Blog

Are you ready to turn your mobile device into an offline map powerhouse?

Imagine exploring new places with no need for data connections. With Appery.io’s Offline Map app template, you can create a fully functional map app — no coding experience required. Here’s how you can get started today.

To make sure creating this app takes minimum of your time and efforts, you can watch our YouTube video:

Also, you are free to follow our detailed tutorial on using our customizable Offline Map app template. 

In short, the process can be described in the following simple steps:

Step 1: Build Your Offline Map App with Appery.io

Creating your app with Appery.io is a breeze. Simply:

1. Go to the Apps tab in Appery.io.
2. Click Create new app and choose the Offline Map template.
3. Give your app a name, click Create, and your project will be ready in seconds.

This template includes predefined data and settings to make the setup seamless. You’ll see everything organized in the Project view section, with all essential elements already in place.

Step 2: Get a Mapbox Access Token

To activate your maps, you’ll need a Mapbox access token:

1. Visit the Mapbox’s website and generate your unique access token.
2. In Appery.io, navigate to Services > Settings and enter your token.

This token enables the map features and gives you access to interactive, high-quality mapping.

Step 3: Test Your App on a Device

Testing in a browser won’t work due to the native APIs. To test, click to export the app as an APK (Android) or IPA (iOS), or use the Appery.io Tester app for quick previews.

Exploring the Offline Map App

Launch the app, and you’ll see a default map of San Francisco. Test the different view modes, like Streets or Outdoors, to see what suits you best.

Pro Tip: Use the Appery.io Tester app (available for free on iOS and Android) to preview your map instantly before exporting.

Want a full-screen experience? Hide the controls while using the Appery.io Tester.

To go fully offline, follow these steps:

1. Enable online mode on your device.
2. Click Maps to open the preloaded maps page.
3. Download one of the maps — this is what allows offline access later.

Now you’re set to navigate without an internet connection!

Customize Your App

You’re free to modify the template to fit your specific needs. The template documentation provides insights on how to use free maps from resources like MapTiler. Whether you choose free or paid maps, you’ll find options to match your adventure.

Export Your App

When done, take your app on the road! With Appery.io, exporting is easy. For Android and iOS, follow the export guides linked in the template documentation.

Start Navigating — No Connection Required!

With Appery.io’s Offline Map app template, your mobile device becomes a robust, customizable navigation tool. Perfect for travel, hikes, and exploring remote areas, this template takes your app ideas offline with ease.

Happy navigating!

Dear Appery.io Developer,

We are thrilled to announce that Appery.io now fully supports Android 14 (API Level 34)!

As you may be aware, starting from August 31, 2024, Google Play will require all apps to target API level 34 or higher. To ensure you’re well ahead of this deadline, our dedicated team has been hard at work to align with Google Play’s latest requirements.

We are proud to inform you that the necessary updates have been successfully implemented. Effective immediately, our platform now includes full support for Android 14, guaranteeing that all Android apps built using Appery.io will continue to deliver a secure and efficient user experience.

This release underscores our commitment to making your development process as seamless and up-to-date as possible. With this update, you can effortlessly meet Google’s new requirements, keeping your applications both competitive and compliant.

Thank you for your continued trust in Appery.io for your development needs. Should you have any questions or require further assistance, please feel free to reach out.

Happy coding!

The Appery.io Team

Have you ever wondered how to make you Ionic app access the list of contacts of your device?

This blog post walks you through the steps of creating an Ionic app that can do that. Also, if you prefer watching video guides, you can follow this YouTube tutorial to create such an app:

Getting Started with Your Ionic App

First, we need to create a brand-new Ionic app. For this tutorial, we’re using the Appery.io platform, which makes the development process straightforward and efficient.

1. Create a New App:

Open Appery.io and click Create new app.

Name your app and confirm. This action creates a blank Ionic app with a predefined screen layout named Contacts.

2. Adding the Contacts Page:

Add this Contacts page layout to your app and adjust the routing to make sure it points correctly to this page.

Reviewing & Testing Your App

Your app is now ready to display contacts. This page will show names, phone numbers, and pictures of contacts. Let’s click TEST to quickly preview the app.

