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Apr 28, 2026 · The Mana Team

Getting started with Mana

Install Mana, make your first creation, and pin it to your home screen — five minutes end to end.

Mana is the fastest way to turn an idea into something real on your iPhone. This guide walks you through the first five minutes.

1. Install

Mana is on the App Store (currently in invite-only Beta). Join the waitlist and we'll send you a TestFlight code within 24 hours.

2. Describe what you want

Open Mana, tap New, and describe the thing you want — like you'd describe it to a friend. You don't need to specify frameworks, libraries, or layout. The clearer you are about what it should feel like to use, the better Mana's first version will be.

Examples that work well:

  • "Flashcards that quiz me on the 200 most common Mandarin words, one at a time, with a streak counter."
  • "Tap-to-log caffeine intake, with a Lock Screen widget showing my total today."
  • "Split-bill calculator for groups up to 8 people, with custom tip percentages."

3. Wait 30–60 seconds

Mana writes it in a sandbox, runs it, fixes its own bugs, and previews the result. You'll see the steps stream by — chat-style — and the creation appears as soon as it's working.

4. Iterate

Don't aim for perfection on the first prompt. Most useful Mana creations go through 3–5 quick rounds:

"The streak counter should reset on missed days, not pause." "Use the SF Pro Rounded font and a warmer palette." "Add a Lock Screen widget showing today's total."

5. Pin it

Once it feels right, pin it to your home screen. It opens instantly — Mana renders it in a WKWebView with native chrome — and works offline for non-cloud features.

Next: How prompts get turned into something real.