One codebase, real store app
The Android app loads your published Softgen URL inside a native WebView. There is no second project to maintain and no code export.
Why wrapping beats rebuilding for Softgen apps
Softgen builds a Next.js app on Firebase Authentication and Firestore, a stack that already has native SDKs, which tempts people into a rewrite they do not need. WebViewGold loads the deployed URL, so Firestore rules, Cloud Functions and the Firebase login (with the Social Login Helper for Google sign-in) keep working unchanged on both platforms. Redeploy and the app updates instantly.
Keep shipping from Softgen
Redeploy 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 Softgen app on a public HTTPS URL (a Softgen-hosted or vercel.app address 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
My iOS WebView is finally approved. Thanks!!
Softgen to Google Play: the walkthrough
Eight steps, no coding. Most people finish the native part in under an hour.
Publish your Softgen app to a production URL
Deploy from Softgen to a public URL (Softgen hosting or Vercel). Redeploy to ship changes. The builder preview is not public. Deploy first. Custom domain: Connect your domain on the hosting side (Softgen or Vercel) and set the DNS records. 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.
Softgen-specific checks before you submit
These are the points that come up most often with Softgen projects (Next.js front end with Firebase Authentication and Firestore).
- Firebase Google sign-in uses pop-ups or redirects; inside the app enable WebViewGold's Social Login Helper.
- Add a privacy policy page and an account deletion action (Firebase: delete the user document and auth user).
- Enable the WebViewGold loading indicator for the first bundle load.
- Made with Softgen: Remove any "Made with Softgen" badge before you build the app. More on builder badges.
Let Softgen do the store-readiness work
Paste this into Softgen and let it apply the changes reviewers look for. Review the result, then publish.
Prompt to paste into Softgen
Prepare this app for publishing as a native iOS and Android app (it will run inside a native WebView wrapper): add /privacy and /terms pages linked from the footer; add a "Delete my account" action that deletes the Firestore data and the Firebase Auth user after confirmation; make all pages responsive from 320px to tablet widths with 44px tap targets; remove any "Made with Softgen" badge and external promotional links; add a retry state for failed requests; set the title to the app name (max 30 characters).
Google Play review: the rules that matter for Softgen apps
Google reviews behavior, not tooling. Nobody is rejected for using Softgen; 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 Softgen 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 Softgen project to approved app
Say you built a membership app for a climbing gym with Softgen: members sign in with Firebase Auth, book classes, log their climbs in Firestore and show a personal QR code at the front desk. You deploy to Vercel, connect app.yourdomain.com and wrap it with WebViewGold; staff open the same app, tap a link to qrcode:// and the native scanner opens the check-in URL encoded in the member's code. Memberships pay for access to a physical gym, so Stripe stays and no In-App Purchase is needed. Firebase Cloud Messaging, configured in WebViewGold with the same Firebase project, sends class reminders and route-setting news. Both stores approve the app, and new features ship with each redeploy.
Your first week after launch
- Deploy fixes from Softgen to Vercel or Softgen hosting as usual; the app updates on next launch.
- Send class reminders only to members who booked, using the Firebase ID WebViewGold passes to your web app (getfirebaseplayerid://).
- Check Firestore reads after launch day; members reopen an app far more often than they revisit a website.
- On Android, switch on WebViewGold's Crashlytics integration (TRACKING_EVENT) to see shell crashes in the same Firebase console.
- Ask for a rating with rateapp:// after a member books a second class.
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 Softgen app go into the stores?
Yes. Deploy it, insert the URL into WebViewGold and submit the native builds; Firebase keeps serving auth and data.
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 use Firebase Cloud Messaging for push with a Softgen app?
Yes. WebViewGold supports Firebase push on iOS and Android: add the GoogleService-Info.plist and google-services.json files from your Firebase project, switch Firebase push on in Config.swift and Config.java, and read each device's Firebase ID in your web app through the JavaScript bridge to target individual users.
Does Firestore offline persistence work inside the app?
Firestore's web SDK can cache data in IndexedDB, which iOS and Android WebViews support, so members can still see recently loaded data on a weak connection. Test it on real devices before you rely on it, and keep WebViewGold's offline screen enabled for the case where the app starts with no connection at all.
Do I have to resubmit the app every time I change something in Softgen?
No. The app loads your published URL, so content and feature changes you publish in Softgen 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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