L10 XP00

How to vibe code a mobile app

Mobile is the most satisfying vibe coding target — your build ends up on your actual phone — and in 2026 it's fully beginner-viable: Riley Brown published an iOS app 493 seconds after starting, and our entire Course 02 walks the longer, sturdier version of that path.

The stack that makes it work is Expo (React Native): one codebase, instant preview on your phone via Expo Go, and agents know it deeply. Native Swift is viable too, but Expo is the beginner highway.

Tool: Codex is the strongest beginner path here (its project + preview loop is built for this); Claude Code handles Expo equally well from the terminal. Time: a weekend to TestFlight. The free deep-dive: Build Mobile Apps using Codex.

The steps
  1. 1

    Scaffold an Expo app

    Ask the agent to create an Expo project with TypeScript and Expo Router and run it. Install Expo Go on your phone, scan the QR code, and you have live reload on real hardware — the mobile equivalent of the browser refresh loop.

  2. 2

    Build one screen at a time

    Describe screens like a designer, not a programmer: 'a home screen listing my items as cards, a plus button bottom-right, tapping a card opens details'. Screenshot what you get, annotate what's wrong, paste it back. The screenshot-feedback loop is the core mobile skill.

  3. 3

    Add a backend when data must survive

    The moment data should persist across devices, wire Firebase or Supabase (auth + database + storage). Do the console setup yourself (2–5 minutes), paste the config to the agent, and let it wire sign-in and data. Course 02's state & data module covers exactly this.

  4. 4

    Use native powers

    Camera, notifications, haptics, maps — Expo modules cover them and agents wire them in one prompt each. This is where a mobile app earns being mobile instead of a website.

  5. 5

    Ship to TestFlight, then the store

    EAS Build produces the .ipa/.apk in the cloud (no Xcode wrestling); EAS Submit pushes to TestFlight. You'll need an Apple Developer account ($99/yr). Friends installing your app from TestFlight is the milestone that makes it real.

Starter prompt — paste into your agent
Create a new Expo app with TypeScript and Expo Router called [name]. The app: [one-paragraph idea with 2–3 core screens]. Set up the tab/stack navigation for those screens with placeholder content, a clean design system (one accent color, consistent spacing, dark mode support), and run it so I can open it in Expo Go on my phone. Then wait — we'll build screen by screen with my feedback before touching any backend.
Frequently asked questions

Do I need a Mac to vibe code an iOS app?

For Expo development and testing via Expo Go — no, any machine works. Cloud builds (EAS) compile iOS without a local Mac too. You only need Apple hardware for some native debugging paths, and you need an Apple Developer account ($99/year) to ship to TestFlight/App Store.

How long does it take to get an app in the App Store?

A focused weekend gets most simple apps to TestFlight; App Store review adds a few days. The build is rarely the bottleneck — screenshots, store listing, and review feedback are. Course 02's final module walks the whole submission checklist.

Keep going

Choosing your agent? Claude Code vs Codex. All guides: a browser game · a Chrome extension · a SaaS · a Discord bot · a dashboard · a portfolio site