Getting started

Last updated May 3, 2026 [email protected]

You can have a working iOS app on your iPhone in about 30–60 minutes. No Mac, no Xcode install, no Apple Developer account required to start.

1. Create an account

Sign up at nova8.dev with email, Google, or Apple. The Free plan ships with enough credits to build and preview a small app end-to-end.

2. Describe your app

From the dashboard, click New project and type what you want to build in plain English:

Be specific about features but do not worry about technical jargon. The agent asks clarifying questions if anything is ambiguous.

3. Watch it build

The agent writes Swift code in real time. You can:

• Open the live Preview tab to see the app running in a cloud iOS Simulator
• Read the generated code in the Code tab
• Send follow-up prompts to refine features (“make the buttons rounder”, “add a dark mode toggle”)

4. Pick (or generate) an app icon

Open the Icon tab. Either describe what you want and let the agent generate one (20 credits per image, free users get one suggestion, paid plans get four), or upload your own 1024×1024 PNG.

5. Ship to TestFlight

When the preview looks right, click Ship to TestFlight. Nova8 walks you through:

1. Connecting your Apple Developer account ($99/year, paid to Apple, not Nova8)
2. Creating an App Store Connect record
3. Triggering an EAS Build (the same Expo Application Services pipeline used by production apps)
4. Uploading the signed .ipa to TestFlight

TestFlight typically takes 8–15 minutes for the first build. Future builds are faster.

6. Install on your iPhone

Apple emails you a TestFlight invite. Tap it on your iPhone, open the TestFlight app, and your build appears. Install and launch — you are running a real native iOS app, not a web wrapper.