Lots of Startup Founders want their no-code app to be available in the app stores (Google & Apple), some because that's where their audience are and the app was built from the ground up for Mobile and others because they think having an app is cool.

For example, if your app is built for home inspectors who are taking photos of issues in a home and then tagging the photo with details to ultimately produce a report then mobile 100% makes sense. You need it to be mobile to take to a home, you need it to have camera functionality and you may also be using the phone GPS to locate the photos/home. In this case it has to be on mobile as carrying around a laptop or desktop for this purpose makes no sense. 

However, many apps don’t need to be a mobile app; they could easily stay on desktop or be accessible via mobile browser.

When does an app need to be in the app store?

When an app needs to use the functionality of a smart phone that is not easily available via the mobile browser then it should be a wrapped mobile app. Examples of this are:

• GPS

• Camera

• Giroscope

• Face recognition

What is a Wrapper?

To get your Bubble app into the app stores, you’ll need something called a wrapper. A wrapper is essentially a lightweight native app that acts as a container for your web-based Bubble app, allowing it to function as though it’s a native mobile application. This is necessary because Bubble apps are inherently web-based—they are designed to run in a browser, not as standalone apps.

A wrapper bridges the gap by embedding your Bubble app inside a native application shell, making it compatible with app store requirements for mobile distribution.

Here’s how it works:

• Browser within an App: The wrapper uses a feature called a WebView, which is essentially a mini browser that runs within a mobile app. This WebView displays your Bubble app, giving users the experience of a mobile app even though the core functionality is powered by your web-based app.

  
  

• Native Features Access: The wrapper also allows you to integrate your Bubble app with native device features (such as push notifications, GPS, camera, or file storage) that aren’t accessible in a typical mobile browser. These features help make your app feel more like a true native mobile app.

My mind guide mobile app

What are the costs?

There are some costs for getting your app into the app store that are beyond just making sure the Bubble app is mobile ready. The approximate cost for this is $600

Here are these costs:

Apple Developer Account $99 per year

In order to submit an app to the Apple app store you need a developer account which is paid on an annual subscription.

Google Developer account $25 one-off

In order to submit an app to the Google play store you need a developer account which is a one-off lifetime fee

Wrapper Cost - $300-$500 one-off

There are various providers of wrappers like BDK & Natively, that will provide a plugin for Bubble which gives you access to the mobile native features (GPS, Camera etc) and they will wrap the app ready to be put into the app store.

Screen Shots - $20

You will need professional screen shots of your app in various sizes to be uploaded on to your app store listing page. A service like https://screenshots.pro/ is a good solution, just cancel it once you have your screen shots.

Note- Bubble is also launching its own wrapping service

What are the time costs?

The other consideration is not just the direct costs but also the cost in time to get the app mobile ready. If you are using a freelancer or a Gold Bubble Agency like Million Labs then this will equate to an actual cost for you.

Bubble App

Your Bubble app will need to be setup with the various workflows to support mobile native and pull data in from the mobile device i.e. GPS. This can range from a few hours work through to 20 hours depending on the complexity of your requirements.

App store setup

Each app store requires the developer account setting up with lots of details and the signing of agreements. The language used in this setup process can be very confusing to the 1st timer. Allow yourself 2-3 hrs per app store to get it set up and an app published.

App store approval

Apple particularly has an approval process for apps which can take anywhere from 1 day to weeks to get your app approved.

Friction of apps

With a web app you can send someone a link to the app and they click on it and they are experiencing it straight away (even on a mobile via the browser). The friction of having to download an app then register is significantly higher.

With a mobile app you have the following friction:

• Discovery - you can’t just send one link, you need to send a link for Apple or Google app store listing.

  
  

• Location - the app needs to be in the default store of the user, apps are distributed by Country so it could be available in the US app store but not the UK.

  
  

• Version - the users devices needs to be on the correct version of iOS or Android to support the app

  
  

• Device - the user's mobile device needs to be supported by the app, this is a particular problem with Android as there are literally 1000’s of different Android devices and it may work on some and not others.

Should I launch with a mobile app?

The general rule given by the Startup Advisors from Million Labs StartupLab is that unless your audience is mobile only and you have to use native mobile phone features then you should launch with a web app rather than a mobile app.

The launch of your Minimum Viable Product (MVP) needs to happen as fast as possible so you can get customer feedback, it should be easy for them to access and it should cost as little as possible. Launching a mobile app costs $1000’s more than just a web app, takes weeks longer and provides more friction for the user as they need to download the app.

Help Launching your mobile Bubble app?

If you need help launching or wrapping a Bubble.io app then the team at Million Labs can help, just reach out to us here.