How to Convert Your Shopify Store to a Mobile App

There has been a massive shift in how consumers use the internet these days. More than 60% of Google searches end without a click, and with the advent of AI and LLMs like ChatGPT and Perplexity, we're moving more towards zero-click searches. This means that traffic you don't own will continue disappearing.

Owned assets, such as mobile apps, can provide eCommerce stores with direct access to customers and eliminate the need to rely on search algorithms. In fact, eCommerce mobile apps also convert 8-12% more than any other channel while also getting 90% open rates with push notifications.

If you run a Shopify store, there’s no better time to convert your shop to a mobile app. The sooner you launch, the sooner you’ll build a customer base that you can engage with directly, without the constant competition from other brands on search engines, marketplaces, or social feeds.

A well-built mobile app for your Shopify store can:

Increase repeat purchases by offering customers an improved buying experience.
Boost average order value (AOV) through personalized upsells and cross-sells.
Strengthen your brand loyalty by staying top-of-mind on your customer’s home screen.

In this guide, we'll walk you through exactly how to turn your Shopify store into a mobile app and launch it in the Android and iOS app stores. Let’s get started…

1. Install a Shopify Mobile App Builder (like Evlop)

Five years ago, building a native eCommerce mobile app meant hiring a development team and waiting at least 3 months. Today, you can launch a professional mobile app with no coding experience for under $500/month and have it launch-ready in just a few days with all the features you need to start driving growth.

While you can always hire developers or build a mobile app from scratch, Shopify mobile app builders like Evlop offer the best balance of features, cost, and speed.

When you use a Shopify mobile app builder like Evlop, you get features like:

Native mobile app - Builds actual iOS and Android apps, not just web wrappers
Shopify integration - Syncs products, inventory, orders, and customer data automatically
Customization options - Matches your brand colors, fonts, and design
Push notifications - Essential for re-engaging customers
App store submission - Handles the technical process of getting approved
Analytics and tracking - Monitors app performance and user behavior

With Evlop, all of these capabilities are built right in, so you can focus on running your store instead of managing app development. The entire process can also be completed in a few hours or days, rather than weeks.

2. Customize Your Mobile App Design

Your mobile app should feel like a natural extension of your Shopify store, not a separate experience. Once you install Evlop, the first step is customizing your app's design to match your brand.

With Evlop, you have two options: start from scratch or choose from one of the pre-built mobile app templates. Since Evlop is also exclusively built for Shopify, the templates automatically include eCommerce features like product catalogs, shopping carts, and checkout flows that integrate seamlessly with your existing Shopify store data.

You can find pre-built templates designed for various industries, including electronics, fashion, handmade goods, and organic products.

These templates help you set up a range of pre-built layouts that you might want to implement, making the entire app development process faster while still allowing for full customization.

Evlop's customizer shows all the pages and components you can design for your mobile app.

The interface displays a complete list of customizable elements, including:

Core App Pages:

Home - Your app's main landing page and first impression
Products - Product listing and category pages
Product Details - Individual product pages with images, descriptions, and purchase options
Collections - Category and collection browse pages
Cart - Shopping cart and checkout process
User Account - Customer login, profile, and order history
Wishlist - Saved items for future purchase

Content Pages:

Blogs - Content marketing and SEO pages
Article Details - Individual blog post layouts

Navigation Elements:

Side Menu - Hamburger menu design and organization
Header - Top navigation, logo placement, and search functionality
Footer - Bottom navigation icons and layout

You can also add custom sections, such as promotional banners, featured products, or special offers, to any page using the "Add Section" feature.

The real-time preview on the right shows exactly how your changes will look on an actual device.

Even better, you can click "View on device" to scan a QR code and test your app directly on your phone as you build it. This lets you experience the actual user flow and make adjustments before launching.

Each page can be customized independently, giving you complete control over your customer's mobile shopping experience.

3. Integrate Essential Apps and Set Up Custom Features

Once your app’s design is ready, integrate it with other Shopify apps and add custom features that can enhance functionality and improve the user experience.

Depending on your store’s needs, you can integrate apps for:

Marketing automation - loyalty programs, email marketing, or referral rewards
Customer support - live chat or helpdesk tools
Social proof - build trust by showcasing product reviews, ratings, and feedback
Analytics and tracking - deeper insights beyond the built-in dashboard

Beyond integrations, Evlop offers a variety of built-in features that help you create a seamless and personalized shopping experience for your customers.