You can also preview what the app looks like and how it functions by using the Appery.io Tester, a native app for testing. It’s user-friendly and works perfectly!

How It Works Behind the Scenes

Now, let’s go deeper into the technical step-by-step process to understand how everything works:

Cordova Plugins:

Under the Project > App settings > Cordova plugins tab, you’ll see that the app uses the Cordova Contacts plugin, which has been automatically imported. This plugin helps fetch the contacts.

Ionic Contacts Wrapper

We utilize the Ionic Contacts wrapper for better integration. You can check its detailed documentation page if you wish to dive deeper into this.

Setting Up Variables

Open the Contacts page’s CODE tab to see the variables that were added automatically:

– `contacts`: Returns the contact list.

– `keyword`: Enables filtering.

– `SAMPLE_AVATAR`: Displays a sample picture. You can upload your custom one by using the Media Manager, if needed.

– `SAMPLE_CONTACTS`: Provides a sample list for testing in the browser.

Displaying Contacts List in the App

Now, let’s scroll to the Functions section to see how the contacts list is added in our code.

If the app runs in a browser, it uses the sample contacts from the variable above. But if the app is run on a real device, it accesses the actual contacts list via the predefined `contacts` variable.

Creating a User-Friendly UI

Here’s how to make the contacts list visually appealing and easy to navigate:

List Component:

Uses ListItem with the *ngFor attribute to iterate through the contact list and display each contact’s information.

Filtering Contacts:

The *ngModel keyword in the Search component allows users to filter contacts by name.

Using Selections:

The app lets users select contacts easily. Selected contacts have the selected property set to true.

Conclusion

And that’s how to get access to the list of contacts in an Ionic app! This straightforward guide aimed to simplify the technical aspects and provide a clear path for even beginners. Now you can easily fetch and display contacts in your Ionic apps.

Happy coding!

Are you interested in mobile app development but concerned about the complexities of deploying your app? Look no further! Today, we’ll discuss custom domain publishing in the context of Appery.io, a user-friendly, low-code app-building platform. This feature allows you to seamlessly publish your Appery.io application on a custom domain with an automatically generated SSL certificate. This process eliminates the need for purchasing SSL certificates, saving you both time and money.

What is Appery.io?

Appery.io is an accessible, low-code platform designed for developing mobile apps. It stands out due to its ease of use and rapid development capabilities. Whether you’re an experienced developer or just starting your journey, Appery.io provides an intuitive interface for building high-quality applications quickly.

Why Choose Custom Domain Publishing?

1. Professional Appearance: Publishing your app on a custom domain provides a more professional look and feel.

2. Enhanced Security: The automatically generated SSL certificate ensures your app is secure without any additional costs.

3. Ease of Sharing: Custom domains make it easier for users to remember and access your app.

Step-by-Step Guide to Custom Domain Publishing

Here’s a simple guide to publishing an Appery.io application on a custom domain:

1. Enter Your Domain Name:

– If you have an existing domain, enter it in the designated field within the Appery.io platform Hosting section and click Publish.

– Follow the on-screen instructions for the next steps.

2. Don’t Have a Domain?

– Click on the provided link to purchase a domain from Google or another domain provider.

3. Configure DNS Settings:

– If you already own a domain, navigate to your Domain Registration Website.

– Click on the “Manage” button and access the DNS settings.

– Add a new record: specify the name and IP address you copied from the instructions.

4. Finalizing the Process:

– Retry the publish process if an error occurs; sometimes, new DNS records need a few minutes to propagate.

– Click Publish again. Once completed, your app will be available by default via HTTPS.

Viewing and Sharing Your Published App

Once your app is published, you can view it through the provided link. For sharing purposes, Appery.io offers a user-friendly interface that makes your app more appealing and professional. You can share this directly on popular social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or even via email.

Conclusion

Custom Domain Publishing withAppery.io makes mobile app deployment straightforward and efficient. No more worries about buying SSL certificates or dealing with complicated setup processes. Your app can now have a professional touch with enhanced security in just a few steps.

Sounds interesting? Head over to our latest video for the complete guide!

If you found this article helpful, consider subscribing to our blog for more guides and tips. Thank you for reading, and happy app developing!

