Rork writes native iPhone apps in Swift with SwiftUI, runs them on a cloud iOS simulator next to the chat, and submits the build to TestFlight and the App Store.
An iPhone app in Rork is a native iPhone app. Rork writes it in Swift with SwiftUI, the stack Apple uses for its own apps. It is not a website in a shell, and it is not an Android app converted at runtime.You describe the app, Rork builds it, and you watch it run on a cloud iOS simulator next to the chat. When it is ready, Rork builds the app on its own machines and submits it to TestFlight and the App Store. You do not need Xcode or a Mac to publish.
A Swift app running in the iOS simulator inside Rork.
Pick the platform before you send your first message. On rork.com, open the platform picker under the prompt box and choose For iPhone. The picker describes it as iPad, Apple Watch, and more with SwiftUI.
The For iPhone row in the platform picker.
The picker footer says it plainly: You can add another platform later. One project can hold an iPhone app, an Android app, and a web app at the same time. See Convert your app between iOS, Android, and web.Then describe the product, not the technology:
A habit tracker that reminds me each morning and shows my streak on the first screen
Rork Pro ($20/month) builds native iPhone apps with SwiftUI. You do not need Rork Max for iPhone. Max adds iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro, native games, and iOS widgets. See Plans & Subscriptions.
Rork does not start writing Swift straight away. It asks a few short questions about the look first. Each answer is a picture, not a word. You can also type your own answer in Other, then press Submit. Skip this step by writing the look into your first prompt instead.Next Rork draws the screens and shows them in Design mode. Nothing is built yet, so this is the cheap moment to change your mind. Ask for a different screen in chat, or press Build to turn the design into a working iPhone app. See Design mode, Plan mode, and building.
Rork runs your Swift app on a cloud iOS simulator in your browser. It is the real app on a real iOS system, not a picture, so you tap through it while you build.The simulator does not run all the time. It waits behind a Turn on simulator button, and it tells you what it costs while it runs:
The simulator waits until you start it, and it shows the price first.
The panel says 0.2 build credits/min while running, so press Stop simulator when you finish a testing round. It also tells you how much simulator time this project has used so far. See Build credits vs Cloud credits.
The controls above the simulator do this:
Control
What it does
Record
Records the preview and attaches it to the chat.
Screenshot
Attaches a screenshot to the chat.
Home
Returns the app to its first screen.
Simulator settings
Switches Appearance between Light and Dark, changes Text size, and sets Language.
Select an element
Point at a part of the screen, then write what to change about it.
A simulator instance does not live forever. If the connection is gone, press Restart. Your app and your project are untouched. Only the running machine is gone.
The simulator has no physical camera, and it cannot receive Apple push notifications. Camera code still builds. Test the camera and real push on a phone.
Rork builds and submits the app for you. What Rork cannot do is be you: the Apple Developer account and the store listing belong to your Apple account.Open Publish in the project. The App Store section says Build and submit this app to TestFlight and the App Store. Until you send a build it reads No App Store submissions yet. Press Submit to App Store.
Step 1 of the Publish to App Store dialog is App Info: the icon, the App Name (max 30 characters), the version, and the bundle identifier. The platform field reads iOS, described as iPhone & iPad. The panel adds Each platform is submitted separately.
Publish to App Store, Step 1: the icon, the name, the version, and the bundle identifier.
3
Sign in to Apple Developer
Step 2 is Apple Developer. Enter your Apple Developer Email and Apple Developer Password. Rork builds on its own machines, so you do not need Xcode.
4
Start Submission
Step 3 is Submit. Press Start Submission, then stay on the page while Rork builds. Apple can ask for a verification code on a signed-in device. Enter that code in Rork when it asks.
A finished upload lands in App Store Connect, and the chat shows Available on TestFlight. The project keeps every build in App Store Submissions, each one with its TestFlight link.
App Store Submissions: each iOS build, its TestFlight link, Beta Invite Link, and New Submission.
Press New Submission for the next version. Use Beta Invite Link to share a TestFlight invite. The step-by-step version, with the Apple screens, is in Publish Your App to the Apple App Store.
Run the AI App Store Reviewer before you submit. It checks your app against Apple’s rules inside the project, so you find the rejection reasons first.
Any project can grow an iPhone app. Click + above the preview and pick iOS (Swift), described as Native iPhone app. You can also use Project Settings → Add new app, or just ask:
Add a native iPhone app to this project
On an older Expo project Rork also offers a card: Make this app native iOS, with the line Recreate it in SwiftUI for iPhone. Press Add iOS app.
The native iOS card on an older project. Add iOS app starts the Swift rebuild.
Confirm the Add iOS app? card when it appears. The agent rebuilds your screens, navigation, data flows, and design as a Swift app.When the project already has an iPhone app, the same menus offer the other platforms instead:
Project Settings on an iPhone app. Add new app offers Android and Web.
Both apps then live in one project, with two codebases: Swift for iPhone, Kotlin for Android. They share the chat and the backend, and they publish from the same Publish menu.
No. A Rork iPhone app is a Swift codebase built with SwiftUI. It is not a browser app in a shell, and it is not an Android app.
Do I need Xcode or a Mac?
No. Rork builds on its own machines and submits to App Store Connect from the browser. A Mac is optional: use it only for the USB Companion install.
Which plan builds iPhone apps?
Any paid plan. Rork Pro ($20/month) builds native iPhone apps with SwiftUI. The Free plan designs an iPhone app but does not build one. Rork Max adds iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro, native games, and iOS widgets. See Plans & Subscriptions.
What does the simulator cost?
0.2 build credits per minute while it runs, and nothing when it is off. The panel shows how much this project has used. See Build credits vs Cloud credits.
Where does the first build go?
To App Store Connect, then TestFlight. It is not on the public App Store until you finish the product page and pass Apple review.
I have an Expo project. Can it become a native iPhone app?
Yes. Add a native iPhone app to the same project and the agent rebuilds your screens in Swift. Your Expo app stays where it is. See What happened to Expo?.