Customer Accounts: Allow users to sign up and log in for a personalized experience
Embedding Website Pages: Display your existing website pages inside the app without redesigning
Abandoned Cart Notifications: Remind users to complete their purchases if they leave the app mid-checkout
Product Sorting & Filtering: Help users easily find products
Multi-language & Localization: Reach global customers by offering content in multiple languages
Multi-currency Support: Let users shop in their preferred currency
Product Stickers & Tags: Highlight sales, discounts, or offers
Deep Links & Smart App Banner: Drive mobile users to open your app for faster shopping
Maintenance Mode: Temporarily take the app offline for updates
Automated Push Notifications: Send personalized messages based on user behavior to boost engagement
Back in Stock Notifications: Alert customers when their favorite products are available again
Zip Code Checker: Verify delivery availability for specific locations
Custom Fields in Cart and User Registration: Collect additional information to tailor the shopping experience
Product Catalog Pricing: Offer special pricing for B2B customers
Product Reviews: Build trust by letting users share feedback
Multi-store Deployment: Manage multiple stores within a single app
App Intro Screens: Welcome new users with onboarding screens that showcase your brand

If you don’t see a feature you need or need something custom-built, just reach out to Evlop’s team and they’ll help you add the new functionality based on your requests or store’s needs.

4. Configure App Settings for iOS and Android

To complete building your Shopify mobile app, you need to set up key platform-specific settings that control how your app appears on users’ devices and how it behaves in app stores.

In the app builder dashboard, go to App Settings and fill out the following:

iOS Bundle Identifier: A unique identifier for your app on Apple’s App Store, usually formatted like a reversed domain (e.g., com.yourstore.app). This is required to publish your app on iOS.
Android Package Name: Similar to the iOS Bundle ID, this unique identifier is used on Google Play Store to distinguish your app (e.g., com.yourstore.app).
App Name: The display name that users will see right below your app icon on their devices. Enter your brand name or something clear and recognizable that reflects your Shopify store.
App Icon: Upload your app icon image (recommended size: 512x512 px) - this is the image customers will see on their home screens.

Below these, you can configure additional settings such as:

App Loader/Splash Screen: Customize the loading screen that appears immediately after users open the app
Brand images: Configure images displayed inside the app
Brand colors: Configure header, body, and footer background colors to match your brand
Theme colors: Configure app theme colors to suit your brand. Different shades of theme colors are used throughout the app to create a consistent and cohesive look.

Make sure these settings are accurate and aligned with your brand before proceeding with publication.

5. Connect Your Developer and Firebase Accounts for App Publishing

Before you can publish your mobile app on the Apple App Store or Google Play, you need to connect specific accounts and provide key credentials:

Apple Developer Account: To publish iOS apps, an Apple Developer account is required.
Android Developer Account: To publish Android apps, a Google Android Developer account is required.
Firebase Account & Credentials: For push notifications to work in your app, you must connect your Firebase account and provide these three configuration files:
- google-services.json: Enables push notifications for your Android app.
- GoogleService-Info.plist: Enables push notifications for your iOS app.
- Firebase admin service account key (*-firebase-adminsdk-*.json): Required for Evlop servers to send push notifications to your app users.

All account connections, credential uploads, and configuration-related information can be added directly from your Evlop dashboard.

Once everything is connected, you can request to build your app files for both platforms:

iOS: The build process takes about 24 hours
Android: APK and AAB files can be generated instantly

After building, Evlop also helps you with the submission process for both the Apple App Store and Google Play, tracks the review progress, and keeps you updated.

With this process, you can go from setup to a fully published mobile app within just a few hours or a day or two, depending on the size of your store and whether it requires integration with multiple apps.

Conclusion

Converting your Shopify store into a mobile app doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. With Evlop, you can set up a fully functional mobile app for both iOS and Android devices, automatically sync your store data, and reach your customers directly through push notifications, and provide an exceptional mobile shopping experience.

This gives you more control over sales and customer engagement than relying solely on search or social channels. If you want to stop losing traffic and start building your own audience, turning your Shopify store into a mobile app is a practical next step.

Ready to take your Shopify store’s growth to the next level? Start your free trial with Evlop and convert your Shopify store to a mobile app today!