Hey there, fellow app developers! Want to keep your users engaged? Push notifications are the perfect way to grab their attention. Today, in our new video tutorial, we’ll guide you through setting up push notifications for Android apps using Appery.io. Let’s dive in!

Here’s a short plan of actions:

Step 1: Create a New Application

First, launch Appery.io and create a new application. Go to Project > App settings > Cordova plugins and enable the Push Notification plugin to get started.

Step 2: Configure Push Settings

Exit the editor and head to the Push Notifications Settings section. Toggle the Enable Push Notification option. Then, we need to specify a database to store device identifiers.

Step 3: Set Up a Database

Navigate to the Databases tab and create a new database. By default, Appery.io provides the predefined Devices collection for storing device IDs and tokens.

Step 4: Link Firebase to Your App

Push notifications on Android require Firebase. You need to get two files:

1.  google-services.json

2. Firebase Admin SDK JSON

So, head to the Firebase console to create a Firebase account if you don’t already have one. Set up a new project and register your Android app. Grab the package name from the Android Settings in Appery.io and enter it into Firebase.

Step 5: Download and Upload Files

Download the `google-services.json` file from Firebase:

And upload it to your Push Notification Settings in Appery.io:

Then, click Next and follow the steps in Firebase to get the Admin SDK file and upload it to Appery.io.

Step 6: Generate Your APK

With everything configured, generate your binary APK file:

Step 7: Test Your Application

Scan the generated code to install the APK on your device:

Launch the app and grant permission to receive push notifications:

Minimize the app, refresh the Devices collection in your database, and you’ll see a new entry for your device:

Step 8: Sending Push Notifications

Go to the Push Notification Sending section in Appery.io. Specify the type of device (Android), and customize the notifications sending options of your message:

Send the test notification and watch it appear on your app’s icon:

Conclusion

And there you have it! You’ve successfully set up push notifications for your Android app using Appery.io. Stay tuned for more tutorials on setting up notifications for iOS, associating devices with users, and sending notifications from Appery.io Server Code.

Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share this post if you found it helpful! Happy coding!

Feel free to leave any questions in the comments below. We’re here to help!

Welcome, developers! Today, we’re thrilled to walk you through the seamless integration of one of the most popular payment systems into your app using our Stripe Shop template. Follow us along as we break down the process into easy-to-follow steps, empowering you to enhance your app’s functionality and user experience.

Step 1: Accessing the Appery.io App Builder To begin, head over to the Appery.io platform and access the App Builder. Here, you’ll find a range of templates to choose from. Select the Stripe Shop template to kickstart your journey towards integrating Stripe payments into your app effortlessly.

Step 2: Exploring Predefined App Pages and Services Upon selecting the Stripe Shop template, take a moment to familiarize yourself with the predefined app pages and services it offers. These include the Products, Details, Success, and Cancel screens, designed to streamline the shopping experience for your users.

Step 3: Leveraging Linked Backend Services Our Stripe Shop template comes equipped with linked backend services, including a database and server code, preloaded with test data. This allows you to test your app’s functionality immediately, providing a solid foundation for further customization.

Step 4: Customizing Your App Now it’s time to make the template your own. Utilize the App Builder’s intuitive interface to customize your app according to your unique requirements. Add new products, update existing ones, and tweak the design to align with your brand’s identity seamlessly.

Step 5: Integrating with Stripe API The heart of your app lies in its ability to process payments securely. With Appery.io’s Stripe Shop template, integrating the Stripe API is a straightforward process. Follow our clear instructions to replace the default Server Code keys with your own, ensuring seamless payment processing for your users.

Step 6: Testing Your App Before deploying your app to the masses, it’s crucial to thoroughly test its functionality. With Appery.io’s Tester app, you can easily test your app on your own device. Simply scan the generated code from the TEST menu, and you’re ready to put your app through its paces.

Ready to take your app to the next level? Dive into Appery.io’s Stripe Shop template today with our free trial period. Experience firsthand the power of low-code app development combined with seamless payment integration.

Need Assistance? If you encounter any roadblocks along the way, fear not! Appery.io offers comprehensive support, including step-by-step tutorials and direct assistance through the Get Help link in the App Builder. We’re here to ensure your success every step of the way.

