One codebase, real store app
The Android app loads your published Same.new URL inside a native WebView. There is no second project to maintain and no code export.
Why wrapping beats rebuilding for Same.new apps
Same is built for web applications and points to PWAs for mobile, which still leaves you without an App Store or Google Play listing. Its Next.js projects deploy to Netlify, so once you claim the deployment you own a stable URL, and WebViewGold turns that URL into native iOS and Android apps. Clerk or Supabase logins keep working, and every redeploy reaches the installed apps without a store review.
Keep shipping from Same.new
Redeploy from Same and the main domain serves the latest deployed version, so the app shows it on the next launch, no store update needed. 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 Same.new app on a public HTTPS URL (a Same-generated Netlify address (a netlify.app site in your account once you claim it) 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!
Same.new to Google Play: the walkthrough
Eight steps, no coding. Most people finish the native part in under an hour.
Publish your Same.new app to a production URL
Click Deploy in Same. Same deploys the project to Netlify and gives you a main domain that always shows the latest deployed version, plus a preview domain for each deployment. Unclaimed deployments expire after 14 days of inactivity, so claim the deployment (Deployed, Claim Deployment) to move the site into your own Netlify account. Use the main domain, not the per-deployment preview domain, and never an unclaimed deployment: it expires after 14 days of inactivity and the app would stop loading. Custom domain: Same has no custom domain setting yet. Claim the deployment on Netlify, then add your domain in Netlify's domain management and set the DNS records it shows. 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.
Same.new-specific checks before you submit
These are the points that come up most often with Same.new projects (Next.js (React, TypeScript) by default, with Supabase or Neon for data and Clerk for authentication through its integrations).
- Claim the Netlify deployment before you build the app. Unclaimed deployments expire after 14 days of inactivity, and an app that loads an expired site is a broken app in review (guideline 2.1).
- Same can clone a website from a pasted URL or screenshot. Never submit an app built on someone else's design, brand or content: both stores reject copycat apps under their intellectual property and impersonation rules.
- Clerk has separate test and live keys. Switch to the live environment keys before you deploy the version you submit, and test sign-up once more on the deployed URL.
- Google sign-in through Clerk or Supabase is blocked inside an embedded WebView. Enable WebViewGold's Social Login Helper for the Google step.
- A claimed deployment runs on your own Netlify plan, and free plans have limits such as build minutes. Check them so redeploys keep working after launch.
Let Same.new do the store-readiness work
Paste this into Same.new and let it apply the changes reviewers look for. Review the result, then publish.
Prompt to paste into Same
Prepare this Next.js app for publishing as a native iOS and Android app (it will run inside a native WebView wrapper that loads the deployed URL): 1. Add /privacy and /terms pages with placeholder text I can edit and link them from the footer and the account page. 2. Add a "Delete my account" action in the account settings that deletes the user's data and their Clerk (or Supabase) user after a confirmation step. 3. Replace any copied brand names, logos, images or text from a reference site with my own placeholders. 4. Make every page responsive from 320px to iPad widths, with no horizontal scrolling and tap targets of at least 44px. 5. Remove "Download our app" banners and external promotional links from the main navigation. 6. Show a friendly retry state when a request fails instead of an empty screen. 7. Set the page title to the app name (max 30 characters) and add a meta description.
Google Play review: the rules that matter for Same.new apps
Google reviews behavior, not tooling. Nobody is rejected for using Same.new; 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 Same.new 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 Same.new project to approved app
Say you rebuilt the website of your own tattoo studio with Same: you pasted the old site's URL, kept your artwork and texts, and asked the agent for a booking flow, an artist gallery and a client area with aftercare instructions. Clerk handles client accounts with Apple and Google, Supabase stores appointments, and a Stripe deposit pays for the real-world session, so no In-App Purchase is needed. You deploy, claim the site on Netlify, connect book.yourstudio.com and wrap it with WebViewGold. A local push reminds clients of aftercare steps in the days after a session, and the share sheet lets them send a design to a friend. Both stores approve the app, and every redeploy from Same updates it.
Your first week after launch
- Redeploy from Same and check the main domain afterwards; it always serves the latest deployed version.
- Confirm that the production build still uses Clerk's live keys after every change to environment variables.
- Keep an eye on Netlify build minutes and bandwidth on a free plan; a blocked redeploy is easy to miss.
- Schedule aftercare reminders with sendlocalpushmsg:// when a session is booked, and cancel them with sendlocalpushmsg://push.send.cancel if it moves.
- Ask for a rating with rateapp:// after a client confirms their second booking.
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
Can a Same.new app be published in the App Store and on Google Play?
Yes. Deploy it, claim the deployment on Netlify so it never expires, connect your own domain and enter that URL in WebViewGold. Then build and submit the iOS and Android apps; every later redeploy shows up in the apps without a store update.
Same builds web apps, not mobile apps. Is a PWA enough?
A PWA can be added to the home screen, but it is not listed in the App Store or on Google Play. WebViewGold turns the same deployed URL into native store apps and adds features a PWA cannot offer in the stores, such as native push notifications and the share sheet.
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.
Can I clone my own website with Same and publish it as an app?
Yes. Cloning your own site, with your own brand, texts and images, is a quick way to start. The trouble starts with other people's material: copied designs, logos, product names or photos lead to rejections under Apple's Guideline 5.2.1 and Google Play's impersonation and intellectual property rules. Replace anything you do not own before you submit, and add real app features so the result is more than the old website.
Same has no custom domain setting. How do I give the app its own domain?
Claim the deployment first, so the Netlify site lives in your own account, then add your domain in Netlify's domain management and set the DNS records it shows. Put that domain into Config.swift and Config.java: it never expires, it is the domain your Universal Links and App Links use, and you can move hosting later by changing DNS instead of shipping new builds.
Do I have to resubmit the app every time I change something in Same.new?
No. The app loads your published URL, so content and feature changes you publish in Same.new 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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