Introduction

WebToApp is an Android application that turns web projects into installable APKs on the device. This page describes what it actually is, in terms of the code, so you know what to expect before you start.

What the app is, concretely

At its core, WebToApp manages a list of app definitions. Each definition is a WebApp record stored in a local Room database (the web_apps table). A WebApp holds:

• Identity — name, url, iconPath, packageName, and an appType.
• A type-specific config — one of mediaConfig, galleryConfig, htmlConfig, wordpressConfig, nodejsConfig, phpAppConfig, pythonAppConfig, goAppConfig, or multiWebConfig, depending on the type.
• Feature flags + configs — activation, ads, announcement, ad blocking, WebView settings, splash, background music, translation, extensions, auto-start, disguise, and an apkExportConfig for packaging.

When you "build" an app, the builder takes the shell template APK, patches its identity and resources, embeds your WebApp configuration as an assets JSON, and signs the result. The output is a standalone APK you can install or share.

The 12 app types

The AppType enum defines what an app can be:

WEB · IMAGE · VIDEO · HTML · GALLERY · FRONTEND · WORDPRESS · NODEJS_APP · PHP_APP · PYTHON_APP · GO_APP · MULTI_WEB

The web-oriented types load a URL or local files in a WebView; the runtime types (NODEJS_APP, PHP_APP, PYTHON_APP, GO_APP, WORDPRESS) fork a native server binary on-device and point the WebView at a local port; the media types (IMAGE, VIDEO, GALLERY) play content directly. See Create App for each.

One codebase, two ways to run

The same WebToAppApplication runs in two modes, selected by a build flag:

• Builder (host) — SHELL_RUNTIME_ONLY = false. This is the app you install from the store: the editor, the app list, and the export pipeline, with everything on the main classpath.
• Generated app (shell runtime) — SHELL_RUNTIME_ONLY = true. The exported APK runs the synced shell runtime and reads your embedded config from app_config.json via ShellModeManager. Node.js even runs in a separate :nodejs OS process.

This is why "works in preview but not after export" is a real failure mode: preview runs the host path, export runs the shell path, and a config field has to survive the trip between them. See Config Field Drift.

Where things live in the UI

• My Apps — the home screen: your app list, categories, and the create button.
• Create App — the 12 app types and their creation flows.
• App Actions — what you can do per app (edit, build, share, export, …).
• More Features — the global tools behind the top-right ⋮ menu.
• App Configuration — the shared per-app options (network, privacy, appearance, runtimes).

How to read these docs

• Start — build your first APK and tour the main screen.
• Developer Docs — the codebase layout, the export pipeline, shell sync, and change recipes.
• Extension Authoring — write JS/CSS modules, userscripts, and MV3 Chrome extensions.

TIP

The builder UI is available in 10 languages — switch from the language button in the top bar. The language of the apps you generate is configured per app.