How to Ship a Rork Prototype to the App Store
You can turn a Rork prototype into a shippable app, but not by clicking one button. The gap between a preview and a store submission is build config, icons, permissions, and testing on real devices. Here is how to close it.
Can you export Rork code?
Yes. Rork lets you export the React Native project, typically as an Expo app. You get the source files and can run them locally with the standard Expo toolchain.
That is the key decision: stay in Rork’s hosted preview, or export and own the code. For anything serious, export.
How do you prepare an exported app for submission?
- Export the project and run
npm installlocally. - Confirm it starts with
npx expo starton a real device via Expo Go. - Replace placeholder icons and splash screens with real assets (1024×1024 icon).
- Set the bundle identifier and app name in
app.json. - Review every screen on a small phone — generated layouts often ignore small screens.
Step five catches more bugs than any other. AI-generated mobile UI tends to assume a modern large phone.
What usually breaks after export?
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Assets not bundled | Move local images into the assets folder and reference them by module |
| Missing permissions strings | Add camera/location usage descriptions or the build is rejected |
| Hardcoded API keys | Move to environment config before shipping |
| No error states | Add loading and empty states the generator skipped |
How do you build and submit?
Use EAS Build: npx eas build --platform ios and the same for Android. Then npx eas submit to push to App Store Connect or Google Play. Apple review typically takes one to three days; expect at least one rejection on a first submission, often for missing privacy details.
Write your privacy policy and fill in the App Privacy questionnaire honestly. Apps that collect data without declaring it get pulled.
Is this workflow worth it vs. hiring a developer?
For a simple app with a handful of screens, a solo founder can go from Rork prompt to submitted build in a weekend. For anything with payments, accounts, or real backend logic, budget for a developer anyway. The prototype saves you the design-and-boilerplate phase, not the engineering phase.
Quick Summary
- Export Rork projects as Expo apps to own the code.
- Replace icons, set the bundle ID, and test on a small phone.
- Add permission usage strings or the store rejects the build.
- Use EAS Build and EAS Submit for iOS and Android.
- Simple apps ship in a weekend; complex ones still need a developer.
