How to convert a Base44 app to an iOS app (2026)
Why a Base44 app is not a native iOS app
Base44 produces web code that runs in a browser, with a hosted backend wired up for you. A native iOS app is a compiled Swift project that uses Apple frameworks like SwiftUI, runs directly on the device, and is distributed through the App Store.
The difference is more than appearance. Native apps get real system integration, gestures, performance, and access to features like Widgets, Live Activities, and Siri. A web app rendered inside a wrapper does not get those by default, and Apple's review process treats the two differently.
Your options
There are two real paths, and each has honest trade-offs.
Wrap it with Capacitor (or similar). You package your existing web app inside a native shell that loads it in a webview. This is the fastest route and reuses your existing code.
- Upside: quick, reuses your Base44 output, one codebase
- Downside: Apple guideline 4.2 can reject apps that are mainly a repackaged website, the app often feels non-native, and offline and deep system features are limited
- Best when: you need a presence on a device fast and accept the review risk
Rebuild it as a native app. You recreate the app in Swift, reusing your backend and data model but building the UI natively.
- Upside: a real native app, far lower 4.2 risk, full access to iOS features, better performance and feel
- Downside: it is a rebuild of the front end, not a copy and paste
- Best when: you want a durable iOS product that passes review on its own merits
The native path with AppFlight
AppFlight is built for the rebuild path, and it removes most of the manual work. You describe the app in plain English, the same way you described it to Base44, and AppFlight generates a real native iOS app in Swift and SwiftUI. As it builds, it runs your app in a live iOS simulator so you can see it. An automated test gate checks the build, then AppFlight handles code signing, TestFlight, and full App Store submission from inside the app.
If Apple rejects a build, AppFlight reads the rejection reason, fixes the issue, and resubmits. You bring your own AI, Claude Code or Codex, which runs locally on your Mac. Apple still reviews every app, so submitted is not the same as approved, but a native Swift app starts from a much stronger position than a wrapper.
What you keep and what you rebuild
Here is what actually transfers when you move a Base44 app to native iOS, and what gets rebuilt.
| Part of your app | Transfers to iOS? | What happens in AppFlight |
|---|---|---|
| Product idea and feature set | Yes, as a specification | You describe it in plain English, the same way you described it to Base44 |
| Backend, database, and APIs | Yes | Reconnect through integrations like Supabase |
| Auth and data model | Yes | Wired back in through connectors |
| Business logic | Yes, as a description | Regenerated in Swift |
| Front-end UI | Rebuilt | Generated as native SwiftUI, not web components |
| Navigation | Rebuilt | Redone to match iOS conventions |
| Browser-only behavior | Dropped | Replaced with native equivalents where they exist |
You keep more than you might expect.
- Keep: your product idea, feature set, and screens as a specification. Your backend, database, and APIs. Your auth and data model, which can connect through AppFlight integrations like Supabase. Your business logic as a description.
- Rebuild: the front-end UI as native SwiftUI instead of web components. Navigation patterns that match iOS conventions. Anything that depended on browser-only behavior.
In practice you are not starting over. You are moving the same product to a native front end while your data layer stays in place, and AppFlight does the Swift generation, simulator run, and submission for you.
FAQ
Can I export my Base44 app directly to Swift?
No. Base44 outputs full-stack web code, so there is no one-click export to a native Swift project. You either wrap the web app or rebuild it natively. AppFlight rebuilds it as native Swift from your description.
Will Apple reject a wrapped Base44 app?
It can. Apple guideline 4.2 expects apps to offer more than a repackaged website, and thin webview wrappers are a common rejection reason. A real native app avoids that category of risk. Apple still reviews every app regardless of how it was built.
Do I lose my backend if I rebuild native?
No. Your backend, database, and APIs can stay. AppFlight connects native Swift to backends through one-click integrations like Supabase, so you keep your data layer and rebuild the front end as native iOS.