diff --git a/iOS/.env.template b/.env.template
similarity index 100%
rename from iOS/.env.template
rename to .env.template
diff --git a/Android/README.md b/Android/README.md
index 3f33970..cfcfb21 100644
--- a/Android/README.md
+++ b/Android/README.md
@@ -14,14 +14,16 @@ If you'd like to just view the app, it is available in the [Play store](https://
 ### Building and Running the App in Android Studio
 1. In your [Ditto portal](https://portal.ditto.live), create an app to generate a Database ID,
 development token, and URL.  
-2. Clone this repo to a location on your machine, and open in Android Studio.    
-3. Create a `local.properties` file or if you already have one, open it. 
-4. In the `local.properties` file add the following entries (keep the quotes):
+2. Clone this repo to a location on your machine, and open the `Android` project in Android Studio.    
+3. From the **repository root**, run `cp .env.template .env`. This `.env` is shared by the iOS and
+Android apps.
+4. Edit `.env` to add the values from the portal (no quotes):
 ```
-dittoDatabaseId="replace-with-your-database-id"
-dittoDevelopmentToken="replace-with-your-development-token"
-dittoUrl="replace-with-your-url"
+DITTO_DATABASE_ID=replace-with-your-database-id
+DITTO_DEVELOPMENT_TOKEN=replace-with-your-development-token
+DITTO_URL=replace-with-your-url
 ```
-5. Hit the green play button to run the app
+5. Hit the green play button to run the app. (Android Studio manages `local.properties` for the
+Android SDK location; credentials no longer go there.)
 
 Compatible with Android Automotive OS (AAOS)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/Android/app/build.gradle.kts b/Android/app/build.gradle.kts
index baadec4..9f76a3e 100644
--- a/Android/app/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/Android/app/build.gradle.kts
@@ -28,23 +28,24 @@ android {
             useSupportLibrary = true
         }
 
-        // Load Ditto API keys
+        // Load Ditto credentials from the shared repo-root .env. Values there
+        // are unquoted, so wrap each in quotes for the generated BuildConfig.
         buildConfigField(
             "String",
             "DITTO_DATABASE_ID",
-            getLocalProperty("dittoDatabaseId")
+            "\"${dittoEnv("DITTO_DATABASE_ID")}\""
         )
 
         buildConfigField(
             "String",
             "DITTO_DEVELOPMENT_TOKEN",
-            getLocalProperty("dittoDevelopmentToken")
+            "\"${dittoEnv("DITTO_DEVELOPMENT_TOKEN")}\""
         )
 
         buildConfigField(
             "String",
             "DITTO_URL",
-            getLocalProperty("dittoUrl")
+            "\"${dittoEnv("DITTO_URL")}\""
         )
     }
 
@@ -139,16 +140,17 @@ kapt {
     correctErrorTypes = true
 }
 
-fun getLocalProperty(key: String, file: String = "local.properties"): String {
+// Reads a value from the shared repo-root .env — the single source of truth
+// for Ditto credentials across the iOS and Android apps. Values are unquoted.
+fun dittoEnv(key: String): String {
+    val envFile = File(rootProject.projectDir.parentFile, ".env")
+    if (!envFile.isFile) {
+        error("Shared .env not found at ${envFile.absolutePath}. Copy .env.template to .env at the repo root.")
+    }
     val properties = Properties()
-    val localProperties = File(file)
-    if (localProperties.isFile) {
-        InputStreamReader(FileInputStream(localProperties), Charsets.UTF_8).use { reader ->
-            properties.load(reader)
-        }
-    } else {
-        error("File not found")
+    InputStreamReader(FileInputStream(envFile), Charsets.UTF_8).use { reader ->
+        properties.load(reader)
     }
-
     return properties.getProperty(key)
+        ?: error("Missing \"$key\" in ${envFile.absolutePath}")
 }
diff --git a/iOS/DittoPOS.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj b/iOS/DittoPOS.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj
index 6427261..e4470ee 100644
--- a/iOS/DittoPOS.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj
+++ b/iOS/DittoPOS.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj
@@ -409,7 +409,7 @@
 			);
 			inputPaths = (
 				"$(SRCROOT)/buildEnv.sh",
-				"$(SRCROOT)/.env",
+				"$(SRCROOT)/../.env",
 			);
 			name = "Generate Env.swift";
 			outputFileListPaths = (
@@ -419,7 +419,7 @@
 			);
 			runOnlyForDeploymentPostprocessing = 0;
 			shellPath = /bin/sh;
-			shellScript = "\"${SRCROOT}/buildEnv.sh\" \"${SRCROOT}/.env\" \"${SRCROOT}/${PROJECT}\"\n";
+			shellScript = "\"${SRCROOT}/buildEnv.sh\" \"${SRCROOT}/../.env\" \"${SRCROOT}/${PROJECT}\"\n";
 		};
 /* End PBXShellScriptBuildPhase section */
 
diff --git a/iOS/README.md b/iOS/README.md
index 08ce92c..b71fd13 100644
--- a/iOS/README.md
+++ b/iOS/README.md
@@ -16,15 +16,16 @@ If you'd like to just view the app, it is available in the [app store](https://a
 1. Clone this repo to a location on your machine, and open in Xcode.    
 2. Navigate to the project `Signing & Capabilities` tab and modify the `Team and Bundle Identifier` settings to your Apple developer account 
 credentials to provision building to your device.  
-3. In your [Ditto portal](https://portal.ditto.live), create an app to generate an App ID and 
-playground token.   
-4. In Terminal, run `cp .env.template .env` at the Xcode project root directory.   
-5. Edit `.env` to add environment variables from the portal as in the following example:   
+3. In your [Ditto portal](https://portal.ditto.live), create an app to generate a Database ID,
+development token, and URL.   
+4. In Terminal, from the **repository root** run `cp .env.template .env`. This `.env` is shared by the
+iOS and Android apps.   
+5. Edit `.env` to add the values from the portal (no quotes):   
 ``` bash
-DITTO_APP_ID=replace_with_your_app_id
-DITTO_PLAYGROUND_TOKEN=replace_with_your_playground_token
-DITTO_WEBSOCKET_URL=replace_with_your_websocket_url
+DITTO_DATABASE_ID=replace_with_your_database_id
+DITTO_DEVELOPMENT_TOKEN=replace_with_your_development_token
+DITTO_URL=replace_with_your_url
 ```
-6. Clean (**Command + Shift + K**), then build (**Command + B**). This will generate `Env.swift`. 
-The project is now configured for the portal app.    
+6. Clean (**Command + Shift + K**), then build (**Command + B**). This generates `Env.swift` from the
+root `.env`. The project is now configured for the portal app.