From a website in a wrapper to a real mobile app, with live co-writing of songs

With the team, I rebuilt the app step by step. The embedded website gave way to the phone's own interface elements.

Session Studio (Session.id Limited) · official job title: Senior React Native Developer

The situation

The mobile app started out as a website shown inside an app. The team wanted an app that fitted the phone better, where people could write a song together in real time on mobile and desktop, over a WebSocket connection.

What made it hard?

We had to change technology in an app people already used, without losing those users.

What was I responsible for?

I led the move to React Native.
I was responsible for the real-time co-editing on mobile and desktop, over a WebSocket connection.

Decisions and reasons

A gradual switch, not everything at once: Users do not notice the technology. They only notice when something breaks.

Results

The App Store rating rose from 3.2 to 4.7. The UK App Store page still shows 4.7 in October 2026.
The number of errors hitting live users fell by 98%.

When this matters to you

If your current app is slow or poorly rated, I know how to rebuild it without taking it offline.