Troubleshooting

Solutions to common issues when building, deploying, and running Vibecode apps

Having trouble? This guide covers the most common issues Vibecode users run into and how to fix them.

If your issue isn’t listed here, reach out to us via Intercom chat in the app or our Discord community.

Building & Prompting

My app is stuck on a white/blank screen

A blank screen usually means a JavaScript error is crashing the app before it can render.

Try these steps:

1. Tell the AI agent: “My app is showing a blank white screen. Check for errors and fix them.”
2. Check the Runtime Logs tab in your project — look for red error messages
3. If you recently added a new package, it may not be compatible. Ask the agent to remove it and try an alternative
4. Start a new chat with the agent and describe the issue — a fresh context often helps

Common causes:

• Missing or incorrect imports
• Undefined variable being accessed on render
• A navigation stack configured incorrectly

The AI agent keeps making the same mistake or going in circles

Sometimes the conversation context gets cluttered and the agent loses track of what it was doing.

Try these steps:

1. Start a new chat — this gives the agent a clean slate while preserving your code
2. Be more specific in your prompt. Instead of “fix the bug”, try “The login button on the home screen throws an error when tapped. The error says: [paste error here]”
3. If the issue is complex, break it into smaller steps: “First, just make the button appear. Don’t add any logic yet.”
4. Try a different AI model from the model selector — different models have different strengths

My app looks different on the phone vs the preview

The web preview is an approximation. Some differences are expected, especially with:

• Safe area insets (notch, status bar, home indicator)
• Native gestures and animations
• Platform-specific components (e.g., date pickers, action sheets)
• Font rendering differences

Try these steps:

1. Always test on a real device or Expo Go for the most accurate preview
2. Tell the agent: “Make sure the layout accounts for safe area insets on iOS”
3. For styling issues, ask the agent to use Platform.OS checks for platform-specific adjustments

A package or library won't install or keeps crashing

Not all npm packages are compatible with React Native and Expo.

Try these steps:

1. Ask the agent: “Is [package name] compatible with Expo? If not, suggest an alternative.”
2. Check if the package requires native code — if so, it may need a custom dev client build
3. Try using Expo’s built-in libraries when possible (they’re pre-configured and tested)
4. If a package was working before and suddenly broke, ask the agent to check for version conflicts

My app is slow or laggy

Performance issues usually come from re-renders, large lists, or heavy computations on the main thread.

Try these steps:

1. Tell the agent: “My app feels slow. Optimize the performance, especially on [specific screen].”
2. For long lists, make sure you’re using FlatList or FlashList, not ScrollView with .map()
3. Ask the agent to add React.memo to components that don’t need to re-render frequently
4. Heavy images? Ask the agent to add image caching and lazy loading

Deployment Issues

Deployment fails or gets stuck

Deployment can fail for several reasons. Here’s how to diagnose:

Try these steps:

1. Check your deployment logs — they’ll show exactly where the build failed
2. Make sure all environment variables are set in the ENV tab for production
3. Common culprits:
   • Missing environment variables (API keys, database URLs)
   • A package that works in dev but fails to build for production
   • TypeScript errors that were ignored during development
4. If the deploy is stuck (no progress for 5+ minutes), try canceling and redeploying

Make sure your environment variables are set for the production environment, not just development. They’re separate.

My deployed app works differently than in development

The deployed version runs in production mode, which behaves differently:

• Environment variables may differ between dev and production — double-check them
• API endpoints might point to different URLs (localhost vs production)
• Debug tools are stripped in production — errors you could see in dev may be silent
• Database — if you’re using Vibecode Cloud, ensure your production database has the necessary seed data

Try these steps:

1. Compare your dev and production environment variables side by side
2. Ask the agent: “Make sure all API calls use the correct production URLs”
3. Check the deployment logs for any warnings during build

My custom domain isn't working

Custom domain setup involves DNS configuration, which can take time to propagate.

