Getting Started
Getting-started guides, prompt-writing basics, beginner tutorials, and comparisons with other no-code tools for anyone new to building apps with Rork.
When a list is empty and no error shows, open Rork's Logs panel before asking for a fix
A Rork preview shows an empty list but no red error. Before repeating the same fix request, have the app print its values to the Logs panel and split the cause into three places.
Three One-Line Additions to Your First Budget-App Prompt: Integer Yen, Local-Date Months, Normalized Input
Adding one line each about how money is stored, where a month begins, and how input is cleaned can prevent month-end totals from drifting in a household-budget app. Behavior checked on Node 22, with a small function you can reuse.
Before You Change Plans, Check That Your Re-Cloned Code Can Be Rebuilt Without Rork
Exporting Rork code to GitHub doesn't guarantee you can rebuild it elsewhere. A Python script that checks lock files, app identifiers, images, import targets and env-var names in a fresh clone, plus an honest note on what was and wasn't tested.
You Scanned the QR Code but Expo Go Won't Open — Check the Terminal and the App Logins, in That Order
A QR code that opened fine yesterday now stalls in Expo Go. Since a September 2026 change, the iOS Expo Go app needs a login in both the terminal and the app to open a development project. Here is how to spot it, what to check first, and how to fix it.
A 40-Line Script to Check Whether Rork Wrote an API Key Into Your Code
How to check code Rork generated for hard-coded API keys, using the files you export to GitHub. A short Python script with three signals (key shape, name, EXPO_PUBLIC_ prefix), plus the order to follow when a real key turns up.
One of Your 12 Google Play Testers Dropped Out — Do the 14 Days Start Over?
When a tester leaves a closed test midway, does everyone's 14 days reset? A reading of the official Play Console help text, plus a small script that counts days per tester.
My plugins Array Was Empty, and Info.plist Still Had Nine Permission Strings
Even with an empty plugins array, every Expo package you install can add permission strings to Info.plist. I ran prebuild on SDK 58, counted them, and wrote the settings and a small audit script that remove them.
Before Moving to Expo SDK 58, List What Disappears in Your Own Code
A small audit script that scans your project for the APIs Expo SDK 58 removes, changes, or deprecates, with the output from a test project and the pitfalls I only noticed once I ran it.
The night the Play Console wouldn't let me submit — release notes cap at 500 characters per language
Google Play release notes are limited to 500 characters per language. Here is how I got unstuck after pasting a long update memo, plus a short check script and what to do when an old draft release blocks a new one.
Should You Ship a Web Version While the Store Reviews Your App? Choosing a Release Order for a Rork App With Three Questions
Web first or store first for an app built in Rork? I checked Rork's FAQ and Expo's docs: Rork Pro and Rork Max give you different options, and three questions help you decide the release order.
Can You Move an iOS App From an Individual Account to an Organization Later? Five Things to Clear Before App Transfer
I checked Apple's own pages on moving an app published under an individual Apple Developer account to an organization account later. Here is what must be true first, what to clear, and what does and does not carry over.
Before You Promise "Release in a Week" — Break Down the Days You Will Spend Waiting
When your Rork app is ready, the release date still isn't yours to set. Break the wait into Apple enrollment, Google Play closed testing, and first review, then work out the earliest and the late-case date with a small TypeScript script.
Building the Same Gallery Grid with Opus 5.5 and GPT-6 Sol in Rork — Choosing a Model by Its Effort Steps
Rork's model menu now lists Opus 5.5 and GPT-6 Sol. I built the same three-column gallery screen with both, compared their effort settings, and kept the code I'd actually ship. Here is what differed and how I chose.
Two logins to check first when Expo Go stops opening your preview
When the QR code stops loading your Rork preview on a real device, check the logins before the router. Here is which path needs a sign-in on both ends, and which paths are untouched.
Rork No Longer Creates New Expo Projects: Keep Yours, or Rebuild It in SwiftUI?
You can no longer start an Expo project in Rork, but existing ones keep building and shipping. Here is how to decide whether to stay on Expo or rebuild in SwiftUI, and what quietly goes missing when you rebuild.
Same Wi-Fi, No Preview: Where I Look Before Rebooting the Router
When Rork Companion scans the QR code and nothing arrives, there are places worth checking before you restart anything. Four settings on the iPhone, two on the router, and a one-minute test that cuts the search space in half.
Whether You Need Rork Max Is Answered by Your Permissions, Not the Price Page
When I cannot decide between standard Rork and Rork Max, I stop reading the price page. Instead I pull every OS capability my app actually asks for out of app.json and Info.plist, then sort them into what Expo covers, what a config plugin covers, and what truly needs native Swift.
Rork's Free Tier Gives You 35 Credits a Month, but the Number That Shapes Your Work Is 5 a Day
Rork's free plan is 35 credits per month with a 5-credit daily cap. The daily cap, not the monthly total, decides how you work. Here is how I spend those five, what I verify off-credit, and where the free tier stops.
A Screen That Runs in Rork Companion Is Not Yet a Finished Screen
There is a gap between the app you hold in your hand through Rork Companion and the build that eventually reaches the App Store. Here is why free signing expires after a few days, what Companion can and cannot answer for you, and a small badge that keeps you honest about which build you are looking at.
