How to publish a Base44 app to the App Store: what Build Store Files does and what's still on you (2026)

If you're searching for how to publish a Base44 app to the App Store, the short version is that Base44 now builds the binary, and the rest is up to you. As of October 2026, the editor's Mobile app tab produces a signed IPA. You still own the Apple account, the App Store Connect record, the upload, the review and any rejection. Each step is below, along with the guideline that stops most wrapper apps.

What does Base44's Build Stores Files actually do?

Build Stores Files turns your published Base44 web app into store-ready binaries: an IPA for the App Store and an AAB for Google Play. Each one wraps your existing web app in a thin native shell.

According to the Base44 store submission docs, the result is "a lightweight native wrapper around your web app that opens only your app's URL." Base44 also does the following:

• It runs an App Scan against App Store or Google Play guidelines and gives you a Readiness Score.
• It "automatically configures a Bundle ID and signing key", and you can't change these in the generated files.
• It sets device permissions with AI and writes purpose strings in 24 languages. The docs say these "are not editable in the Base44 interface."
• It can add push notifications if you supply an APNs .p8 key, which is a different key from the App Store Connect API key.

Most content changes you publish in Base44 reach the installed app without a new submission. Changing the name, icon, bundle ID, push setup or permissions means regenerating the files and resubmitting.

What do you still have to do yourself?

You are responsible for everything outside the binary: developer accounts, the store listing, the upload, the review and any appeals. Base44's docs say it "does not create or manage your developer accounts" and won't contact Apple or Google for you.

How do you publish a Base44 app to the App Store, step by step?

You publish a Base44 app by building the IPA in Base44, creating a matching app record in App Store Connect, uploading the IPA, and submitting that build for review.

1. Enroll in the Apple Developer Program and wait for approval. The Account Holder must also accept the latest agreement in App Store Connect, or you won't be able to add an app.
2. In App Store Connect, go to Users and Access → Integrations and create an API key with the Admin role. Note the Issuer ID and Key ID, and download the .p8 file.
3. In Base44, open Publish → Mobile app, click Run App Scan with App Store guidelines selected, and fix every critical issue.
4. Choose Create App Store files and enter your Issuer ID, Key ID, Team ID and .p8 key. Then download the IPA.
5. In App Store Connect, open Apps → + → New App. Choose iOS, enter the name, primary language and SKU, and select the bundle ID Base44 configured.
6. Upload the IPA. Apple lists Xcode, altool and Transporter as upload options, and for a ready-made IPA the simplest is Transporter, a free macOS app.
7. Wait for the email confirming the build has processed. Then add screenshots, a description, a privacy policy URL, age rating and privacy details.
8. Attach the build to the version, add review notes and a demo login, and click Submit for Review.

Apple matches each upload to your record using "the bundle ID and version number, which are located in the app bundle". The upload fails to attach if you made the record with a different bundle ID. For the listing details, follow our App Store submission checklist, and set up a reviewer login using the demo account guide.

How much does it cost to publish a Base44 app?

Publishing a Base44 app to the App Store costs at least a paid Base44 Builder plan plus Apple's 99 USD yearly membership. Add Google's 25 USD one-time fee if you also ship on Android.

Apple's enrollment page says: "The Apple Developer Program is 99 USD per membership year. Prices may vary by region." You can run Base44's scan on the Free plan, but downloading store files "requires the Builder plan or higher." On Google Play, personal accounts created after November 13, 2023 must complete a testing period before going live. That process is covered in our closed testing guide.

Will Apple reject a Base44 app under guideline 4.2?

A Base44 app is at real risk of a guideline 4.2 rejection if it behaves like your website in a frame, because the build only opens your app's URL. Apple approves wrapped apps when they feel useful and app-like on a phone, not when they mirror the site.

Guideline 4.2 says: "Your app should include features, content, and UI that elevate it beyond a repackaged website." Guideline 4.2.2 adds that apps shouldn't primarily be "web clippings, content aggregators, or a collection of links."

Base44's documented limits also matter. You can't choose a separate start page for the app, and full offline mode and HealthKit aren't supported. Selling digital goods through Stripe inside the app gets it rejected under guideline 3.1.1, and StoreKit isn't supported yet. Physical goods and services can still use Stripe.

What happened to other web-wrapper apps rejected under 4.2?

Public Apple Developer Forums threads show that 4.2 rejections of wrapper apps come down to what the reviewer actually sees on launch, not how many native APIs you list.

In a Cordova thread, a developer was rejected under "4.2 Design: Minimum Functionality" many times, even though the app used GPS and the accelerometer and kept recording without a connection. After a phone call, Apple explained that "there was no UI at all in the binary build" and "there was white screen during site loading." They fixed it by adding a splash screen and loading a local index.html with real UI first. The remote site appeared only after it had fully loaded, and the app was approved.

In another thread, a video app was rejected under 4.2.2 with this message: "your app only includes links, images, or content aggregated from the Internet with limited or no native iOS functionality." The app had offline downloads, push notifications with deep links and favourites. Apple replied that "Users can bookmark the videos on the website using Safari," and the thread never reports an approval.

Comparative takeaway: the first app passed once its first screen stopped looking like a loading website. The second failed because each feature it added could already be done in Safari. Test your Base44 app on a phone with that in mind.

What should you check before pressing Submit for Review?

Before you submit, check that a reviewer on an iPhone can sign in, finish the core task, and never hit a blank screen, a web-style dead end or a Stripe checkout for digital content.

• The App Scan shows no unresolved critical issues, and you've republished after fixes.
• Launch in airplane mode and confirm a friendly message appears instead of a white screen.
• The privacy policy and terms pages can be reached before sign-up.
• Navigation works without browser back buttons, and no external links strand the user.
• No digital content is sold through Stripe inside the app.
• The demo account works, and the review notes explain what the app does on a phone that the website doesn't.
• The App Store Connect record uses the bundle ID Base44 generated.

Worked example: a booking app built in Base44 that sells in-person classes can keep Stripe, because classes are a service. If it adds a paid video library, the library falls under guideline 3.1.1, so remove it from the iOS build until StoreKit is available. If you want a second pair of eyes before submitting, see our services.