How to build an iPhone app without a Mac
Most guides say you need a Mac to make an iPhone app. For the writing part and the build part, you do not.
Short answer: Use a React Native project with Expo. Write the code with an AI agent, build it on Expo's servers with EAS Build, and upload it to TestFlight with EAS Submit. You need an Apple Developer account, which is $99 a year. MightyMouse writes the code for you in your GitHub repo and sends a pull request. You run the build and submit steps yourself.
Say you have an idea for an iPhone app and a laptop that is not a Mac. The old answer was to buy a Mac. The new answer splits the job in three: write the code, build the app, send it to Apple. Each step has a tool that does not need a Mac.
We checked the facts below against Expo's and Apple's own pages on 2026-09-29. Prices and rules change, so look again before you pay.
Step 1: write the code, without a Mac
An iPhone app can be written as a React Native project. Expo is a toolkit on top of React Native that makes the setup easier.
This is where MightyMouse helps today. At app.getmightymouse.com, open Code and connect GitHub. Make a new private repo from the same screen, or pick one you have. Then describe the app in plain words, and the agent works in a cloud sandbox and opens a pull request with the code. No Mac and no install.
- It recognises the project. When a repo has Expo or React Native in it, MightyMouse reads it as a mobile app, and suggests services that fit an app.
- You keep the code. It lives in your own GitHub repo, on a branch you review.
- Keys are handled. Add the keys your app needs and they are passed to the sandbox for that run.
Step 2: build the app, on Expo's servers
Expo's documentation describes EAS Build as "a hosted service for building app binaries for your Expo and React Native projects." It says "iOS builds run on macOS runners hosted in Expo's macOS cloud." So the Mac is Expo's, not yours.
You start it from a terminal with a command like eas build --platform ios. Expo's pricing page lists a free plan with "15 Android and 15 iOS builds" a month. Its paid plans start at $19 a month.
Step 3: send it to TestFlight or the App Store
Expo's documentation says EAS Submit "uploads your .ipa to App Store Connect, where it becomes available in TestFlight after processing (usually 10-15 minutes)." It says this works from Windows or Linux too.
You also need an Apple Developer Program membership. Apple's page lists it at $99 a year and says it includes TestFlight and distribution on Apple platforms. Expo's build page says the membership is required to build for the App Store.
What MightyMouse does today, and what it does not
- Does: writes the app's code in your GitHub repo and opens a pull request for each change.
- Does: lets you ask for changes in plain words, from a phone browser or a laptop.
- Does not: run the build or the TestFlight upload for you. Those are your commands, with your Expo and Apple accounts.
- Does not: show the app running on a simulator or your phone before you merge. You review the code in the pull request.
- Does not: make the Apple Developer account. Only you can sign up for that.
What this costs you
- $99 a year to Apple. There is no way around it for TestFlight or the App Store.
- Some terminal work. Expo's commands are typed, not tapped. If you have never used a terminal, plan an afternoon.
- Slower feedback. Without a Mac you do not get a simulator on your desk. You wait for a build and install it on your phone.
- Credit for the agent. MightyMouse runs use credit. Free gets you started, Pro is $20 a month, Max is $60.
If you want the app to be a real iPhone app and you accept those costs, this path is open today. If all you need is something people can open on their phone, a web page is far less work.
Write the app with an AI agent. No Mac.
Start free in your browser.
Common questions
Can I build an iPhone app on Windows?
You can write the code on any computer. Expo's documentation says EAS Build runs iOS builds on macOS machines it hosts, and that EAS Submit can upload to App Store Connect from Windows or Linux.
How much does it cost to put an app on the App Store?
Apple's Developer Program page lists $99 a year. Expo's free plan lists 15 iOS builds a month, and its paid plans start at $19 a month, as of 2026-09-29.
Can AI write a whole iPhone app for me?
An AI agent can write the code for a React Native project. In MightyMouse it does that in your GitHub repo and sends a pull request. You still run the build, sign in to Apple, and test the app on your phone.
How do I test my app on my iPhone without a Mac?
Build it with EAS Build, then upload it with EAS Submit and install it from TestFlight. Expo's documentation says a processed build usually shows up in TestFlight in 10 to 15 minutes.
Does MightyMouse build or submit the iOS app for me?
No. MightyMouse writes the code and opens the pull request. You run the Expo build and submit commands with your own accounts.
If the missing piece is the code: MightyMouse writes it with every top AI model and sends you a pull request in your own GitHub, from a browser, with no Mac. Start free at app.getmightymouse.com.