Turning My Forum Into a Native App NOT PWA

[neek]

Hey everyone,

So, even though I know the PWA route is the simplest and most cost-effective way to get a "mobile app" experience, a lot of my users are still pushing for a full-fledged iPhone/Android app. I get it honestly, there’s a certain cachet to having your community icon sitting right there on the home screen and discoverable in Google Play / Apple Stores.

Has anyone here actually gone through the process of turning their XenForo forum into a native app and getting it onto the Apple Store or Google Play? I’m curious about what the overhead is like, development time, costs, ongoing maintenance, dealing with app store approvals, etc.

Also, if you’ve done it, did you go for a custom build or use any third-party services? Was it worth it, or did it end up being more trouble than it was worth?

Appreciate any insights or experiences you can share. Thanks in advance!

 

[duderuud]

You could contact Themehouse: https://community.audent.io/methods/app/

Just know that an app can get expensive really fast...

 

[Digital Doctor]

They used themehouse

New

Tesla Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Roadster, Cybertruck, Semi, and EV owners and enthusiasts forum, news blog, community, podcast, and marketplace.

teslamotorsclub.com

But then ditched it ?

 

[Zwielicht]

An app was often requested on the forum I worked on prior to March.

The reason it was often turned down was due to costs; it would've apparently been too expensive for that multi-million dollar company. They might've been being cheap, though.