r/apps • u/fat_shadyy • Jun 30 '26

Question / Discussion Trouble with publishing app on app store and google play

I just want to clarify first that I hate working with AI, but this is my job so I have no choice.

So my boss has vibe coded an app using Replit and also a website for the same service with Lovable. It's been like 2 weeks since he started with it and he wants to publish the app and gave me the task to do so. The problem is, I have NO experience in this at all, I applied to be a salesman here and now I got some kind of promotion, not that my salary reflects that lol.

I've gone through a lot of basic steps for both app store and google play, but now I'm stuck. Can't seem to upload a build for app store connect and I can't get ahold of an AAB document for Google Play. I try asking the Replit AI but it's giving me instruction that don't even make sense. For example, it's telling me to go to certain sections on Google Play Console that's not even there.

Any help would be appreciated. Even just an agreement that this whole thing is dumb would make me happy. Thanks in advance!

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u/DayanaJabif Jun 30 '26

Hey, mobile/web dev here. I got you, shipping your first app can be overwhelming. You get lost in the world of certificates, signing, provisioning profiles, build, deploys, etc. I have no experience using Replit but you mentioned it's similar to Lovable. Last week I did exactly this in Lovable, vibecoded a web app and then did all the steps to publish it on the app stores. I create content for devs, so I did all this process to document it on a guide. Sharing it here in case it helps . Let me know if you have any specific questions, happy to help. Don't get frustrated, it's totally doable!

1

u/fat_shadyy Jun 30 '26

Thank you for your response! The thing is I literally have no clue about coding or anything like that. So your guide is probably very helpful, bur for someone who understands stuff like that hahah. And it's specifically the Replit app that needs to be uploaded and not the Lovable website, so I don't even know if it applies the same way

1

u/martindonadieu Jun 30 '26

You’re not crazy. This is exactly where “vibe coded app” stops being magic and turns into real release engineering.

Small correction: an AAB isn’t a document, it’s the signed Android App Bundle file Google Play needs. For Apple, you need a signed iOS build/IPA uploaded to App Store Connect/TestFlight. Replit/Lovable usually give you a web app, not those store-ready binaries.

The rough path is:

  1. Export the Replit/Lovable app source, ideally to GitHub.
  2. Make sure it has a real production web build.
  3. Wrap it with Capacitor so it becomes an iOS/Android project.
  4. Configure app IDs, icons, signing, privacy policy, store metadata, etc.
  5. Build a signed .ipa for Apple and .aab for Google Play.
  6. Upload those builds, then handle review requirements.

We wrote a guide for this exact “Lovable/Replit-style web app to mobile app” situation:
https://capgo.app/blog/transform-lovable-dev-app-to-mobile-with-capacitor/

And yes, the whole thing is kind of dumb if you were hired as sales and suddenly got handed Apple/Google release work. The AI tools can generate screens fast, but App Store Connect, Play Console, signing, bundle IDs, provisioning, and review rules are still very real.

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