How to Turn a Bolt.new App into an Android App and Get It on Google Play

Bolt.new turns a prompt into a working app, usually a Vite and React web app styled with Tailwind, and publishes it with one click. What it doesn't do is hand you a signed Android app you can upload to Google Play. The quickest way to get a Bolt project onto Android is to publish it as a website and package that live URL as a native Android app. This guide covers which Bolt mode to use, where to host, what to fix for mobile, and every step to Google Play.

First: did you build in web mode or mobile (Expo) mode?

Bolt can generate two very different kinds of project, and the path to Android depends on which one you have.

If you already have a Bolt web app, or you want one project that works both as a website and as an Android app, stay in web mode and follow this guide. Expo Go is only a preview app: an Expo project still needs to be built and signed somewhere else before it can go on Google Play.

Publish your Bolt app: Bolt hosting or Netlify

New Bolt projects publish to Bolt's own hosting by default, on a bolt.host subdomain. You can deploy to Netlify instead, or download the project and host it anywhere. For an Android app, the host matters less than the address: use a custom domain you own. Bolt supports custom domains on its paid plans, and Netlify supports them too. Your app is built around one URL, so owning it means you can change hosting later without releasing a new version of the app.

What to fix in your Bolt project before converting

1. 1Test every screen on a phone. Bolt's layouts are usually responsive, but wide tables, sidebars and modals often need a mobile layout. Ask Bolt to fix anything that scrolls sideways or hides behind fixed headers.
2. 2Make sure refreshing a deep page works. Single-page apps sometimes return a 404 when you reload a route like /dashboard/settings directly. Bolt hosting and Netlify normally handle this, but test it, because pull-to-refresh in the app reloads the current page.
3. 3Check sign-in inside the app. Google blocks its sign-in page inside embedded WebViews (a 403 disallowed_useragent error), so offer email and password or one-time email codes, and test before publishing.
4. 4Update auth redirect URLs. If you use Supabase or Bolt's database with auth, add your custom domain to the allowed site and redirect URLs so confirmation and reset emails point to the right place.
5. 5Replace magic links, or set up App Links. Email links open in the phone's browser unless your domain is verified for the app. Put an assetlinks.json file in your project's public/.well-known/ folder, or switch to six-digit email codes.
6. 6Hide web-only elements, such as desktop cookie banners or "get the app" prompts. You can do this in Bolt, or only inside the app with custom CSS.

Step by step: Bolt app to Android app

1. 1

   Publish your Bolt project

   Publish from Bolt (or deploy to Netlify) and connect your custom domain. Copy the live URL, not the editor preview.

2. 2

   Paste the URL into Capsule

   Upload your icon and choose a splash screen. Capsule turns one image into Android's adaptive launcher icon.

3. 3

   Choose your package name and brand colours

   Use a package name you own, like com.yourbrand.app, and set status bar and navigation bar colours for light and dark mode.

4. 4

   Add native touches

   Turn on only the permissions your app uses (photo library for uploads, camera, location, notifications). Add a bottom tab bar pointing at up to five of your main routes.

5. 5

   Build and test on a real phone

   Install the APK and test sign-up, login, uploads, payments and the back button on every screen.

6. 6

   Upload the AAB to Google Play

   Create your listing in Play Console and upload the AAB. New personal accounts run a 14-day closed test with 12 testers first.

Stripe and Google Play's payment rules

Bolt makes it easy to add Stripe. If your app sells physical products or real-world services, Stripe is fine inside your Android app. If it sells digital subscriptions or content used inside the app, Google Play's Payments policy generally requires Google Play's billing system for those in-app purchases. Check the current policy for your market before you submit, because it's one of the most common reasons AI-built SaaS apps get rejected.

Passing Google Play review

• Provide a reusable test account under App access. If reviewers can't log in, they can't review the app.
• Complete the Data safety form accurately for everything your app and its backend collect.
• Link a privacy policy hosted on your domain. You can ask Bolt to generate the page.
• Make it feel like an app, not a bookmark: icon, splash screen, tab bar and push notifications all help.

For the full process, see how to publish an app on Google Play and the 12 testers, 14 days closed testing rule.

Keep building in Bolt after launch

The Android app loads your live site, so every change you publish from Bolt reaches app users instantly, with no store review. Only native changes (icon, splash screen, permissions, colours, tab bar) need a new build. Using other AI builders too? See Lovable app to Android and Replit app to Android, or the general guide to converting any website to an Android app.