Chapter 1.4 - Thunkable Setup

Time Estimate: 15-45 minutes

1.4.1. Introduction and Goals

This course uses Thunkable, a visual drag-and-drop programming environment that can be used to quickly build mobile apps.

In this lesson, you will try an already-built Thunkable project and make sure that it runs on your mobile device or computer. The setup requires that you already have a Thunkable account. If you do not, you should go back to the previous lesson before moving on.

1.4.2. Learning Activities

Thunkable is an example of an Integrated Development Environment (IDE)arrow-up-right, which means that all of the software tools needed to design, develop, and test a mobile app are integrated within the Thunkable platform. IDEs are part of the standard toolkit that programmers use to develop programs.

Thunkable is a cloud applicationarrow-up-right. It runs completely within a browser. Chrome, Firefox, and Safari are the recommended browsers. Make sure your computer has the latest version of your preferred browser.

Thunkable’s editor has two key areas:

  • Design Tab: Drag and drop components like buttons, images, lists, maps, and more to visually build your app’s UI.

  • Blocks Tab: Add logic to your app using code blocks — no syntax required.

You can switch between these tabs anytime as you build.

The Design Editor

Designing the visual aspect of your app is accomplished with screens, user interface (UI) componentsarrow-up-right,

and navigatorsarrow-up-right.

You can combine, style, and customize them to give your app personality and style that best suits your brand.​

The Blocks Editor

Thunkable blocksarrow-up-right are the building blocks of a great experience for your app users.

Every component has its own set of blocks to start or trigger an event and set and change properties.

Preview and Test Your App

As you build, you can preview your app in real time:

Troubleshooting

Here are some of the most common issues that our users are running into: Troubleshooting | Thunkable Docsarrow-up-right

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