How to make an app for a key maker

A key shop's day mixes quick counter jobs with home visits that matter more than they look: when you open someone's door, you want a record of who asked, what ID you saw and where it was. An app keeps key orders, lock openings and stock in one place.

Updated 2026-11-09

Who uses the app

Usually the owner, sometimes with a helper at the counter. If the helper and the person on visits each use their own phone, connect a Supabase database so both see the same jobs. Otherwise the data can stay on the owner's phone.

The screens a key maker app needs

Key orders: Token, customer, key type, number of copies, price and ready time; mark collected
Lock openings: Caller's name and phone, address, type of lock, ID type seen, ownership proof seen, time and charge
Fitting jobs: Locks fitted or changed at homes and shops, the lock used and the labour charge
Stock: Key blanks by type and padlocks, door locks and shutter locks with counts and prices
Visits map: Pins for today's home visits and past lock openings, so you can see where you are going
Day's cash: Cash and UPI from the counter and from visits, with the day's total

Features worth asking for

A lock opening can't be closed until 'ID seen' and 'ownership proof seen' are marked
A ready-for-pickup WhatsApp message for duplicate key orders
A low-stock list for key blanks you cut most
Scan the barcode on a lock's box to find it in stock (installed Android app)
Separate day and night visit charges filled in by the time of the job
Search past lock openings by address or phone number

Where the data lives

If only the owner uses it, the data can stay on that phone. If a helper at the counter and the person on visits use separate phones, connect your own Supabase database from the chat; add Razorpay only if you want customers to pay online, with the money going to you.

How to make it with AppCub, step by step

Decide what the app does. List the screens you need, for example: Key orders, Lock openings, Fitting jobs, Stock, Visits map.
Describe it to AppCub. Paste the request below, changed to your own business and details.
Check the plan. AppCub shows the screens and features it will build. Change them in the chat until they are right; seeing the plan is free.
Try it on your phone. The app runs live next to the chat. Scan the QR code to install it, and ask for changes.
Share it. Share it as a web link, an APK file, or publish it on Google Play from your own developer account.

Copy this request, change the details to match your key maker, and paste it into AppCub:

Make an app for my key shop, Bhagat Key House in Amritsar. Screens: key orders, lock openings, fitting jobs, stock, visits map and day's cash. Key orders have a token, customer, key type, copies, price and ready time. A lock opening records the caller, phone, address with a map pin, lock type, ID type seen and ownership proof seen; it can't be closed until both are ticked. Charge ₹400 by day and ₹700 after 9 PM. Stock of key blanks and locks with a low-stock list; let me scan lock box barcodes. WhatsApp ready message for keys. Brown and cream.

Tips for a key maker app

Record which ID and proof you saw rather than saving photos of customers' ID cards. If you do keep a photo, keep it private and only as long as you need it.
Start with lock openings and key orders; stock can come later.
Use the same token numbers as your counter slips, so customers can collect with the slip they hold.
Note night jobs with the exact time; it helps if someone later questions why a door was opened.
Test barcode scanning on a few lock boxes in the installed app; it doesn't work in the web preview.

What it costs

Describing your app and seeing AppCub’s plan for it is free.
A new app usually takes 60 to 110 credits. Start with the 2-day trial for ₹99 (150 credits, enough for one app and a few changes) or the one-time App Pack for ₹499. Starter is ₹1,599 a month for 700 credits.
Google Play needs a paid plan (it includes the Play Store bundle and your app’s signing key) and your own Google Play developer account, a one-time US$25 fee to Google.
Work that fails or is rolled back costs no credits.

See all plans

Good to know

AppCub doesn't connect to key cutting machines or program car keys, remotes or digital locks. It keeps your orders, visit records and stock, and messages go when you tap the WhatsApp button.
AppCub builds Android apps. You can also share the app as a web link that opens on any phone; for the iPhone App Store, AppCub’s team can do it for you.

Questions

Can the app make sure I check ownership before opening a lock?

Yes. Ask for 'ID seen' and 'ownership proof seen' fields on every lock opening, and for the job not to close until both are marked.

Should I store photos of customers' ID in the app?

It is safer to note the ID type and the last few digits. If you keep a photo, protect the app with sign-in, keep it private and delete it when you no longer need it.

Can the app tell a customer their duplicate key is ready?

Yes. A button opens WhatsApp with 'your key is ready' and the amount, and you send it.

Can I keep count of key blanks?

Yes. Ask for key blanks by type with stock that goes down when an order is marked done, and a low-stock list to reorder.

Can the app program car keys or digital locks?

No. AppCub doesn't connect to key machines or locks. The app records the job, the lock and the charge.

Can I see where I opened locks before?

Yes, as pins on a map and as a list you can search by address or phone, useful if a customer calls again.

Make your key maker app

Seeing the plan is free. Building starts with a 2-day trial for ₹99.

Start building