One codebase, real store app
The Android app loads your published GitHub Spark URL inside a native WebView. There is no second project to maintain and no code export.
Why wrapping beats rebuilding for GitHub Spark apps
Keep shipping from GitHub Spark
Publish again (or redeploy the exported repo) and the app updates instantly. Only changes to the native shell itself (icon, new native feature) need a store update.
Native features on top
Push notifications, offline screen, native sharing, biometric login, QR scanner, in-app purchases and deep links are single settings or one-line JavaScript calls.
Google Play approval guarantee
Google Play Store approval guarantee – or your money back within 14 days. 96.4% of all WebViewGold apps get approved by the review teams on the first attempt.
What you need
- A published GitHub Spark app on a public HTTPS URL (yourspark.github.app or, better, your own domain)
- An Google Play Console developer account ($25 one-time) to submit to Google Play Store
- Android Studio on Windows, macOS or Linux – or the WebViewGold Cloud Builder in your browser
- WebViewGold for Android ($109 one-time, free updates)
- A privacy policy page, a 1024 × 1024 px icon and 30 to 60 minutes
GitHub Spark to Google Play: the walkthrough
Seven steps, no coding. Most people finish the native part in under an hour.
Publish your GitHub Spark app to a production URL
Publish the spark from the Spark editor and set its visibility so the people you want can open it. The app is served on a github.app address; publishing again updates it. The editor preview is only visible to you. Publish first. Custom domain: Spark hosting does not use your own domain. For a custom domain, export the repository and deploy it to Vercel, Netlify or Cloudflare Pages. See why a custom domain before submission is worth it.
Make it store-ready
Add a privacy policy page, an account deletion option (if users can sign up), and remove builder badges or "download our app" banners. Run the free Play Store readiness check on your URL: it flags mixed content, missing viewport tags, builder preview domains and other blockers in seconds.
Get WebViewGold for Android
One-time payment, free updates. You receive the ready-made Android Studio project, or activate the WebViewGold Cloud Builder and skip the IDE entirely.
Insert your URL and brand the app
Open Config.java (or the Cloud Builder form), paste your published URL, set the app name, choose your package name, upload the icon and pick the splash screen. No coding needed.
Switch on native features
Enable push notifications, the offline screen, pull-to-refresh, biometric login, the QR scanner or App Links with single settings. Everything is optional.
Build the signed App Bundle
In Android Studio: Build → Generate Signed Bundle. In the Cloud Builder: click Build and the signed .aab is prepared and uploaded for you.
Create the Play Console listing
Create the app in the Play Console, fill in the store listing, upload icon, feature graphic and screenshots, complete Data safety, content rating and app access.
Test, then submit
New personal accounts run a 14-day closed test with 12 testers first. Then promote the release to production and submit for review. Our approval guarantee covers you.
GitHub Spark-specific checks before you submit
These are the points that come up most often with GitHub Spark projects (React + TypeScript front ends with Spark's managed key-value storage and AI features, hosted by GitHub).
- If your spark requires visitors to sign in with GitHub, reviewers and most consumers cannot use it. Make it public, or export the code and add your own authentication before you submit.
- Reviewers need a stable address: if you export, deploy to a domain you control and use that in the app.
- Add a privacy policy page and, if you have accounts, an account deletion action.
- Enable the WebViewGold loading indicator for the first bundle load.
Let GitHub Spark do the store-readiness work
Paste this into GitHub Spark and let it apply the changes reviewers look for. Review the result, then publish.
Prompt to paste into Spark
Prepare this app for publishing as a native iOS and Android app (it will run inside a native WebView wrapper): make it usable without requiring a GitHub login; add /privacy and /terms pages linked from the footer; make all screens responsive from 320px to tablet widths with 44px tap targets and no horizontal scrolling; remove external promotional links; show a retry state when data fails to load; set the title to the app name (max 30 characters).
Google Play review: the rules that matter for GitHub Spark apps
Google reviews behavior, not tooling. Nobody is rejected for using GitHub Spark; apps are rejected for the points below.
- Minimum functionality
Spam and minimum functionality policy
Google rejects apps that only wrap a website without the website owner's permission or that offer no real functionality. Wrapping your own product with added native features is fine.