Starting with the EAS Observe free tier, and why Crashlytics stays installed
EAS Observe reached general availability on August 20. I looked into consolidating down to one monitoring service and found that native crashes are still out of scope. Here are the free-tier limits and the setup details that trip people up.
expo-doctor passes on API level 35. Here is what its 22 checks actually cover
I opened the expo-doctor 1.20.4 bundle and listed every check it registers. Only one looks at store requirements, and its threshold is still API level 34.
Nine Expo patches shipped in thirty days. Which one is your app actually running?
A tilde in package.json does not mean you are on the newest patch. The file that decides what actually gets installed is package-lock.json. Here is what npm did when I ran the checks myself.
Sunset.png and sunset.png: one file on your Mac, two on the build server
An image that renders locally but breaks the cloud build. The cause was filename casing. Here is the reproduction, the git behavior behind it, and a small checker with measured results.
The names you can change, and the ones you can't — the 30 minutes before your first Rork release
An app has three names, and only the display name can be changed after release. Here is how I check the identifiers Rork fills in by default, using a dependency-free script, before I hit submit.
You Cannot Shorten Review, But You Can Still Choose the Moment Your App Goes Live
Review time is out of your hands. The moment your app appears in the store is not. Here is how the three App Store Connect release options, Google Play managed publishing, and eas submit fit together.
Write .gitignore Before You Run git init on an Exported Rork Project
Running git init on a freshly exported Rork project puts your signing keys and .env straight into history. I measured what gets committed when the ignore file comes first versus last, and which exclusion patterns actually work.
The Apple-side setup Rork cannot do for you before your first release
Rork Max automates the build, the certificates, and the submission. Your Apple account, contracts, and tax details are still yours to fill in. Here is the order that avoids dead time.
Where Rork Max Still Falls Short — A Realistic Line Around Native Generation
An honest line between what Rork Max's native Swift generation does well and what still needs human hands, drawn from real solo-dev experience. Not hype, not dismissal — just where it genuinely fits today.
An Honest Review of the Rork AI App Builder After Three Months — Strengths, Weaknesses, and Who It's For (Revisited July 2026)
A no-spin review of the Rork AI app builder from a solo developer who shipped to the App Store with it and kept using it for three months. What was fast, what surprised me, how to judge the pricing, and who it actually fits.
How to Test Your Rork App on a Real iPhone Using the Companion App
A step-by-step guide to using the Rork Companion app for real device testing on iPhone and iPad. Covers local simulator vs. the cloud-Mac live simulator vs. real device, setup steps, and what to check on device.
Rork vs Replit — Which AI Tool Is Best for Mobile App Development in 2026?
A comprehensive comparison of Rork and Replit for mobile app development. Compare features, pricing, App Store publishing, and native capabilities in 2026.
Shipping a Rork App to a Real Device Without a Mac: What the Browser Simulator Covers, and Its Pitfalls
Rork's in-browser simulator lets you try an app without a Mac, but some bugs only appear on real hardware. Separate what the simulator can and cannot verify, and get past the real-device wall before you submit.
Building Your Second Rork App: How Much of the First One Should You Reuse?
Once your first app ships, the temptation is to clone it whole and swap the contents. But what you reuse and what you rebuild quietly decides how heavy your maintenance becomes. A look at where to draw the reuse line, from running several apps in parallel.
Why a Rork Companion App Stops Opening After a Few Days — and How to Fix It
An app you pushed to your iPhone with Rork Companion shows 'Untrusted Developer,' or simply refuses to launch a few days later. Here is why free Apple account signing expires after about seven days, and the practical fixes — trust it, re-push, or move to a paid account — from an indie developer's point of view.
How to Write Prompts for Rork — Tips for Creating Apps Exactly As You Envision
Practical techniques for writing Rork prompts: specifying UI design, describing features, and requesting revisions so the app you get matches the app you imagined.
Rork vs Rork Max: What's the Difference?
What's the real difference between Rork and Rork Max — pricing, features, platform support, and Android availability? A side-by-side look, updated May 2026.
After WWDC26, Reselecting What an Indie Should Build Right Now
Now that on-device AI is free for small developers, the premises of app planning have quietly shifted. Here are five questions to choose what to build with Rork at the concept stage.
Designing Empty States Properly in Your Rork App — First Run, After Deletion, and Network Errors in One Component
When you build an app from a prompt in Rork, only the data-filled screens tend to look polished. Here is how to build the first-run, post-deletion, and network-error empty states into one reusable component, with retry logic, screen-reader support, and effectiveness measurement.
Rork Lab This Week: Apple's Free Foundation Models, and Knowing When to Go Deeper
Editor's notes on four posts: data-driven triggers for moving up to Rork Max, a three-layer AI cost design after Apple opened Foundation Models, WidgetKit within Expo, and catching subscription refunds.
Building a Revenue Foundation in the First 90 Days After Rork Max Launch
What you do in the 90 days after your Rork Max app launches determines whether it becomes a revenue-generating product or an abandoned project. A practical phase-by-phase roadmap for building your first monetization foundation.