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MOBILE.md — shipping Hiyvaru to the App Store & Play Store

Hiyvaru runs from one codebase on three surfaces:

Surface How it runs Status
Web app Next.js (SSR + Socket.IO) live
Installable PWA service worker + manifest live
iOS / Android apps Capacitor shell around the hosted app code ready, needs store accounts

Architecture: why the shell loads the hosted app

Hiyvaru uses a custom server (server-side rendering plus live Socket.IO chat), so the native apps do not bundle a static export. capacitor.config.ts points server.url at the hosted site over HTTPS.

This is deliberate and safety-driven: there is exactly one copy of the crisis-escalation flow, the age gate, and the message gate. A stale bundled copy sitting on someone's phone for months could show an outdated crisis card or miss a lexicon update — unacceptable for this product. The trade-off is that the app needs a connection, which is correct for a live listening service.

One-time setup (per machine)

npm install
npx cap add ios      # macOS + Xcode required
npx cap add android  # Android Studio required

ios/ and android/ are generated native projects. They are gitignored by default in this repo — regenerate them with the commands above, or commit them if you prefer to version native tweaks.

Building

CAP_SERVER_URL=https://hiyvaru.mv npx cap sync
npx cap open ios       # then Product > Archive in Xcode
npx cap open android   # then Build > Generate Signed Bundle in Android Studio

CAP_SERVER_URL must be HTTPS for release builds — cleartext is disabled in the config so chats can never travel unencrypted.

What the native shell adds

  • Real push on iOS (the main reason to ship store apps at all — iOS web push is unreliable). Bodies stay generic; a lock screen never shows chat content or who someone talked to.
  • Android back button handling so it can't accidentally drop someone out of a live chat.
  • Status bar tinted to the brand.
  • Native camera for listener ID capture (the <input capture> already in the apply form uses it automatically inside the shell).

All of this is in components/NativeBridge.tsx and no-ops on the web.

Before you can submit — accounts (Mohamed)

  • Apple Developer Program — $99/year. Needed for TestFlight and the App Store. Register to NeoTranscend or personally (decide before enrolling; it is painful to move later).
  • Google Play Console — $25 one-time.
  • A macOS machine with Xcode is required to build and submit the iOS app. There is no way around this; a cloud Mac service works if you don't have one.

Push credentials (needed for native push to actually fire)

Native tokens are already captured and stored, but delivery needs:

  • Android: a Firebase project → google-services.json into android/app/.
  • iOS: an APNs key (.p8) from the Apple Developer portal, uploaded to Firebase, plus GoogleService-Info.plist into ios/App/App/.
  • Then wire an FCM send in lib/push.ts where native subscriptions are currently skipped (marked with a comment).

Store listing content

Both stores will ask for these. Draft copy:

Name: Hiyvaru Subtitle: Someone to talk to Description:

Hiyvaru connects you with a trained volunteer listener for a private, anonymous conversation — in Dhivehi or English, whenever you need it.

You stay anonymous. We give you a random name, your number is never shown to anyone, and you can permanently delete any conversation.

Our listeners are trained volunteers who listen. They are not counsellors or therapists and do not give advice. In an emergency call 119 (Police) or 1677 (National Mental Health Helpline).

Category: Health & Fitness (both stores) Age rating: 17+ / Mature — the app is 16+ by policy and covers mental health topics. Declare "Infrequent/Mild Mature or Suggestive Themes". Privacy policy URL: https://hiyvaru.mv/en/privacy (required by both stores) Support URL / email: required — set one up before submitting.

Review notes to include (avoids rejection)

Hiyvaru is a peer-listening service, not a medical or counselling service. Listeners are trained volunteers, explicitly not therapists, and the app states this throughout. Accounts require age 16+. A crisis protocol surfaces the Maldives' emergency numbers (Police 119, Mental Health Helpline 1677) and alerts a duty moderator.

Test account: use the phone number provided in App Store Connect notes; the one-time code will be sent by SMS. (Set up a reviewer test account before submitting — reviewers cannot pass an SMS gate otherwise.)

IMPORTANT: create a reviewer test account with a phone number you control, or both stores will reject the app for being untestable behind OTP.

Assets still needed

  • App icon 1024×1024 (currently a placeholder teal square in public/).
  • iOS screenshots: 6.7" and 5.5" required. Android: phone + 7" tablet.
  • Feature graphic 1024×500 (Play Store).

A designer pass on the icon and screenshots is worth it before launch — see NEEDS_MOHAMED.md.