Expo dev client

Skill Sameeh07/AGENT-SKILLS/skills/expo-dev-client

This repository contains small, focused skill cards that you can load into AI coding assistants (e.g., GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Antigravity, Replit Agents). Each skill is a short markdown file that teaches the assistant conventions and patterns for a given topic.

Install

npx -y skills add Sameeh07/AGENT-SKILLS --skill expo-dev-client

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What its author says it does

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Build and distribute Expo development clients locally or via TestFlight

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SKILL.md

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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.

Important: When Development Clients Are Needed

Only create development clients when your app requires custom native code. Most apps work fine in Expo Go.

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

Try Expo Go first with npx expo start. If everything works, you don't need a dev client.

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