How to Publish Your Bolt-Generated Mobile App

Built your app with Bolt? Here's the complete guide to publishing a Bolt-generated mobile app to the App Store and Google Play — covering export, code signing, store listings, compliance, and how to avoid the rejection reasons most common for AI-built apps.

Quick Answer: Bolt generates your app. Publishing it to the App Store or Google Play is a separate process that Bolt doesn't handle. You'll need to export your app, set up a developer account, sign your build, configure your store listing, and pass Apple or Google's review. This guide covers every step specifically for Bolt-generated apps.

Bolt is one of the most capable AI app builders available right now. Give it a prompt and it generates a fully functional mobile app — complete with UI, back-end logic, and code you can build on. For non-technical founders, it's a remarkable tool.

But Bolt stops at the build. Getting your app into the hands of users on their phones requires a separate process entirely — one that many Bolt users discover only after their app is finished and they start asking, "So how do I actually publish this?"

This guide answers that question.

What Bolt Gives You — and What It Doesn't

This isn't a criticism of Bolt — publishing is simply a different job, one that requires working within Apple's and Google's systems.

Step 1: Export Your Bolt App Correctly

Before you can publish, you need a deployable package. Bolt typically exports React Native or Expo-based projects. The export gives you source code that you'll build into a distributable package.

Before exporting, check these things:

• All environment variables and API keys are set to production values — not development or test credentials
• All third-party integrations (payments, authentication, analytics) are configured with production settings
• All placeholder content, test data, and debug logs have been removed from the app
• The app has been tested on a real physical device, not just the browser preview

Important: Bolt's browser preview and your published native app are not the same. Behavior that works in the preview sometimes doesn't match the native mobile version. Always test on a real device before submitting to any store.

Step 2: Set Up Your Developer Account

Apple App Store

• Go to developer.apple.com and enroll in the Apple Developer Program
• Annual fee: $99 — billed annually
• Approval typically takes 24–48 hours
• Requires an Apple ID and valid payment method

Google Play Store

• Go to play.google.com/console and create an account
• One-time registration fee: $25
• Access granted within minutes of payment
• Requires a personal Google account

Step 3: Build and Sign Your App Package

This is the most technically demanding step, particularly for iOS.

For Android (Google Play)

Build your app into an .aab (Android App Bundle) file. If your Bolt export uses Expo, you can use Expo's EAS Build service to generate this file without installing Android Studio locally:

eas build --platform android

For iOS (App Store)

iOS requires code signing — a certificate and provisioning profile issued by Apple that verify the app comes from a legitimate developer. You'll need to:

1. Create an App ID in the Apple Developer Portal
2. Generate a Distribution Certificate (not a Development Certificate — these are different)
3. Create a Distribution Provisioning Profile linked to your App ID
4. Configure your Expo project's eas.json file to use these credentials
5. Build and export a signed .ipa file using EAS Build

Step 4: Prepare Your Store Listing

Step 5: Complete Compliance Declarations

Both platforms require compliance answers before submission. For Bolt-generated apps, pay close attention to these areas:

Permissions

Bolt-generated apps sometimes include permission requests — camera, location, contacts — from template components that your app doesn't actually use. Review your app's permission manifest carefully and remove any unnecessary requests. Every permission you declare must have a clear justification.

Data Safety and Privacy Labels

You'll need to disclose what data your app collects, why it's collected, and whether it's shared with third parties. If your Bolt app uses analytics, authentication services, or cloud storage, each of those data flows must be declared accurately.

AI-Generated Content

If your Bolt app uses an AI API to generate text, images, or other content for users, both Apple and Google have specific policies requiring disclosure. Clearly explain what the AI integration does in your review notes and data safety form.

Step 6: Submit and Handle the Review

Before submitting, go through this checklist:

• Every required metadata field is complete
• Screenshots are the correct dimensions for every supported device size
• Privacy policy URL is live and publicly accessible — not password-protected
• All permission justifications are clear and accurate
• Your app does not crash on launch (test on a real device)
• All placeholder and test content has been removed

How Froxi AI Helps Bolt Founders Publish Faster

The process above has many moving parts — and Bolt founders are often discovering them for the first time, one rejection at a time. Froxi AI eliminates that trial-and-error cycle entirely.

When you start with Froxi AI, you answer a few questions about your app: platform, type, permissions, region, and monetization model. Froxi AI generates a step-by-step guide that's specific to your Bolt app — not a generic checklist, but a precise path through the exact requirements that apply to your situation.

The on-page AI assistant knows your app's context at every step. If you hit the code-signing step and don't know what a provisioning profile is, you get an explanation relevant to what you're doing right now — not a textbook definition. And if you get rejected, the Rejection Resolver tells you exactly what to fix.