- Data safety
User Data policy
Every app needs a privacy policy URL and a completed Data safety form that lists what the app and its SDKs collect.
- Account deletion
User Data policy
Apps that let users create accounts must offer account deletion inside the app and via a web link you provide in the Play Console.
- Testing requirement
Personal developer accounts
Personal accounts created after November 2023 must run a closed test with at least 12 testers for 14 continuous days before they can request production access.
- Target API level
Target API requirements
New apps must target a recent Android version. WebViewGold updates keep the template current; just build with the latest version.
- Payments
Google Play Billing
Digital goods and subscriptions sold in the app generally must use Google Play Billing (WebViewGold supports RevenueCat). Physical goods and services may use other payment methods.
Native features your GitHub Spark app gets in the Android app
Every feature is optional and documented step by step in the WebViewGold for Android documentation.
Push notifications
Remote push via OneSignal or Pushwoosh, local scheduled pushes via a JavaScript call.
DocumentationApp Links and deep links
https links to your domain and custom schemes open directly in the app.
DocumentationIn-app purchases
Google Play subscriptions and one-time purchases via RevenueCat, triggered from your web app.
DocumentationOffline screen and fallback
A native "Try again" screen when the user is offline, or a local HTML fallback.
DocumentationSplash screen and loading indicator
Minimum and maximum splash duration with fade-out, or a native spinner while loading.
DocumentationBiometric login
Fingerprint / face unlock gate from a JavaScript call.
DocumentationQR and barcode scanner
Native scanner that returns the result to your web app.
DocumentationNative share and haptics
Share intent and haptic feedback from your web app.
DocumentationCustom CSS and JavaScript
Hide website-only elements and inject code when loaded inside the app.
DocumentationFile and camera uploads
Native file picker and camera for your upload forms.
DocumentationPre-flight checklist for Google Play
Tick these off and the review is a formality. The free readiness check verifies the technical half automatically.
- HTTPS everywhere: Android blocks cleartext http:// traffic by default on current versions.
- Responsive layout from 320 px to tablet widths, with predictable back-button behavior (WebViewGold maps the back button to the web history).
- Privacy policy URL ready and the Data safety form answered truthfully.
- Account deletion inside the app plus a web deletion link if users can sign up.
- App access credentials for the reviewer if content is behind a login.
- A unique package name (for example com.yourcompany.yourapp) set before the first upload: it can never change afterwards.
- A 512 × 512 px icon and a 1024 × 500 px feature graphic.
- At least two phone screenshots taken from the real app (tablet screenshots recommended).
- For new personal accounts: 12 testers lined up for the 14-day closed test.
- Signed Android App Bundle (.aab) built from the latest WebViewGold version.
Frequently asked questions
Can a GitHub Spark app be published in the App Store?
Yes, as long as the published spark is reachable without a GitHub login, or you export the repository and host it yourself. Insert the public URL into WebViewGold and submit the native build.
Does the Spark storage keep working inside the app?
Yes. The WebView loads the same hosted app, so Spark's managed storage and features behave as in the browser.
Do I need Android Studio?
Either Android Studio (free, runs on Windows, macOS and Linux) or the WebViewGold Cloud Builder, which builds and uploads the signed App Bundle from your browser.
What is the 12-tester rule?
Google requires personal developer accounts created after November 2023 to run a closed test with at least 12 opted-in testers for 14 continuous days before the first production release. Friends, colleagues or a Discord community are enough; organization accounts are exempt.
What if Google rejects the app?
Google names the policy in question and you can fix and resubmit. WebViewGold comes with a Google Play approval guarantee: if Google rejects the app for a non-content reason, you get your money back within 14 days of purchase.
Do I have to resubmit the app every time I change something in GitHub Spark?
No. The app loads your published URL, so content and feature changes you publish in GitHub Spark are live in the app immediately. A new store version is only needed when the native shell changes, for example a new app icon or an added native feature.
What does it cost in total?
$109 one-time for WebViewGold for Android (free updates) plus the Google Play Console developer account ($25 one-time). Optional: the Cloud Builder add-on if you want to build in the browser, or the Full Service package where our team configures, builds and submits the app for you.