Stay Informed Stay up-to-date with the latest tips, tricks, and tutorials by subscribing to our YouTube channel. Join our community of developers and unlock your app development potential with Appery.io.

Conclusion: With Appery.io’s Stripe Shop template, mastering Stripe integration has never been easier. Follow these steps, and you’ll be well on your way to building a feature-rich shopping app that delights users and drives business success. Happy coding!

We’re excited to present our latest creation: the Starter App Template. It’s built to be the strong base for making modern mobile apps that users will love.

Starter App Template: Main Features

• Flexible Design: Works smoothly on all devices for a great user experience.

• Easy Logins: Choose between traditional or FaceID/Fingerprint logins for security and convenience.

• Simple Sign-Up: Quick feedback on usernames and passwords to get started easily.

• Password Recovery: Easy steps to recover access if needed.

• User Control: Customize settings and privacy to match individual preferences.

• Language Choices: Supports multiple languages for a global audience.

• Personalized Profiles: Users can create and edit profiles for a tailored experience.

• Dark Mode: A comfortable theme option for low-light settings.

• Secure Confirmation: Double verification via email or SMS for added security.

Who Can Benefit?

This template suits startups and businesses in social networking, e-commerce, health & fitness, education, and more. It’s perfect whether you’re starting big or testing ideas.

Start Building Today

Ready to transform your app development? Explore the Starter App Template now! Create a strong foundation and focus on what users need most.

Don’t miss out—embrace innovation and enhance your mobile app experience with our Starter App template tutorial.

Stay tuned for updates and added features as we continue to improve this template!

Ready to begin?

Some Appery.io users who generated an .aab file with Appery.io and are trying to upload this to Google Play store as an update, may encounter this error:

Before we help you tackle this issue, here is a bit of theory behind it:

As of August 2021, there has been a significant shift in the deployment process for developers targeting the Google Play platform. The conventional .apk (Android Package) format, which has been the standard for Android applications, is no longer accepted by the Google Play store for publishing new apps. In its place, Google has mandated the use of the Android App Bundle (.aab) for all new apps, a publishing format that streamlines the app signing process for developers.

This transition to the .aab format can have direct implications if you’re attempting to update your existing Appery.io app on Google Play that was originally published using an .apk file. 

Below, we share some simple steps you can take to address the issue of updating your existing Appery.io app on Google Play:

1. Begin by downloading the certificate archive and extracting it.
2. Afterwards, navigate to the Google Play Developer Console and proceed to Release > Setup > App Signing. If necessary, agree to the Terms of Service for App Signing.
3. Choose the option Use existing app signing key from Java KeyStore, then follow the subsequent steps:

4. Obtain the PEPK tool and launch a terminal window.

5. Enter the command as follows, replacing the placeholders with your actual file paths, alias, and Google encryption key:

java -jar PATH_TO_PEPK_TOOL --keystore=PATH_TO_YOUR_KEYSTORE --alias=YOUR_ALIAS --output=PATH_TO_YOUR_OUTPUT_FILE --encryptionkey=YOUR_GOOGLE_ENCRYPTION_KEY

✋ Caution: Ensure the accuracy of the paths for the PEPK tool, keystore, output file, as well as the correct alias and Google encryption key.

For instance, if your setup has the specified names, your command might look like the following:

java -jar pepk.jar --keystore=apperyio.project --alias=apperyio.project --output=encrypted_private_key_path --encryptionkey=eb10fe8f7c7c9df715022017b00c6471f8ba8170b13049a11e6c09ffe3056a104a3bbe4ac5a955f4ba4fe93fc8cef27558a3eb9d2a529a2092761fb833b656cd48b9de6a

6. At this moment, the system will prompt you for a password. It is advisable to reuse your current keystore password. So, input the keystore password (for instance, ‘apperyio.project‘) followed by the key password (again, potentially ‘apperyio.project’).

7. With your passwords entered, you can now upload the generated App Bundle (.aab) file to Google Play by clicking Upload private key:

8. Finally, click Save.

Congratulations: your updated app is up and running!

Happy Tnanksgiving from all of us, at Appery.io!

There is another great news we are happy to share with you today: the Autoupdate plug-in has been added to all Appery.io apps and is ready to be used.

