How to turn a website into an app for the app store
You can package a website as an iOS and Android app with Capacitor, which wraps the site in a native shell you open in Xcode and Android Studio. The packaging is the easy part. The hard parts are the store accounts, the listing details, and convincing Apple's review that your app does more than show a website.
First, decide whether you need a store app
An installable website (a PWA) already gets a home-screen icon with no store, no review and no developer fees; see how to make a website installable. A store listing is worth the extra work when people expect to search for you in the store, when an organisation requires store apps, or when you'll add native features. If none of those apply, the PWA may be enough.
What Capacitor does
Capacitor is an open-source runtime from Ionic that puts web content inside a native iOS and Android app. Its project contains a capacitor.config.json (the app ID, name, and where the web content comes from), plus an ios folder you open in Xcode and an android folder you open in Android Studio. The app can load your live site's address, so updates to the site show in the app without a new store release, and native plugins can add features such as the system share sheet.
What the stores will ask for
| Item | Apple App Store | Google Play |
|---|---|---|
| Developer account | Apple Developer Program membership | Google Play Console account |
| App ID | A bundle ID, such as com.yourbusiness.app, fixed for good once published | An application ID, same format, also permanent |
| Build tool | Xcode, which runs only on a Mac | Android Studio, on Windows, macOS or Linux |
| Privacy policy | A URL in App Store Connect and reachable inside the app | A URL in the listing |
| Support contact | A support URL | A contact email on the listing |
| Privacy answers | App Privacy details about data collected | The Data safety form |
| Listing assets | Screenshots, a 1024 pixel icon with no transparency, description | Screenshots, a 512 pixel icon, a feature graphic, short and full descriptions |
The review risk with wrapped websites
Apple's App Review Guidelines include guideline 4.2, Minimum Functionality, which asks that an app offer features, content and interface beyond a repackaged website. Apps that are just a site in a frame are a common rejection. Guideline 2.1 covers completeness, so placeholder text or links that go nowhere are also rejected. Google Play is generally less strict on this point but still reviews for policy and quality.
To improve your chances with Apple, give the app something the website doesn't have, such as native sharing or reminders; make sure every link works and nothing is placeholder; and explain in the review notes what the app does beyond the site. A site with real, frequently used functions, like bookings or a timetable, fares better than a brochure.
The steps, in order
- Publish the site and fix anything a reviewer would tap and find broken.
- Choose your app ID on a domain you control. It can't be changed later.
- Create the Capacitor project, with your app ID, name, icons and splash screen.
- Open the iOS project in Xcode on a Mac, set your signing team, and run it on a simulator and a real phone.
- Open the Android project in Android Studio, build a signed app bundle, and run it on an emulator and a real device.
- Create the store listings, fill in the privacy answers truthfully, and upload screenshots.
- Submit for review with notes for the reviewer. Expect questions or a rejection the first time, and answer them specifically.
What Anticode gives you
Anticode's App stores section in the console does the first half of this for a published site. It gives you a checklist of what the stores will ask for, worked out from your live site (whether a privacy policy and contact details are linked, whether placeholder content remains, and the items only you can do), and a Capacitor project for iOS and Android to download, with icons and splash screens drawn from your site's look. Because every Anticode site is also installable as a PWA, you can offer both.
Submitting is up to you. Anticode doesn't create store accounts, doesn't hold your signing credentials and doesn't send anything to Apple or Google. You'll still need a Mac with Xcode for the iOS build.
Limits
Packaging doesn't guarantee approval; the decision is Apple's and Google's. The app needs a connection, like the site, apart from an offline screen. Anything the site can't do (accounts, payments inside the site, live data) the app can't do either. If your plans depend on in-app purchases or heavy native features, a native developer is the better route.
Questions people ask
Do I need a Mac?
For the iOS app, yes: Xcode runs only on macOS. The Android app can be built on Windows, macOS or Linux.
Will updates to my site appear in the app?
When the app loads your live site, yes. Changes to the native parts, such as the icon or name, need a new store release.
How long does review take?
It varies and neither store promises a time. Plan for at least a few days, and longer if you're asked to make changes.