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Replit is expanding its vibe coding platform into native mobile development, unveiling a new workflow that lets users build React Native apps through natural-language prompts and publish them to Apple's App Store through an integrated, guided release process.
The company says the launch targets one of the last major friction points for AI-assisted software creation: mobile apps. While web apps have become significantly easier to prototype and ship using agentic coding tools, mobile development has remained a specialized discipline with its own toolchains, publishing requirements and platform constraints.
"This is native," a company official said during the livestream announcement, pushing back on the idea that Replit is simply wrapping mobile websites. Replit's mobile stack is built on React Native and Expo, enabling a single codebase for iOS and Android, with direct access to common on-device behaviors and mobile UI patterns.
Table of Contents
- From Prompt to Phone in Minutes
- App Store Publishing Moves Into the Platform
- The New Bottleneck: Screenshots and Compliance
- Key Limitations: No 'Flip to Mobile,' No Play Store Publishing
- What's Next: Payments, Notifications and Advanced Apple Features
- Replit Launches a Global Mobile App Buildathon
From Prompt to Phone in Minutes
In the demo, Replit showed a typical build flow: a user selects "mobile app," describes the app in natural language and lets Replit's agent generate the scaffolding and UI. Company representatives said initial builds typically take about seven to 10 minutes, followed by prompt-based iteration to fix UI issues refine features.
Testing is handled through Expo Go, a companion app that allows users to run builds on a physical device by scanning a QR code. Presenters at the live stream highlighted native behaviors such as haptic feedback as part of the experience.
Replit also emphasized that mobile projects inherit the same "primitives" users rely on for web builds inside its platform, including fast database setup, third-party connectors, authentication and AI model integrations.
Related Article: Vibe Coding Explained: Use Cases, Risks and Developer Guidance
App Store Publishing Moves Into the Platform
Replit's most significant shift is on the publishing side. After building and testing, users can deploy the app inside Replit and initiate App Store publishing through a wizard powered by Expo Launch, a service built by Expo to abstract many of the steps traditionally required to submit iOS apps.
Historically, publishing iOS apps has required access to Apple's development ecosystem and tooling, including Xcode, certificate and provisioning profile management, and the process of building and uploading signed binaries. Expo Launch is designed to move that domain knowledge into a service that can be used by web-based platforms like Replit.
"Not everyone in the world can actually pay for like a new Mac, right?" said Cedric, an Expo team member who works on Expo Launch, noting that even experienced developers often find the iOS publishing process cumbersome.
Replit said its flow prepares the build, runs a security scan and then guides users through Apple authentication and App Store Connect setup. The presenters stressed that the "technical" portion of deployment is now far easier, though the App Store submission process still requires substantial metadata work.
The New Bottleneck: Screenshots and Compliance
Even as Replit and Expo aim to simplify the mechanics of publishing, company officials repeatedly noted that Apple's submission requirements can still slow down inexperienced builders.
App Store Connect requires screenshots, app descriptions, keywords, privacy disclosures and other documentation. In the demo, one presenter described this step as "the hardest part" of the process, and said he had to resubmit his first app multiple times due to issues such as missing screenshots and incomplete privacy information.
In one example, Apple rejected an app for claiming iPad compatibility, which triggered additional screenshot requirements. This was resolved by having Replit's agent update the configuration, then republishing through the same Replit-to-Expo workflow.
In another case, Apple's privacy requirements led him to remove camera-related functionality entirely.
Related Article: Vibe Coding: Reimagining Software Development for the Age of Agents
Key Limitations: No 'Flip to Mobile,' No Play Store Publishing
A major question from the livestream audience was whether existing Replit web apps can be converted into mobile apps. Replit said the answer is no — at least for now.
Users currently have to create a new mobile project rather than "remix" an existing web app. Replit suggested workarounds, including generating a "project brief" with the agent to replicate the app's functionality, using screenshots as references or building a mobile front end that calls an existing backend API to reuse data and user records.
Replit also said Android support is partially available: users can build Android-native apps today, but can't publish directly to the Google Play Store through Replit yet. More advanced users may be able to sideload Android APKs, presenters said, but acknowledged the workflow is not polished.
What's Next: Payments, Notifications and Advanced Apple Features
Replit and Expo hinted at additional mobile capabilities on the roadmap, including improved support for in-app payments, subscriptions and push notifications.
Cedric also pointed to App Clips — lightweight, install-less app experiences that can launch from a website — as an example of powerful Apple features that are rarely used because configuration is difficult. Expo Launch aims to automate more of that complexity by applying Apple's recommended best practices and translating them into a service workflow.
Replit said it is prioritizing quality and polish to ensure App Store reviewers see high-quality apps, rather than "AI-looking" prototypes.
Related Article: OpenAI Is an App Company Now
Replit Launches a Global Mobile App Buildathon
To drive adoption, Replit announced a global mobile app buildathon running through Feb. 13, with cash prizes and platform credits. Prizes include $10,000 for first place, $5,000 for second and $2,000 for third, along with marketing spotlights and Replit swag. Winners in the top tier will also receive a branded iPhone 17 Pro Max, and the first-place winner will be invited to visit Replit headquarters.
Judging criteria include app quality and reliability, creativity, UX design, smart use of Replit features and integrations and community engagement. Replit also encouraged participants to publish builds via TestFlight, and said App Store publication would help submissions stand out.
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The company also plans to launch an experimental Discord community for buildathon participants, with co-building sessions, Q&A and guest speakers focused not just on building apps but also on distribution — a theme Replit emphasized as a key differentiator as app creation becomes easier.
"Building is getting solved," one company official said. "The competitive advantage becomes marketing, attention and distribution."
For Replit, the mobile release is the next step in making software creation accessible beyond engineers — and in turning "I have an app idea" into an App Store listing with far fewer barriers than before. The platform reflects a broader trend in generative AI tools lowering the technical threshold for building functional software.
