Convert a Website to an App: 4 Ways That Pass App Review

You can convert a website to an app in four ways: make it a progressive web app, put it inside a WebView wrapper, build a hybrid app with a runtime like Capacitor, or rebuild it natively. The right choice depends on one question more than any other: does the app need to be in the Apple App Store?

If it does, Apple's review is the hurdle. Its guidelines say this about apps built from websites:

We turn web apps into store apps for clients regularly, and we have more than 10 apps live on the App Store and Google Play. Below is how each approach works, what it costs you in effort and how to make sure Apple sees an app rather than a website.

Which approach should you choose?

Option 1: Make it a progressive web app

A PWA is your website with a web app manifest and a service worker. People can add it to their home screen, it opens without browser bars and it can work offline. There is no store review and no store fee, and updates go live the moment you deploy.

iPhone support has improved. Since iOS and iPadOS 16.4, WebKit says "A web app that has been added to the Home Screen can request permission to receive push notifications," and that release also added the Badging API for icon badges. The catch is that the user has to add the app to their home screen first, and many never do.

The bigger limit is discovery. A PWA does not appear in Apple's App Store, so people searching the store will not find you. We compare the two in detail in PWA vs native app.

Option 2: Wrap the website in a WebView

A wrapper is a small native app whose main screen is a browser view that loads your site. It is quick to build, and on Android it is usually accepted.

On iOS it is risky. Apple's guideline 4.2.2 adds: "Other than catalogs, apps shouldn't primarily be marketing materials, advertisements, web clippings, content aggregators, or a collection of links." A wrapper that loads your marketing site and nothing more is exactly what that rule describes.

Rejection is common. Apple's 2024 App Store Transparency Report, as covered by MacRumors, says Apple rejected 1.93 million of 7.77 million submissions that year, and design, the group that includes minimum functionality, was the third most common reason.

Option 3: Build a hybrid app with Capacitor

A hybrid app still uses your web code for most screens, but runs inside a native runtime that gives the code access to the phone. Capacitor describes itself as "a cross-platform native runtime that makes it easy to build performant mobile applications." Through plugins, your web app can use push notifications, the camera, biometric login, local storage, the share sheet and more.

This is the approach we use most. You keep one codebase, your web team can keep working, and you add the native pieces that make Apple see an app rather than a website. It also works well for apps built on platforms like Base44. Our guide to publishing a Base44 app to the App Store walks through that path.

We also make [App Native](https://appnative.io), our own tool for turning web apps into store-ready iOS and Android apps. It is one option among several, and the right fit depends on how much native work your app needs.

Option 4: Rebuild the app natively

A native rebuild means writing the app again in Swift for iOS and Kotlin for Android, or in a cross-platform framework like React Native or Flutter. You get the best performance and full access to every device feature.

You also get two things to maintain: your website and your app. For most businesses that is more cost than benefit at first. Rebuild when the app depends on heavy camera or sensor use, long offline sessions, complex animation or background tasks that a web layer cannot do well. For budgets, see how much it costs to build an app.

How do you make a converted website pass Apple review?

Apple does not reject apps for using web technology. It rejects apps that feel like a browser tab. These are the changes we make before we submit a converted site:

1. 1Add native navigation. A bottom tab bar and native back gestures make the app feel like an app. Hide the website header, footer and cookie banner inside the app.
2. 2Add push notifications for something users actually want, like order updates, messages or reminders.
3. 3Handle being offline. Show a proper offline screen or cached content instead of a browser error page.
4. 4Use the device. Biometric login, the camera, the share sheet or saving files are all signs of an app built for the phone.
5. 5Keep users in the app. Core flows should not open Safari. Links that jump out to the browser make reviewers think of a web clipping.
6. 6Focus on the logged-in experience. An app that lets customers do things, such as book, track, pay or message, is far stronger than one that shows marketing pages.
7. 7Give reviewers a demo account. Apple's guideline 2.1 asks you to "include demo account info (and turn on your back-end service!) if your app includes a login."

Step by step: converting a website to an app

1. 1Check your mobile site. Every page should work well on a small screen, because the app will show the same layouts.
2. 2Decide which screens belong in the app. Usually the logged-in product, not the marketing site.
3. 3Choose the approach from the table above.
4. 4Add native features such as push, offline handling and native navigation.
5. 5Set up your developer accounts. Apple charges 99 USD a year and Google charges 25 USD once. See Apple developer account cost.
6. 6Test with real users through TestFlight and a Google Play closed test.
7. 7Prepare the listings and submit. Our guide on how to publish an app on the App Store covers this part.

One Android detail to plan for: Google says that starting August 31, 2026, new apps and app updates must target Android 16 (API level 36) or higher, so make sure your wrapper or runtime is up to date before you build.

Can you do this yourself?

If you are comfortable with code, a hybrid build is very doable. The time goes into native features, store setup and the review back-and-forth rather than the conversion itself.

Virtual Horizons is a Base44 Legend Partner, Ambassador and Community Pillar, a Base44 Shark Tank winner and a multiple-time Vibe Sprint winner. We take web apps to the App Store and Google Play end to end through our mobile app service, and we build the web app itself through our app development service if you are starting from scratch.

Roenic Natarelli

Founder, Virtual Horizons

Roenic runs Virtual Horizons and is a Base44 Legend Partner, Ambassador and Community Pillar, Base44 Shark Tank winner and multiple-time Vibe Sprint winner. The studio builds web and mobile apps, AI voice agents and automations, with more than 10 apps live on the App Store and Google Play. More about us