How It Works: Bubble for Native Mobile Apps

At BubbleCon 2024, Product Marketing Manager Becky Mak and Product Manager Nick Carroll hosted a session all about Bubble’s ability to build native mobile apps for iOS and Android. The session included a detailed demo and a quick look at what early testers are already achieving.

Catch the replay below, or keep scrolling for the quick takeaways.

Key insights:

• Bubble now offers the ability to build, test, and publish native mobile apps.
• Early alpha testers are already building and publishing powerful mobile apps in record time.
• The beta version will make it easy to build React Native mobile apps, which are compatible with iOS and Android.
• On a rolling basis, we’re now inviting users off the waitlist.

One platform. Infinite possibilities.

About 85% of the world’s population uses mobile phones, but only 0.1% of the world's population are mobile developers. “Mobile is an obvious evolution of the Bubble platform that brings us a big step closer to achieving our mission of allowing anyone, regardless of background, to create software,” said Nick.

Bubble now allows anyone to build, test, and publish native mobile apps that share data and logic with your web apps. That means you can now use the same Bubble editor to build iOS and Android-ready apps faster than ever. 

See it in action:

What early testers are building

In May, we released the alpha version of the new native mobile builder to a small group of testers, including our Gold agency partners and Bubble Ambassadors. So far, the results have been exciting:

• ChurchSpace uses an Airbnb model to connect empty churches with anyone looking for space. Now, they’re partnering with Rapid Dev to build native mobile app. Since using Bubble, they’ve been able to work three times faster and save five times in costs compared to using traditional code.
• VisionUs is partnering with WeGetDesign to build pebblz, a mobile app that’s making volunteering more accessible through micro-challenges and instant recognition. In a space that’s been historically resource-strapped, VisionUs has been able to work seven times faster with Bubble. 
• Minimum Studio is developing a native mobile app to improve team effectiveness for KeepWOL. The app, Conferencing Out Loud, lets employees participate in live Q&A sessions, a gap often overlooked by large organizations.
• Goodspeed Studio is building an app for Move that’s on track to become the Strava for heat and ice therapy, with guided immersions, a progress calendar, and gamification elements. So far, they’ve been able to onboard 500 users, generate new revenue streams, and achieve a successful seed funding round.
• Idea Link just published their native mobile app in the Apple App Store! You can download Sentio, an AI-driven app that helps you track and understand your emotions, offering personalized support and insights to improve your mental health. 

Introducing Bubble for native mobile (beta)

After such great early results,  Bubble is officially onboarding users to the beta version on a rolling basis. Here’s what you can expect:

• Start with mobile-specific building blocks: The editor now includes tools designed specifically for mobile app development. Instead of web pages, you’ll be working with “mobile views.” These are the basic screens of your mobile app, where all your content and text will live.
• Leverage out-of-the-box navigation: Bubble makes it easy to implement ways to navigate between views, including common patterns like tab navigation (like the menu bars at the bottom of many apps), stack navigation (moving between screens by swiping or tapping), modal screens (pop-up screens that appear over the main view), and bottom sheets (the element that slides up from the bottom of the screen).
• Add mobile-friendly interactions: The editor lets you set up actions triggered by common mobile gestures. Your app can respond when users swipe the screen, long press (tap and hold), or simply tap.
• Access to device features: You’ll be able to incorporate features that use your phone’s built-in capabilities, such as the camera, photo library, push notifications, date/time picker, and more.
• Preview in real-time, launch in record-time: Preview your app on desktop or test on your actual mobile device using BubbleGo (an app for testing available for beta testers). Then, publish your iOS and Android app to the Apple App Store and Google Play Store right from the editor.

The future of programming is at your fingertips

We’re excited to see what you all build.

Happy building!