Use Replit’s Launch feature to build, sign, and upload your app to App Store Connect.
Uploading puts your app inside App Store Connect. Nothing before this point is visible to
Apple, and nothing after it, TestFlight or submitting for review, works until it’s done.You’ll need an Apple Developer account first.
A build is a real, installable copy of your app, the same kind of file you’d get from the
App Store, except it isn’t published yet. Expo Go runs your code inside a shared preview app,
a build is your app on its own, which is why features like push notifications and in-app
purchases only work here.Replit’s Launch feature creates that build, signs it, and uploads it from the
Publishing tab.
1
Publish the web app first
PixelGames’ backend needs to be live before the App Store launch, select Publish at
the top of your workspace to publish it.
Publishing PixelGames' web app and API server first.
2
Start publishing to the App Store
Once the web app is published, a Start publishing to the App Store button appears
under Publishing. Select it to open the Launch wizard.
Starting the App Store launch from Replit's Publishing tab.
3
Choose your Expo project
Confirm the project name and slug, or select Use existing if PixelGames already has
one.
Choosing the Expo project to launch.
4
Sign in with Apple
Use the same Apple account enrolled in the Apple Developer Program. Replit uses these
credentials only to authenticate with Apple and does not store your password.
Signing in with Apple to connect the Expo project.
5
Choose your Apple app
Set the app name and bundle identifier, or select Use existing if you already created
one in App Store Connect. The bundle identifier can’t change later.
Setting the app name and bundle identifier.
6
Configure Apple certificates
Launch selects a valid distribution certificate and provisioning profile automatically,
or creates new ones if none exist yet.
Launch configuring Apple's distribution certificate and provisioning profile.
7
Launch to the App Store
Once every step above is checked off, select Launch to App Store. Your build compiles
on Expo’s servers, then lands in App Store Connect.
All steps complete, ready to launch to the App Store.
8
Wait for publishing to finish
Publishing can take up to 45 minutes. You can keep building with Agent while it runs, and
installing the Replit app gets you a notification when it completes.
Publishing to the App Store in progress, tracked from the Publishing tab.
9
Open it in TestFlight
When publishing completes you get an email titled “[Your name] has invited you to test
PixelGames”. Select View in TestFlight to open the app and install it on your phone.
Once it finishes, your build appears in App Store Connect under your app.From there it can go two ways: hand it to
testers on TestFlight first, or go straight to the listing and
submit it for review. Nothing is public yet either way, the
build just sits in App Store Connect until you submit it.
Changed something in PixelGames? Run the same flow again to get the new version up.It goes much faster the second time. Your Expo project, Apple account, app, and certificates
are all still filled in, so most steps are just confirming what’s already there.
No distribution certificates found: normal on a first launch, select Create new
certificate and Launch generates one.
Sign in with Apple fails: confirm the account is enrolled in the Apple Developer
Program, not just a regular Apple ID.
Publishing seems stuck: it can take up to 45 minutes, and builds are queued at peak
times. Check your Expo dashboard under Builds before assuming something’s broken.
