A step-by-step guide to taking a Draftbit (React Native/Expo) app from finished project to the App Store: set up Apple accounts, build with EAS, test on TestFlight, and submit for review.
Draftbit builds the app; Apple controls distribution. No low-code tool changes that, so plan for Apple's requirements from the outset.
Your Draftbit app is a React Native (Expo) app, which means the submission path is the same standard Expo-to-App-Store pipeline hand-coded apps use.
Two hard requirements apply regardless of the builder: a paid Apple Developer Program membership, and building with Xcode-based tooling, whether locally or through EAS Build in the cloud.
Budget time as well as money. First-time submissions often stumble on metadata, privacy details, and signing, so leave room for a review cycle or two.
Distribution on the App Store requires an active, paid Apple Developer Program membership. Enroll at Apple's developer site under your individual or organization identity.
Organization enrollment typically requires verification such as a legal entity identifier, which can take time. Start this early so it does not block your launch.
Once enrolled, you gain access to App Store Connect, Apple's portal for managing apps, builds, testers, and submissions.
This membership is entirely separate from your Draftbit subscription. It is Apple's fee for distributing on their platform, and every App Store app pays it.
Export or open your Draftbit-generated Expo project and set its app configuration. The bundle identifier (like com.yourcompany.yourapp) must be unique and match what you register with Apple.
Set the display name, version, and build number. Apple uses these to track releases, and mismatches are a common cause of upload rejections.
Add your app icon and splash screen assets at the required resolutions. iOS is strict about icon formats, so follow Expo's asset guidance.
If your app uses sensitive capabilities like camera, location, or notifications, declare the corresponding usage descriptions. Missing privacy strings are a frequent review rejection.
In App Store Connect, create a new app record. You will enter the app name, primary language, bundle ID, and SKU.
The bundle ID here must match the one in your Expo configuration exactly. Register the identifier in your Apple developer account if you have not already.
Prepare listing metadata: description, keywords, category, support URL, and screenshots at Apple's required device sizes. Quality screenshots meaningfully affect conversion.
Complete the privacy questionnaire honestly, describing what data your app collects and how it is used. This is mandatory and is checked during review.
Use EAS Build to produce a signed iOS binary from your Expo project. EAS can generate and manage the signing credentials, which spares you a lot of manual certificate handling.
Run the iOS production build profile. EAS builds in the cloud, so you do not strictly need a local Mac to produce the .ipa.
Watch the build logs. Native build failures often trace back to configuration issues, incompatible dependencies, or missing native setup, which you fix in the project and rebuild.
The output is an .ipa artifact ready for upload. Keep the build number incrementing on each new upload to avoid conflicts in App Store Connect.
Before public release, submit your build to TestFlight, Apple's beta testing service inside App Store Connect. EAS Submit can automate the upload.
Internal testing lets your own team install the app immediately. External testing invites outside users but requires a lightweight Beta App Review.
Use this phase to catch real-device issues: performance, crashes, layout on different iPhone sizes, and any API problems under real network conditions.
TestFlight feedback is invaluable for a low-code app, because the visual editor cannot fully simulate real-world usage. Fix issues, rebuild, and re-upload as needed.
When you are confident, attach your build to the app version in App Store Connect and submit for review. Apple's human and automated review applies Apple's guidelines.
Common rejection reasons include missing privacy descriptions, broken features, incomplete metadata, or sign-in requirements without a valid test account. Provide reviewer notes and demo credentials if needed.
Review turnaround varies. Respond promptly to any reviewer messages, and be prepared to fix and resubmit if issues are found.
Once approved, you control the release: immediate, scheduled, or phased. Congratulations, but remember maintenance is ongoing, and each future update repeats the build, test, and submit cycle.
Much of a smooth submission comes down to preparing listing assets before you need them. Apple requires screenshots at specific device sizes, so capture clean, representative screens that show your app's core value.
Write a clear app description and choose an accurate category. Keywords should reflect what users actually search for, and your support URL must point to a real, reachable page.
Your app icon and any promotional text should be consistent with the in-app branding you set in the Expo configuration. Mismatched or placeholder assets are an easy, avoidable source of rejection or a weak listing.
Apple also expects an accurate privacy label describing the data your app collects. Complete this honestly based on what your APIs and any analytics actually gather.
Gathering these pieces in advance turns the submission itself into a short, mechanical step rather than a scramble, and it reduces the odds of a bounce back for incomplete metadata.
First submissions are frequently rejected for a small set of predictable reasons, and most are easy to pre-empt. Missing privacy usage descriptions for capabilities like camera or location are near the top of the list.
Another common cause is a sign-in wall without a working demo account. If your app requires login, provide reviewer notes with valid test credentials so Apple can actually exercise it.
Broken or half-finished features also draw rejections. Make sure every visible button, link, and flow leads somewhere real, since reviewers will tap through your app as a user would.
Incomplete metadata, placeholder content, or crashes on launch round out the usual suspects. Testing thoroughly on TestFlight first catches most of these before Apple ever sees them.
When a rejection does happen, read Apple's message carefully, fix the specific issue, and resubmit. It is a normal part of the process, not a verdict on your whole app.
Shipping is the start, not the end. iOS and Apple's requirements evolve, and you will periodically need to update SDK versions and rebuild.
Keep your Expo and dependency versions reasonably current. Falling far behind makes future builds harder and can eventually block submissions.
Monitor crash reports and user feedback, then iterate in Draftbit or in code depending on where your source of truth lives.
Stay mindful of the core reality throughout: your app is React Native on iOS, not native Swift, and every release passes through Apple's build-and-review gate that no builder removes.
Yes. App Store distribution requires an active, paid Apple Developer Program membership, which is separate from your Draftbit subscription. Every App Store app requires it regardless of how it was built.
Often, yes. EAS Build compiles your Expo app in the cloud and can manage signing, so you can produce a signed .ipa without a local Mac. A Mac is only strictly needed for the local iOS Simulator.
Missing privacy usage descriptions, incomplete metadata, broken or incomplete features, and login screens without a working test account are frequent causes. Provide clear reviewer notes and demo credentials to reduce round-trips.
It is not strictly required, but it is strongly recommended. TestFlight lets you catch real-device crashes, layout, and API issues before the public sees them, which the visual editor cannot fully simulate.
No. The app remains React Native running on iOS. EAS and Expo package it into a signed iOS binary, but it is not native Swift. The submission process itself is identical to any React Native app.