Step 1: Find a Viral App Idea
The most important step is finding an app idea that solves a real problem. Your idea must meet these three criteria:
- Identify a Common Problem: Find a problem that's frustrating or emotional. People download apps to solve pain points.
- Keep It Simple: Your app's core functionality should be explainable in 3 words or less.
- Make It Shareable: Create something so useful that users will want to share it.
Step 2: Steal Proven Designs with Mobbin
Why reinvent the wheel when you can use proven designs from successful apps? That's where Mobbin comes in. Mobbin is a goldmine of 100,000+ app screenshots from companies like Duolingo, Spotify, and Netflix.
Here's how to use Mobbin:
- Search for your app category (e.g., productivity)
- Pick a design that fits your app idea
- Choose a screenshot of a page you like, paste it in Cursor and continue adding more screenshots until you're happy
- Then prompt Cursor to design your app with these screenshots as inspiration
This saves you hours of design work and ensures your app has a professional look and feel.
Step 3: Create the "Brain" of Your App
Before building, you need to create a Context File — the brain of your app. This file tells Cursor AI exactly what to build. Here's how:
- Open ChatGPT and write down your app's flow and features. Be specific!
- Use this prompt to structure your ideas:
I am building a productivity app that helps users focus on one task at a time. I need a detailed and structured explanation of the app's flow and features, written as a Markdown file, so that it is easy for an app developer to understand and implement.
- Copy the output and paste it into a new file and name it
Context.md
in Cursor. - This file will guide Cursor AI throughout the development process.
Step 4: Build Your App with Cursor AI
Now it's time to bring your app to life. Here's how:
Open Cursor and create a new project folder:
- Open a terminal and type this:
npx create-expo-app@latest -e with-router
- Drag your
docs
folder (with the Context File) into the new project - Run the app by typing:
npx expo start
- Scan the QR code with your phone's camera to test your app
Cursor's Composer feature lets you build your app step-by-step using plain English. For example:
- "Create a login page with email and password fields."
- "Add a task creation feature with a title, description, and deadline."
Pro Tip: If you encounter errors, just copy the error message, paste it into Cursor’s chat, and ask: "Fix this error"
Step 5: Integrate AI with DeepSeek
To make your app stand out, add AI functionality using DeepSeek's API. Here's how:
- Prompt Cursor to build the AI feature you want, using DeepSeek:
"Build the AI-chat feature from @Context.md."
- Create an account on platform.deepseek.com, generate an API key, and add it to the
.env
file in your Cursor project
Step 6: Upload Your App to the App Store and Google Play
Once your app is ready, it's time to launch! Here's how:
Install Expo Application Services (EAS):
- Open the terminal and paste:
npm install -g eas-cli
- Log in to your Expo account:
eas login
- Run:
eas build:configure
- Select "All" to build for both iOS and Android
You'll need:
- An Apple Developer Account ($99/year)
- A Google Play Developer Account ($25 one-time fee)
For more detailed instructions on uploading your app to AppStore/PlayStore, check out Expo's official tutorial.