Try these steps:

1. Verify your DNS records are correct — check the custom domain guide for exact values
2. DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate (usually much faster)
3. Use a tool like dnschecker.org to verify your DNS records are resolving
4. Make sure you’ve added both the CNAME/A record and any required TXT verification records
5. If using Cloudflare or another proxy, make sure the proxy is configured correctly

See our full Custom Domain Setup Guide for detailed instructions.

Backend & Database

My backend API calls are failing

Backend issues are usually related to authentication, environment variables, or CORS.

Try these steps:

1. Check the Runtime Logs for error details
2. Verify your API keys are set in the ENV tab and haven’t expired
3. If you’re getting CORS errors, ask the agent: “Add CORS headers to allow requests from my frontend”
4. Test your API endpoints directly using the URL shown in your deployment dashboard
5. Make sure your backend is actually deployed — the backend deploys separately from the frontend

Authentication isn't working (can't log in / locked out)

Auth issues can be tricky. Here’s how to approach them:

Try these steps:

1. Check that your auth environment variables are correctly set (API keys, secrets, callback URLs)
2. If using Vibecode Cloud auth: Make sure the backend is deployed and running
3. If using Google Sign-In: Verify your OAuth client ID and redirect URIs match — see the Google Login guide
4. If you’re locked out of your own app:
   • Access your database directly through the Database tab
   • Ask the agent to add a temporary bypass or admin route
   • Reset auth state by clearing the relevant database tables

Be careful with auth changes in production. Always test login/signup flows thoroughly in development first.

Database tab loads infinitely or shows no data

The Database tab connects to your backend’s database. If it’s not loading:

Try these steps:

1. Make sure your backend is deployed and running — the database viewer connects to the live backend
2. Try refreshing the page
3. Check that your database connection string is correctly set in environment variables
4. If you recently changed your database schema, the viewer may need a moment to re-sync

App Store & Distribution

My app was rejected from the App Store

Apple’s review process can be strict. Common rejection reasons:

• Missing privacy policy — Every app needs one. Ask the agent to generate a privacy policy page
• Incomplete metadata — App description, screenshots, and categories must all be filled out
• Crashes on launch — Make sure your production build works on a real device before submitting
• Login issues — If your app has auth, Apple requires a demo account for review
• Guideline 4.2 (Minimum Functionality) — Your app needs to provide enough value beyond what a website could offer

Try these steps:

1. Read the rejection reason carefully — Apple tells you exactly what to fix
2. Address each issue one by one
3. When resubmitting, include a note to the reviewer explaining what you changed
4. See our Deploy to App Store guide for the full checklist

Sharing via link doesn't work or shows an error

If sharing your app via link isn’t working:

Try these steps:

1. Make sure your app is deployed — sharing requires a live deployment
2. Check that the recipient has the Vibecode app installed (for App Clip links)
3. Try generating a new share link
4. If using a custom domain, verify the domain is correctly configured

Account & Billing

I ran out of credits — what now?

Credits are consumed when the AI agent generates or modifies code, and when you use integrations (AI models, APIs, etc.).

Your options:

1. Upgrade your plan — Higher plans include more monthly credits. See Plans & Credits
2. Wait for renewal — Credits reset at the start of each billing cycle
3. Optimize usage — Be more specific in your prompts to reduce back-and-forth iterations
4. Use integrations wisely — Image generation and large AI model calls consume more credits than text generation

Writing clear, detailed prompts upfront saves credits by reducing the number of revision cycles needed.

I was charged but my plan didn't update

Payment processing can sometimes take a few minutes.

Try these steps:

1. Wait 5–10 minutes and refresh your dashboard
2. Check your email for a payment confirmation
3. If it still hasn’t updated after 15 minutes, contact support with your payment receipt

General Tips

Start a new chat

When the agent seems confused, a fresh chat often fixes it. Your code stays intact.

Check Runtime Logs

The logs tab shows real-time errors. Copy-paste errors into chat for the agent to fix.

Be specific

“The save button on the settings page crashes when tapped” works better than “my app is broken”.

Test on device

The web preview is an approximation. Always test important flows on a real device.

Still stuck?

If none of these solutions work, we’re here to help:

Chat Support

Get help via Intercom in the app

Discord Community

Ask the community for help