> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://whip.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How to publish your app on Whip

> Publish an app you made on Whip so anyone can play, remix, and share it. A step-by-step walkthrough of the publish flow, plus what goes public.

To publish your app on Whip, open it from your Home screen, tap **Publish**, and walk through a short preview screen — Whip pre-writes your title, description, and tags, and you can edit any of them. Add your visuals, publish, and your app goes live in the feed, search, and your profile for everyone to play and remix.

New apps are always **private** until you do this. Publishing takes one specific version of your app public — the one you're happy with — so you stay in control of exactly what people see.

## Publish your app step by step

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open a ready app and tap Publish" icon="rocket">
    From an app that's finished building (its **"Your Whip is Ready!"** state),
    tap **Publish**. Only [completed
    versions](/building/versions-and-history) can go public — a build that's
    still working or failed can't be published yet.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review the preview screen" icon="pen-line">
    Whip has already written a **title** (up to 60 characters), a
    **description** (up to 280 characters), and up to **8 tags** for your app.
    Everything is a starting point — tap any field to rewrite it in your own
    words. A great title and description help the right people find your app.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add your visuals" icon="images">
    Next comes the visuals step — the images and video people see in the feed
    before they play. Whip auto-captures highlights from your real running app,
    or you can upload your own. Full details in [highlight
    reels](/sharing/highlight-reels).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Whip runs a safety check" icon="shield-check">
    When you publish, Whip automatically screens your title, description, tags,
    and media to keep the community safe. This usually takes a moment. If
    something can't be approved, you'll see a message — edit the flagged part
    and try publishing again.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Your app goes live" icon="party-popper">
    You'll see a celebration with your app's name — **"🎊 … is live!"** — and
    your app is now public.
    Sharing options appear right away so you can spread the word.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Check>
  Publishing your very first app? Whip sends you a celebration email — "🎉 Your
  app is live on Whip" — to mark the moment.
</Check>

## What "public" actually means

Once your app is published, that version becomes discoverable across Whip:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="It's in the feed" icon="compass" href="/discover/the-feed">
    Your app can appear in **For You** and **Trending**, and under its
    auto-assigned category.
  </Card>

  <Card title="It shows up in search" icon="search" href="/discover/search">
    People can find your app — and you as its creator — when they search.
  </Card>

  <Card title="It lives on your profile" icon="user" href="/social/profiles">
    Your published apps sit on your public profile for anyone to browse.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Anyone can remix it" icon="shuffle" href="/discover/remix-apps">
    Others can spin up their own version of your app — and you get credit
    automatically.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

<Note>
  Every person who plays your published app gets [their own private
  copy](/using/open-and-use-apps) — their data stays theirs, and yours stays
  yours. Publishing shares the app, never your personal data inside it.
</Note>

## Your app gets a fair-shot boost

Brand-new published apps get a little lift in the feed for roughly their first day, so they get a fair chance to be seen before older, more-established apps crowd them out. After that, your app rises or falls on real engagement — [likes, saves, comments, and remixes](/social/follow-like-save). Want to keep improving after you publish? You can [edit your app](/building/edit-your-app) any time and publish a newer version later.

## Common questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Can I unpublish later?" icon="eye-off">
    There's no one-tap unpublish today. To take a published app off the feed
    and search, you delete it; to just declutter your own Home, you archive
    it. See [archive or delete](/sharing/unpublish-and-archive) for both.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why was my app rejected on publish?" icon="shield-x">
    Whip's automated safety check reviews your title, description, tags, and
    media. If any of it crosses a line, publishing is paused. Edit the flagged
    content and try again — nothing about your app is lost.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do I have to publish to share my app?" icon="link">
    No. You can send a private [share link](/sharing/share-links) to specific
    people without ever making your app public.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Which version goes public?" icon="git-branch">
    The version you publish from. If you [keep
    editing](/building/versions-and-history) afterward, those newer versions
    stay private until you publish again.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Highlight reels" icon="images" href="/sharing/highlight-reels">
    Set up the visuals people see before they play your app.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Share links" icon="link" href="/sharing/share-links">
    Send your app straight to friends with a private link.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>