One codebase, real store app
The Android app loads your published Macaly URL inside a native WebView. There is no second project to maintain and no code export.
Why wrapping beats rebuilding for Macaly apps
Macaly says plainly that it is not a tool for native iOS or Android apps, and it renders Next.js pages on the server with a Convex database, so the published site is the product and there is no separate API to build a native app against. WebViewGold loads that published address in native iOS and Android apps and adds what a website lacks in review: push notifications, an offline screen, native sharing. Publish in Macaly and the apps follow on the next launch.
Keep shipping from Macaly
Click Publish in Macaly and the app shows the new version on the next launch; edits that only exist in the preview do not reach the app. 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 Macaly app on a public HTTPS URL (yourproject.macaly.app or, better, your own domain)
- An Google Play Console developer account ($25 one-time) to submit to the 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
Great work! Never coded anything but managed to work with this. Easy and fast! Also with great help from the creators!
Macaly to Google Play: the walkthrough
Eight steps, no coding. Most people finish the native part in under an hour.
Publish your Macaly app to a production URL
Click Publish in the top-right corner of the editor. Macaly builds and deploys the latest version to a free yourproject.macaly.app subdomain (older projects use macaly-app.com). Preview and live site are separate, so publish again to push later changes live. The Free plan allows one published app. The editor preview and share links are not your live app. Use the published macaly.app address or your custom domain in WebViewGold. Custom domain: Needs a Starter, Pro or Agency plan: open Settings, Domains, enter your domain and click Connect, then add the A record for the root domain and the CNAME record for www that Macaly shows (or buy a domain inside Macaly). 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 Google Play 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.
Macaly-specific checks before you submit
These are the points that come up most often with Macaly projects (Next.js (React) rendered on the server, with a Convex database hosted in the EU; hosting is handled by Macaly and powered by Vercel).
- With email OTP login the App Store reviewer cannot receive your codes. Ask the agent for an email and password login as well, create a demo account with it and put the credentials in the review notes.
- If you protected the live site with a password (Settings, General, Published website access), remove it before you submit, or the app and the reviewer stop at a password prompt.
- Live Stripe payments run only on the published site, not in the preview. For digital content or subscriptions sold inside the iOS app, Apple expects In-App Purchase; physical goods and services can keep Stripe.
- Macaly shines at fast, SEO-friendly sites. If your project is mostly marketing pages, add real app value (an account area, push notifications, an offline screen) before you submit, or Apple may reject it under guideline 4.2 as a website in a wrapper.
- Add a privacy policy page and, if users can sign up, an account deletion action before you submit.
- Made with Macaly: The "Made with AI in Macaly" badge cannot be turned off on the Free plan. On a paid plan (Starter is enough) hide it in Settings, General before you build the app. More on builder badges.
Let Macaly do the store-readiness work
Paste this into Macaly and let it apply the changes reviewers look for. Review the result, then publish.
Prompt to paste into Macaly
Prepare this project for publishing as a native iOS and Android app (it will run inside a native WebView wrapper that loads the published site): 1. Add /privacy and /terms pages with placeholder text I can edit and link them from the footer and the account area. 2. Add email and password login next to the email code login, so a demo account can sign in without an inbox. 3. Add a "Delete my account" action in the account settings that deletes the user's records in the database after a confirmation dialog. 4. Make every page responsive from 320px to iPad widths, with no horizontal scrolling and tap targets of at least 44px. 5. Remove newsletter pop-ups, "Download our app" banners and external promotional links from the main navigation. 6. Set the page title to the app name (max 30 characters) and keep the meta description.
Google Play review: the rules that matter for Macaly apps
Google reviews behavior, not tooling. Nobody is rejected for using Macaly; 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 Macaly 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.
Example: from Macaly project to approved app
Say you built a record-keeping tool for a beekeeping association with Macaly: members log each hive inspection with notes and photos, see the club calendar and book the shared honey extractor. Convex keeps every entry in sync in real time, and you publish on the Starter plan with bees.yourclub.org as the domain. Wrapped with WebViewGold, the native camera handles inspection photos, the offline screen shows a clean retry when a member is out at the apiary without signal, and a OneSignal push confirms extractor bookings. Members sign in with email codes; the reviewer gets a password demo account with two sample hives. Both stores approve the app, and each Publish in Macaly updates it.
Your first week after launch
- Publish after every edit you want members to see; changes that stay in the preview never reach the app.
- Keep the demo account's password login working; if a later prompt turns the login into email codes only, the review of your next update fails.
- Watch the first inspection photos come in and ask the agent to compress large uploads if pages get slow.
- Send a push when an extractor booking is confirmed or changed, and nothing else in the first week.
- Ask for a rating with rateapp:// after a member logs their third inspection.
What you get with WebViewGold
A complete native app project, not a subscription. Everything below is included in the license and switched on with a setting.
- Complete Android Studio project
- Push notifications
- Offline screen
- App icon & splash screen
- Share sheet & haptics
- Deep & universal links
- In-app purchases
- Free updates, white-label
Frequently asked questions
Does Macaly make native iOS or Android apps?
No. Macaly itself says it is not the tool for native iOS or Android apps; it builds web projects that work well in a mobile browser. WebViewGold adds the native part: it loads your published macaly.app address or custom domain in native iOS and Android apps and adds features such as push notifications.
Do I need a paid Macaly plan for the app?
Not strictly: the free macaly.app address works inside the app. A paid plan (Starter or higher) is still worth it before you submit, because it removes the Made with Macaly badge and lets you connect your own domain.
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.
Does a Macaly app work offline inside the store app?
Not by itself. Macaly renders pages on the server, so each new screen needs a connection. WebViewGold's offline screen shows a native message with a retry button instead of a browser error, which is what reviewers expect. If members must record data without signal, ask the agent for a form that keeps the input on the device until the connection is back, and test it in flight mode.
My project still uses a macaly-app.com address. Should I change it before I submit?
Either address works in WebViewGold as long as it is the published site. The safer choice is your own domain on a paid plan: it removes any dependence on Macaly's default domains, and Universal Links and App Links need a domain you control. Put the custom domain into Config.swift and Config.java before the first submission, because changing the app URL later needs a new build.
Do I have to resubmit the app every time I change something in Macaly?
No. The app loads your published URL, so content and feature changes you publish in Macaly 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 ($349 per license, one-time) if you want to build in the browser without a Mac, or the Full Service package (from $698 per platform) where our team configures, builds and submits the app for you.
Three ways to get your app into the stores
Same result, different amount of work on your side. All three come with the approval guarantee and 24/7 human support.
Do it yourself
$109 per platform, one-time
The WebViewGold license: a finished Xcode or Android Studio project. Paste your URL, set name and icon, switch on features, build and submit. Free updates forever.
See plans on the main pageCloud Builder
$349 per license, one-time add-on
No Mac, no Xcode, no Android Studio: configure in the browser, we build both apps in the cloud and hand them to App Store Connect and the Play Console.
How the Cloud Builder works Try the free demoFull Service
$698 per platform $798
Send us your URL and icon. Our team configures, builds and delivers your app within 72 hours, white-label, with source projects. Both platforms for $1,158.
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