Adding this plug-in is simple and requires zero effort on your part to set it up. But when added, it just gets the job done. 

The idea behind it is as simple as it can possibly be:

• You add the plug-in to your app and publish it so that your users can install it on their devices.
• Next time you need to make changes to your app you just make them and push the app updates.
• With the next app run on the device, the plug-in automatically detects there is a new update on the server and lets the end user make decisions on whether to download it from the server and then install it on their device or postpone this action:

Autoupdate plug-in on the device

Please check out our document here to learn how to work with the Autoupdate plug-in.

ChatGP technology is on everyone’s lips nowadays and we are happy to let you know that Appery.io is the first no-code mobile app maker platform introducing the ready-to-use and easily customizable template for creating a ChatGPT-based app. Using the template is extremely simple and just in several minutes, you will be able to test your own ChatGPT application without having to write a single line of code. Isn’t that a wonder?

Note, that you can try using the platform for no charge, and if you are new to Appery.io and interested, click here to subscribe for our 2-week Free trial.

When in the platform, go to the Apps tab, select the predefined ChatGPT App template, and confirm:

In a moment, the app will be created with the autogenerated name. If you like, you can rename your project later under its General tab or do it now.

Well … it’s all set and you can proceed with testing your app.

Testing ChatGPT Template from Appery.io

Click the TEST button to open the app preview in the browser and play around with its different options. There are three of them that are available for adjusting: Model, Creativity, and Max Tokens.

In short: the quality of chatbot responses will vary depending on the options settings. But if you need more details, please refer to the OpenAI official documentation site.

Important!

To test this AI technology, obtaining an API key from the OpenAI portal is required. So, open this link (or go to the API Access section of your OpenAI account dashboard) and either generate a new API key or manage your existing API keys.

When done, copy and paste it into the API Key field and you are ready to test the template. Click the START button to begin. Note, that the template also has integrated text-to-speech and speech-to-text capabilities, so you are free to experiment with both entering text and dictating it:

While testing different options, note how the quality of responses is impacted by setting different values for Model, Creativity, and Max Tokens.

Modifying Template

To modify the template to create your own ChatGPT-like app, follow several simple steps below:

1. Delete the Home page. After you have defined what values of Model, Creativity and Max Tokens settings work for you best, loading all the parameters’ selections page becomes redundant. So, go to the App Builder Project view on the left, left-click to open the Home page menu, and delete it:

2. Modify the parameters’ default values. Open the Model and Storage > Storage tab and replace the default values with the ones that best work for you.

3. Save the app by clicking the SAVE button in the Toolbar.

Ready! Now, your app has been customized and you can install it on a device.

Installing your own GPT-based App

There are several options you can select from to review your own ChatGPT app on the device and below, you will find the most popular:

1. Export the app binary. To do it, click the EXPORT button in the Toolbar and select the type you prefer: Android or iOS:

Note that installing on iOS requires that you have an Apple developer account.

However, if you simply want to test how your app behaves on a device, be it an iPhone or an Android device, use our Appery.io Tester – it’s free and simple.

2. Test with the Appery.io Tester – the best option for quick testing your apps without needing to register your Apple or Android developer accounts. The app is free and can be installed on any device in a matter of several clicks. The links and instructions can be found on the preview page, you just have to click TEST again:

Select the needed option in the drop-down to download and install the testing app on your device. This should take less than a minute of your time.

When the app is installed, click the SCAN button and scan the QR code that was automatically generated for your app:

Here is what the app chatting looks like on a device when installed:

 Publishing as a web page widget

You might already know that any app that you build in Appery.io can be published as a mobile web app. This means the app will be hosted on a server and can be accessed from any browser on a mobile device.

But have you already tried adding the published app to any site of your choice as a widget? This is not difficult to do and can be very useful for your personal or business and look perfect. Please check this link to review what it can look like.

Please, visit this page for more details on modifying and customizing your ChatGPT-template.

Conclusion

If you’re looking to create a professionally-looking application that integrates with a 3rd party API, using no-code platforms like Appery.io can be a perfect choice.

With Appery.io, you can simplify the development routine even further by adding ready-to-go templates and predefined plug-ins! And our new-code ChatGPT template is another example of how building apps can be enjoyable and stress-free.