All Articles
Building a Developer Debug Menu Into Your Rork App — Verify Ads, Purchases, and Remote Config Before Release
A production-safe developer debug menu for Rork apps — switch environments, force test ads, simulate entitlements, and override Remote Config, with working TypeScript code and the pitfalls I hit running six apps.
Adding a Home Screen Widget to a Rork App — Making WidgetKit Work Within Expo's Constraints
Rork generates Expo apps, and home screen widgets can't be written in React Native. Here's how to wire up WidgetKit with a config plugin and App Groups — including the parts that tripped me up.
Your App Won't Notice the Refund — Revoking Entitlements with REFUND Notifications and the Voided Purchases API
A refund doesn't reach your app on its own — a cached premium flag survives it. Implementation notes on revoking access via App Store Server Notifications V2, Google Play's Voided Purchases API, and RevenueCat.
When Should a Rork App Move Up to Rork Max? Deciding With Store Data, Not Aspiration
A framework for deciding whether the $200/month Rork Max tier is justified: three data-driven migration triggers, the case for staying on Expo, why June 2026 lowered the lock-in risk, and the practical steps once you do commit to the move.
Rork Max Pricing in 2026 — A Decision Guide by Project Type
A practical guide to choosing among Rork / Rork Max plans, framed as a break-even decision. Walks through three real user profiles — weekend developer, earning solo dev, and agency/startup — with the criteria that actually matter.
What Did Rork Actually Change as an AI Mobile App Builder? A Six-Month Field Review
An honest, indie-developer review of Rork as an AI mobile app builder after six months of real-world use. What changed, where it shines, where it gets stuck, and how to decide whether to start with it.
Keeping a wallpaper app's binary small: moving images out of the bundle
Wallpaper apps bloat every time you add images. Here is where I draw the line between bundled and remote assets, how I keep first paint fast with prefetching, and the format work that cut transfer size to a third — with real numbers.
Deep Links in Rork Max — Universal Links and URL Schemes
A hands-on guide to deep linking in Rork Max apps: when to use URL Schemes vs. Universal Links, the AASA/assetlinks pitfalls, and the cold-start trap — with working examples.
expo start --offline Says 'forbidden'? Corporate Proxy (403) vs Dependency Validation
Two different failures make 'expo start --offline' or EXPO_OFFLINE=1 die with 'forbidden': an HTTP 403 from a corporate proxy, and Expo CLI validateDependenciesVersions guard. How to tell them apart, when to set HTTP_PROXY to route through the proxy, and when to go fully offline with pre-generated caches instead.
Expanding AdMob bidding demand without adding SDKs — what applying to 11 server-side partners taught me about 'enabled ≠ serving'
A working log of actually adding SDK-free, server-side bidding partners to AdMob's bidding sources: the difference between doc-type and form-type sign-up flows, how reCAPTCHA behaves, and the trap that 'partnership enabled' does not mean 'eligible to serve', told from a solo developer's point of view.
How I Localized My Play Store Screenshots into 16 Languages — Swapping PSD Text with Python and Standardizing on Noto Fonts
An implementation log of localizing an Android wallpaper app's store screenshots into 16 languages: swapping PSD text layers per language with Python, auto-shrinking overflow, and assigning the right font per script — with the actual code and a font cheat sheet.
Putting a Wallpaper Shuffle in Control Center — a ControlWidget in a Rork (Expo) App, Rebuilt for iOS 26
Field notes on bolting a Control Center control (ControlWidget) onto a Rork-built React Native wallpaper app — App Group sharing, AppIntent, the Expo config plugin that survives prebuild, and what changed when I rebuilt it for iOS 26 accented rendering.