iOS PWA: Build and App Store Publication Guide

This guide walks through building an iOS-capable PWA, packaging it for the App Store with PWA Builder, and handling common OAuth needs.

1. Prepare a web manifest

   • Generate via Progressier’s PWA Manifest Generator: https://progressier.com/pwa-manifest-generator
   • Or follow MDN docs: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/Progressive_web_apps/Manifest
   • Place the resulting manifest.json in your site’s static folder and link it in your HTML head:
     • <link rel="manifest" href="/manifest.json" />

2. Create an Apple App ID

   • Go to Apple Developer portal → Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles
   • Create a new Identifier (App ID)

3. Prepare your site for PWA Builder

   • When the application is ready, open PWA Builder (web or desktop)
   • Paste your website URL in the field to analyze PWA readiness

4. Build the iOS package

   • After the checks complete, choose “Package for store”
   • Select the iOS platform

5. Configure app properties

   • Set all app metadata (name, icons, display mode, etc.) as prompted

6. Bundle ID

   • Use the Bundle ID value from the App ID you created in step 2

7. Configure OAuth domains (important for sign-in)

   • Most apps use OAuth 2.0; define permitted URLs in PWA Builder
   • For Apple Sign in: add appleid.apple.com
   • Google auth is not fully supported for iOS (per PWA Builder), but you can try adding:
     • accounts.google.com
     • oauth2.googleapis.com
     • accounts.youtube.com

8. Install CocoaPods dependencies

   • Download and extract the iOS archive
   • Open src in Terminal and run: pod install

9. Open the project in Xcode

   • Go to src and open the .xcworkspace
   • Log in to Xcode with your Apple ID
   • Signing & Capabilities: enable “Automatically manage signing” and select your team (e.g., “better integration”)
   • General tab: set your custom values (version, build, display name, etc.)
   • Replace app assets with your own. You can generate icons at https://icon.kitchen

10. Enable Google auth navigation (if needed)

    • Continuing step 7: open the WebView file
    • Set config.limitsNavigationsToAppBoundDomains = false

11. Archive and distribute

    • Product → Archive, then Distribute your archive

12. Submit via App Store Connect

    • Create a new app, fill in all required fields
    • In the Build section, select the archived build you uploaded
    • Submit for review

Notes

• Apple login should work with the allowed domain. Google sign-in may still have limitations on iOS PWAs; the above domain list and WebView setting improve the chances.
• Validate your PWA’s manifest, icons, and service worker before packaging to reduce store rejection risk.
• Android PWA: Build and Publication Guide