📱 mobile — Mobile Apps Department

One head skill for mobile. Choose the honest path: web already exists → wrap (Capacitor/PWA); React team → Expo; fresh + performance-critical or platform-deep → native. Never pick a stack by hype. Every mode ends with the platform's build running on a device or emulator, not just compiled.

Modes

Every invocation resolves to exactly one mode. Match the request, then load only the matched reference:

Only the resolved mode's reference is loaded — the rest stay on disk, saving tokens on every run.

When to Use

• Building a new mobile app (native, cross-platform, or web-wrapped).
• Converting an existing web app to iOS/APK or a PWA.
• Implementing native capabilities: camera, push, biometrics, offline storage.
• Refactoring or optimizing an existing mobile app.
• App store optimization: listings, keywords, screenshots, review handling.

Anti-Triggers

• Websites and web apps → webdev.
• Scaffolding the project → new-project (it handles Expo/Capacitor presets).
• Animation inside mobile UI → animate (its mobile reference), not this skill.

Quick Reference

Stack path ladder (decide before any mode)

Decision inputs: team's existing skills > app depth requirements > budget > long-term maintenance.

Verification gate (every mode)

• Builds on the platform toolchain (xcodebuild, gradle, expo/eas, flutter build).
• Runs on a device or emulator — captured logs/screenshots as evidence.
• Store pre-flight passes (bundle size, permissions justified, signing).

Suite contracts

• Project scaffold with Expo/Capacitor wiring → new-project first.
• Server/API work the app consumes → webdev (backend mode).

Procedure

1. Intake. establish the honest stack path (wrap existing web / cross / native) before writing a line — from team skills, app depth, and budget; the answer drives everything.
2. Resolve the mode. Match the request against the mode table; exactly one mode. Ambiguous → ask one question, then proceed.
3. Execute the mode playbook. Load references/<mode>.md and follow its Intake → Deliverable → Procedure → Quality gate in order.
4. Gate and deliver. Pass this file's Verification checklist plus the mode's quality gate, then deliver the artifact where the client expects it.

Pitfalls

• Choosing a stack by hype instead of the ladder — the expensive mistake.
• Testing only in the simulator — device performance and permissions differ.
• Offline as an afterthought — mobile networks are the default environment, not the edge case.
• Ignoring platform HIGs (Apple/Material) — rejection risk + clunky feel.
• Push permissions asked at launch with no context — denied forever after.
• Bundle bloat from web habits — unused polyfills and images ship to every user.
• ASO treated as a launch-day task — it shapes name, keywords, and screenshots from day one.

Verification

• Stack path decided via the ladder and stated with rationale before build.
• The platform's own build toolchain ran green.
• App runs on a device or emulator with captured evidence.
• Native permissions justified (only those used, with purpose strings).
• Offline/degraded-network behavior tested, not assumed.
• Store pre-flight checks pass (size, signing, listing assets).