How to Publish an AI-Built App to the App Store (Lovable, Bolt, Replit)

To publish an AI-built app to the App Store you need four things: an Apple Developer account ($99/year), an installable build of your app, a completed App Store Connect listing, and screenshots at Apple's exact required sizes. The build step depends on which tool made your app; everything after that is the same for everyone.

This is the store-submission half of launching. The marketing half, from OG images to Product Hunt, is covered in the AI-built app launch guide.

Step 1: The accounts

• Apple: enroll in the Apple Developer Program at developer.apple.com, $99 per year. Enrollment can take a day or two, so do it before launch week.
• Google: a Play Console account is a one-time $25 if you also ship Android.

Individual enrollment is fine for a solo founder; you can publish under a company later.

Step 2: Get a build, per builder

Replit. Replit ships vibe-coded mobile apps natively: its mobile app flow produces a store-ready build and walks you through connecting your Apple Developer account for submission. Follow the current in-product publishing flow; it is the shortest path on this list. Bolt.new. Bolt's mobile path runs through Expo. Your app exports as an Expo project, and Expo's EAS service handles the build and can submit straight to App Store Connect from the command line. Lovable. Lovable builds web apps, so App Store distribution means wrapping the web app in a native shell, most commonly with Capacitor. The wrap itself is mechanical; what matters is the review risk covered in step 5, because Apple looks hard at thin wrappers.

Whichever route you take, install the build on a real phone before submitting. Simulators hide keyboard, notch, and performance issues that reviewers will find.

Step 3: The listing

App Store Connect asks for: an app name (30 characters), subtitle (30), description, keyword field (100 characters), support URL, and a privacy policy URL. The privacy policy is the one that blocks people the night before launch: it must be a live URL, and your privacy questionnaire answers must match what the app actually collects.

Write the name and subtitle for search as well as brand: the subtitle is indexed, so a plain-English value proposition with one real keyword beats a slogan.

Step 4: Screenshots at the exact sizes

Apple rejects submissions whose screenshots are even one pixel off the required dimensions. The lead size to get right is 1320 x 2868 for the 6.9-inch iPhone; the full table lives in the App Store screenshot dimensions guide.

You do not need design tools for this step: the App Store screenshot generator takes your raw captures, frames them in current devices with captions, and exports every required size from one design. Before you upload anything, run the set through the size checker so App Store Connect has nothing to reject. Shipping Android too? The Play Store generator covers Google's ranges.

Five to eight screenshots is the sweet spot, and the first two carry most of the install decision, so lead with outcomes rather than onboarding screens.

Step 5: Survive review

Typical review time is 24 to 48 hours. The rejections that hit AI-built apps most often:

• Guideline 4.2, minimum functionality. This is the wrapped-web-app rule, and the main risk for the Capacitor route. The app must feel native and do something a website cannot: push notifications, offline behavior, native share, home-screen widgets. A pure website in a shell gets bounced.
• Placeholder content. "Lorem ipsum", test data, or dead buttons anywhere in the build. Reviewers tap everything.
• Login walls without demo access. If the app needs an account, provide a working demo login in the review notes.
• Broken privacy answers. Saying you collect nothing while your analytics SDK says otherwise.

Fix-and-resubmit cycles are normal; most rejections come with a specific guideline number, and addressing exactly that gets you through.

Step 6: Press publish, then launch properly

Approval is distribution, not marketing. The same screenshots you made for the store re-export for your launch assets: OG image for the link you will share everywhere, Product Hunt gallery, social cards. That half of the job is the launch checklist.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I publish a Lovable app to the App Store?

Yes, by wrapping the web app in a native shell such as Capacitor and submitting the wrapped build. Make the app do genuinely native things (notifications, offline, share) before submitting, because thin wrappers are rejected under guideline 4.2.

How does Replit publish to the App Store?

Replit's mobile app flow produces store-ready builds and walks you through connecting your Apple Developer account. You still need your own $99 developer enrollment and your own listing, screenshots, and privacy policy.

How much does it cost to publish an app?

$99 per year for the Apple Developer Program, and a one-time $25 for a Google Play Console account. The builders' own plans and any build service fees are separate.

What screenshot sizes does the App Store require?

The lead iPhone size is 1320 x 2868 pixels (6.9-inch display), with additional sizes per device class, and submissions are rejected if dimensions are off. The full current table is in the dimensions guide, and the free generator exports every required size from one design.

How long does App Store review take for a first submission?

Usually 24 to 48 hours. First submissions get extra scrutiny, so complete review notes, a demo login if needed, and honest privacy answers save a full rejection cycle.

Do I need different screenshots for the App Store and Google Play?

Different sizes, yes; different designs, no. Google accepts a range of dimensions rather than exact sizes. Design once and export both sets, then check each against its store's rules before uploading.