App Links for magic-link auth.
  • Week 9: Screenshots, App Store / Play Store listing copy, privacy declarations.
  • Week 10: TestFlight + Play Closed Testing.
  • Weeks 11–12: Review submission, address rejections, ship.

That's 8–12 weeks of focused work. Probably 14 weeks in reality because something always breaks. We're starting in June.

If you want to follow along, the about page tracks roadmap milestones. And the FAQ will get updated the moment native goes live.

Frequently asked questions

+Why not stay PWA-only?

iOS PWA push notifications are still second-class, and many users won't 'Add to Home Screen' even when prompted. Native presence in the App Store removes that friction.

+How much does the Apple Developer program cost?

$99/year. Worth budgeting that as a fixed cost line item, not a surprise.

+What about Android?

Play Store one-time registration is $25 for life. Review is faster than Apple. Plan to launch both simultaneously.

+Will the web version stay around?

Yes. Web stays the primary surface for desktop use and as a 'no install' entry point. Native is additive, not a replacement.