NativePHP for Mobile v1.1: Smaller, Smarter, and Ready to Scale

Since launching NativePHP for Mobile in May, we’ve been building fast and quiet — refining the core, tightening the tools, and expanding what’s possible.

Version 1.1 drops Monday, July 14, and it isn’t just a collection of fixes. It’s a foundational upgrade designed to make NativePHP apps easier to build, faster to ship, and ready for real production work — all using Laravel.

Here’s what’s new.

#Modular Native APIs

NativePHP now exposes native features through clean, composable APIs — no more stuffing everything under System().

v1.1 introduces dedicated facades for:

• Biometrics()
• Camera()
• Dialog()
• Geolocation()
• Haptics()
• PushNotifications()
• SecureStorage()
• System()

Each one is designed to be predictable, well-documented, and easy to expand. This sets the tone for all future native features: focused, testable, and Laravel-native.

#New Features: Secure Storage, Geolocation, and Gallery Picker

We’ve rolled out several powerful native capabilities:

• SecureStorage: Store tokens, secrets, and credentials using the device’s native keychain/keystore.
• Geolocation: Fetch accurate location data with permission support, cross-platform.
• Gallery Picker: Let users select media and handle it directly in Laravel with a simple MediaSelected event.

These features are fully integrated into Laravel — no plugins, no separate workflows, just powerful APIs you already understand.

#Smart .env Handling

Before v1.1, changing any Android .env values meant running php artisan native:install --force — a destructive step that wiped your project and required re-running native:run.

That’s gone.

We’ve moved all that logic into native:run, so it now automatically handles .env changes without deleting anything. Fewer surprises. No wasted time. Same as iOS.

#Full CLI Flag Support (CI/CD Ready)

v1.1 introduces robust CLI flag support for native:run, unlocking true automation:

php artisan native:run android --release --with-icu --no-tty

New flags include:

• --android / --ios for platform selection
• --debug / --release for build type
• --with-icu / --without-icu for Intl support
• --no-tty for CI environments

Now you can run NativePHP in GitHub Actions, deploy scripts, or staging pipelines without any prompts or manual steps.

#Smaller, Faster Binaries

We went deep into our PHP builds and trimmed the fat:

• Android (no ICU): 16MB → 7.9MB
• Android (with ICU): 44MB → 35MB
• iOS: 55MB → 22MB

That’s faster downloads, lighter bundles, and better performance — especially when paired with our improved progress bars for bundle installs.

#Android 15 + Edge-to-Edge

We updated our Android implementation to support Android 15’s edge-to-edge layout standards. NativePHP apps now render fullscreen by default, supporting modern gesture navigation and delivering a cleaner, more immersive UI out of the box.

#ProGuard + R8 Support

Advanced Android devs — this one’s for you.

We’ve added full support for ProGuard and R8 with new .env flags:

NATIVEPHP_ANDROID_MINIFY_ENABLED=true
NATIVEPHP_ANDROID_OBFUSCATE=true
NATIVEPHP_ANDROID_DEBUG_SYMBOLS=FULL
NATIVEPHP_ANDROID_MAPPING_FILES=true

Your builds can now be stripped, minified, obfuscated, and symbol-mapped — production ready, without losing traceability.

The Kitchen Sink app on the Play Store is already built this way. It’s the real thing.

#Real Testing Infrastructure

We’ve started formalizing internal testing with both unit tests and end-to-end tests for native features.

We’re also exploring virtualized mobile testing environments, allowing us to catch more issues before release. This effort will continue to grow as we strengthen NativePHP’s stability and reliability at scale.

#Rewritten Documentation

The entire mobile docs experience has been rebuilt around clarity and flow:

• Getting Started: Setup, install, config, and development workflow
• The Basics: Native functions, async behavior, ICU support
• Concepts: CI/CD, deep links, push, splash screens, versioning
• APIs: Dedicated pages for each feature

The new docs are written for Laravel developers first — even if you've never built a mobile app before.

#Kitchen Sink Live on Google Play

The updated Kitchen Sink app is now live on the Play Store — fully minified with R8, signed via our CI tooling, and packed with the latest features like SecureStorage, Geolocation, gallery picker, and more.

👉 Download here

It’s the reference app for what’s possible with NativePHP.

Oh — and for everyone who asked about the hats we wore at launch (and wouldn’t stop asking)… we heard you. We’ve opened up a merch store with hats, hoodies, mugs, stickers, and more. U.S. shipping only for now.

👉 shop.nativephp.com

Show up to your next meetup or livestream repping PHP on mobile.

#What’s Next

v1.1 launches Monday, July 14 — and it marks a major leap forward for NativePHP.

Behind the scenes, we’re working on something even bigger: a full system to power builds, OTA updates, and app store automation. We’ll have more to share soon.

For now, everything in v1.1 is about one thing: shipping real apps with Laravel. We’ve tightened the core, expanded the APIs, and made the build system smarter and lighter.

If you’re building with PHP, now’s the time to go mobile — for real.