Turning My Forum Into a Native App NOT PWA

neek

neek

New member
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!
 
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They used themehouse

teslamotorsclub.com

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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 teslamotorsclub.com

But then ditched it ?
 
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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.
 
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For years, forums were the go-to place for connecting, sharing information, and building community. But as the game and technology evolved, we realized forums could only do so much.

That’s why we built The APP—to handle everything outside the forum.

Whether it’s listing events, sharing opportunities, or staying connected, The APP fills the gaps that forums can no longer meet—especially now that most people have shifted to other social platforms.

We still value our forum—it’s part of our foundation—but times have changed. Now, everything you need fits right in your pocket.

✅ Post events
✅ Connect directly with others
✅ Simple and easy to use

The APP isn’t here to replace the forum. It’s here to do what the forum can’t do anymore—keep users engaged in the way they used to be.

Our journey began back in 1994 with a simple guestbook we converted into a forum. Over the years, we’ve evolved—moving from YaBB, to vBulletin, and eventually to XenForo shortly after its release.

We invested over six months and $4,500 into building The APP—not because we wanted to, but because we had to. Without it, our forum was on the verge of becoming irrelevant in today’s fast-paced digital world.

We worked with overseas developers, and while we’re grateful for what they helped us achieve, the language barrier extended the timeline. If we had partnered with a local development team, we likely could have completed the project in under 30 days.

That’s why we’re now actively searching for a new developer—someone we can work closely with to integrate the forum into The APP using APIs and give it a fresh, social-media-like interface. Our goal is to make it feel more like a modern social platform, with the look and experience today’s users expect.
 
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Digital Doctor said:
I was going to say download it youself from the app store, but it's gone.
Looks like TMC abandoned it entirely.
Click to expand...
Yes i did try to download it, but it not longer available. I'm thinking about
Working with this company we have a google conference call this week. I do like the look it has a more social feel and look.
 

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