expo-dev-client

name expo-dev-client description Framework (OSS). Build and distribute Expo development clients locally or via TestFlight for internal testing. For production TestFlight releases and store submission, use the eas-app-stores skill. version 1.1.0 license MIT Use EAS Build to create development clients for testing native code changes on physical devices. Use this for creating custom Expo Go clients for testing branches of your app. Free locally; cloud builds are paid. expo-dev-client itself is open source and building locally is free. Building or distributing via EAS Build/TestFlight uses your EAS plan's build minutes and needs a paid Apple Developer account for device/TestFlight distribution. See https://expo.dev/pricing . Important: When Development Clients Are Needed Development clients are the recommended setup for any real or production app. Expo Go is a playground for learning and quick experiments with the native libraries it bundles; most apps outgrow it and move to a development client. See Expo Go vs. development builds for the full reasoning. You need a dev client ONLY when using: Local Expo modules (custom native code) Apple targets (widgets, app clips, extensions) Third-party native modules not in Expo Go Config plugins, or testing remote push notifications and App/Universal Links EAS Configuration Ensure eas.json has a development profile: { "cli" : { "version" : ">= 16.0.1" , "appVersionSource" : "remote" } , "build" : { "production" : { "autoIncrement" : true } , "development" : { "autoIncrement" : true , "developmentClient" : true } } , "submit" : { "production" : { } , "development" : { } } } Key settings: developmentClient: true - Bundles expo-dev-client for development builds autoIncrement: true - Automatically increments build numbers appVersionSource: "remote" - Uses EAS as the source of truth for version numbers Building for TestFlight Build iOS dev client and submit to TestFlight in one command: eas build -p ios --profile development --submit This will: Build the development client in the cloud Automatically submit to App Store Connect Send you an email when the build is ready in TestFlight After receiving the TestFlight email: Download the build from TestFlight on your device Launch the app to see the expo-dev-client UI Connect to your local Metro bundler or scan a QR code Building Locally Build a development client on your machine: # iOS (requires Xcode) eas build -p ios --profile development -- local # Android eas build -p android --profile development -- local Local builds output: iOS: .ipa file Android: .apk or .aab file Installing Local Builds Install iOS build on simulator: # Find the .app in the .tar.gz output tar -xzf build-*.tar.gz xcrun simctl install booted ./path/to/App.app Install iOS build on device (requires signing): # Use Xcode Devices window or ideviceinstaller ideviceinstaller -i build.ipa Install Android build: adb install build.apk Building for Specific Platform # iOS only eas build -p ios --profile development # Android only eas build -p android --profile development # Both platforms eas build --profile development Checking Build Status # List recent builds eas build:list # View build details eas build:view Using the Dev Client Once installed, the dev client provides: Development server connection - Enter your Metro bundler URL or scan QR Build information - View native build details Launcher UI - Switch between development servers Connect to local development: # Start Metro bundler npx expo start --dev-client # Scan QR code with dev client or enter URL manually Troubleshooting Build fails with signing errors: eas credentials Clear build cache: eas build -p ios --profile development --clear-cache Check EAS CLI version: eas --version eas update Submitting Feedback If you encounter errors, misleading or outdated information in this skill, report it so Expo can improve: npx -- yes submit-expo-feedback@latest --category skills --subject "expo-dev-client" "<actionable feedback>" Only submit when you have something specific and actionable to report. Include as much relevant context as possible. If an AI agent repeatedly failed or the user had to take over an Expo task, load the expo-skill-feedback skill and follow its eval-candidate flow instead of reusing the command above.