Troubleshooting Guide

Here’s a detailed list of the most common issues you may encounter when turning your Lovable.dev app into a mobile app with BuildNatively, along with their solutions.

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1. Login & Authentication Issues

1.1 My login opens in Safari/Chrome instead of inside the app

• Why it happens: Social login (Google, Apple, or Facebook) requires special setup to return users to the app instead of a browser.

• How to fix:

  1. In BuildNatively, enable Universal Links (Deeplinks) under the Features section.

  2. Make sure your Lovable.dev app redirects users back to your domain after login.

  3. Rebuild your app after enabling Universal Links.

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1.2 My Google/Apple login doesn’t work at all

• Why it happens: Social Auth requires both your Lovable.dev settings and BuildNatively’s Deeplinks to be configured correctly.

• How to fix:

  • Confirm that Social Auth is turned on in BuildNatively.

  • Enable Associated Domains for iOS in your Apple Developer account.

  • Verify your redirect URL matches your Lovable.dev app’s domain.

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1.3 Email/password login works in Lovable.dev but fails in the app

• Why it happens: Sometimes authentication cookies don’t carry over correctly in the mobile app.

• How to fix:

  • Check that your Lovable.dev app is running under HTTPS (not HTTP).

  • Test login in a mobile browser first. If it works there, it should work in the app.

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2. Payments & Checkout Issues

2.1 Stripe or checkout pages don’t load inside the app

• Why it happens: Payment providers like Stripe or PayPal open in secure external pages. If the app tries to load them internally, they may break.

• How to fix:

  • Mark your checkout links as external links in the BuildNatively dashboard.

  • This ensures they open in the user’s default browser, where payments complete correctly.

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2.2 Apple/Google reject my app because of Stripe payments

• Why it happens: For digital goods/services, Apple and Google require In-App Purchases (IAP). Stripe can only be used for physical products, real-world services, or P2P payments.

• How to fix:

  • If you sell digital goods/subscriptions, enable In-App Purchases in BuildNatively (powered by RevenueCat).

  • If you sell physical goods/services, you may keep using Stripe.

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3. Push Notifications & Deeplinks

3.1 Notifications show, but nothing happens when I tap them

• Why it happens: Notifications need a deeplink to know which screen to open.

• How to fix:

  • In BuildNatively, configure notifications with a specific page URL (e.g., /messages/123).

  • Ensure your Lovable.dev app has that page accessible.

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3.2 Notifications send me to the wrong page

• Why it happens: The deeplink used may not match your Lovable.dev app’s routing.

• How to fix:

  • Double-check that the link in your notification exactly matches the structure in your Lovable.dev app.

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3.3 Notifications don’t arrive at all

• Why it happens: Push notifications require setup with OneSignal or Firebase.

• How to fix:

  • Check that you’ve uploaded the correct config files in BuildNatively.

  • Rebuild your app after enabling notifications.

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4. Layout & Display Issues

4.1 Some pages look broken or cut off on mobile

• Why it happens: Your Lovable.dev design may not be fully optimized for small screens.

• How to fix:

  • Open your Lovable.dev app on your phone and test every key page.

  • Adjust layouts in Lovable.dev (resize elements, stack content vertically).

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4.2 My app looks different in the BuildNatively Preview App

• Why it happens: The Preview App does not support all native features.

• How to fix:

  • Use it mainly to check design, navigation, and content flow.

  • Do a full build to test native features like notifications, in-app purchases, or deeplinks.

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4.3 Scroll or zoom issues on forms

• Why it happens: iOS automatically zooms in on text fields with small font sizes.

• How to fix:

  • In your Lovable.dev design, increase input font sizes to at least 16px.

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5. Links & Navigation

5.1 External links (YouTube, Calendly, Help Docs) don’t work

• Why it happens: BuildNatively assumes all links are internal unless marked otherwise.

• How to fix:

  • Add these links as external in the BuildNatively dashboard so they open in the browser.

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5.2 Clicking a link sometimes reloads the entire app

• Why it happens: If the link structure isn’t set correctly, the app may think you’re leaving the app.

• How to fix:

  • Ensure your internal links all use the same root domain as your Lovable.dev app.

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6. Publishing Issues

6.1 Apple rejected my app for missing permission descriptions

• Why it happens: Apple requires you to explain why your app asks for permissions (camera, location, microphone, etc.).

• How to fix:

  • In BuildNatively, fill out the Permission Description fields under each enabled feature. Example: “We use your location to show nearby events.”

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6.2 My app was rejected for using the wrong payment system

• Why it happens: Apple and Google require In-App Purchases for digital goods.

• How to fix:

  • If you sell digital items, enable RevenueCat integration.

  • If you sell physical goods, Stripe is fine.

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6.3 Google flagged my app for unsupported memory pages (NDK)

• Why it happens: Google is updating requirements for Android builds.

• How to fix:

  • No action needed now — BuildNatively will handle this automatically in future updates.

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7. Other Common Issues

7.1 My app loads very slowly

• Why it happens: Your Lovable.dev app may have heavy images or scripts.

• How to fix:

  • Optimize images and videos inside Lovable.dev.

  • Use fewer large plugins or animations.

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7.2 My changes in Lovable.dev don’t appear in the app

• Why it happens: You may be looking at a cached version of your app.

• How to fix:

  • Close and reopen your app.

  • If you changed something in BuildNatively (like features, style, or permissions), you’ll need to rebuild.

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7.3 The app works in the browser but breaks inside BuildNatively

• Why it happens: Some features behave differently inside mobile apps (compared to browsers).

• How to fix:

  • Check if the feature is listed as unsupported in Preview.

  • Contact BuildNatively support if it persists after a full build.

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Quick Checklist Before Submitting to App Stores

• ✅ HTTPS link is used.

• ✅ Internal/external links are set correctly.

• ✅ Login/signup flows tested (with Universal Links if needed).

• ✅ Layout looks good on small screens.

• ✅ Payment flow matches Apple/Google rules.

• ✅ Permission descriptions are filled out.

• ✅ Push notifications and deeplinks tested.