Building Standalone Apps

Standalone apps are self-contained native applications that can be distributed through app stores or other channels. This guide covers both cloud-based builds with EAS Build and local compilation.

Understanding Build Types

Expo supports two primary approaches to creating standalone builds:

EAS Build (Recommended)

EAS Build is a cloud-based build service that compiles your app on remote servers. Benefits include:

No need to install Android Studio or Xcode locally
Consistent build environment across team members
Handles code signing automatically
Build from any operating system (Windows, Linux, macOS)
Integrated with EAS Submit for streamlined app store deployment

Local Builds

Local builds compile your app on your own machine. Use this when:

Company policies restrict use of third-party CI/CD services
You need to debug build failures in detail
You want complete control over the build environment

Building with EAS Build

Install and Configure EAS CLI

npm install -g eas-cli
eas login

Configure your project for EAS Build:

eas build:configure

This creates an eas.json file with default build profiles:

eas.json

{
  "build": {
    "development": {
      "developmentClient": true,
      "distribution": "internal"
    },
    "preview": {
      "distribution": "internal"
    },
    "production": {}
  }
}

Configure App Identifiers

Set your bundle identifiers in app.json:

app.json

{
  "expo": {
    "name": "My App",
    "slug": "my-app",
    "version": "1.0.0",
    "ios": {
      "bundleIdentifier": "com.yourcompany.yourapp"
    },
    "android": {
      "package": "com.yourcompany.yourapp"
    }
  }
}

Create Production Builds

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eas build --platform android --profile production

This creates an AAB (Android App Bundle) by default, which is required for Google Play Store submissions.

eas build --platform ios --profile production

This creates an IPA (iOS App Archive) signed with your distribution certificate.

eas build --platform all --profile production

Builds for both platforms simultaneously.

Monitor Build Progress

EAS CLI displays a link to monitor your build:

✔ Build started, it may take a few minutes to complete.
  https://expo.dev/accounts/yourname/projects/yourapp/builds/abc123

You can also view all builds:

eas build:list

Local Build Configuration

Local builds require Android Studio (for Android) and Xcode (for iOS) to be installed and properly configured on your machine.

Running EAS Build Locally

You can run the same EAS Build process locally:

eas build --platform android --local
eas build --platform ios --local

This replicates the cloud build environment on your machine. Environment Variables for Debugging:

# Keep build artifacts after build completes
export EAS_LOCAL_BUILD_SKIP_CLEANUP=1

# Specify custom working directory
export EAS_LOCAL_BUILD_WORKINGDIR=/path/to/build/dir

# Custom artifacts output directory
export EAS_LOCAL_BUILD_ARTIFACTS_DIR=./builds

eas build --platform android --local

Building with Native Tools

For complete control, you can use native build tools directly.

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Step 1: Generate Native ProjectsIf using Continuous Native Generation:

npx expo prebuild --platform android

Step 2: Build with Gradle

cd android
./gradlew assembleRelease  # For APK
./gradlew bundleRelease    # For AAB (Play Store)

Output locations:

APK: android/app/build/outputs/apk/release/app-release.apk
AAB: android/app/build/outputs/bundle/release/app-release.aab

Step 1: Generate Native Projects

npx expo prebuild --platform ios

Step 2: Install Dependencies

cd ios
pod install

Step 3: Build with XcodeOpen ios/YourApp.xcworkspace in Xcode, then:

Select Product > Archive
Choose your signing team and certificate
Archive the app
Export the IPA from the Organizer

Or use command line:

xcodebuild -workspace ios/YourApp.xcworkspace \
  -scheme YourApp \
  -configuration Release \
  -archivePath build/YourApp.xcarchive \
  archive

Build Profiles

Customize builds for different scenarios using profiles in eas.json:

eas.json

{
  "build": {
    "development": {
      "developmentClient": true,
      "distribution": "internal",
      "android": {
        "buildType": "apk"
      },
      "ios": {
        "simulator": true
      }
    },
    "preview": {
      "distribution": "internal",
      "channel": "preview"
    },
    "production": {
      "channel": "production",
      "android": {
        "buildType": "app-bundle"
      }
    },
    "staging": {
      "extends": "production",
      "channel": "staging",
      "env": {
        "API_URL": "https://staging-api.example.com"
      }
    }
  }
}

Build Profile Options

Common Options:

distribution: "store" | "internal" - Determines build artifacts
channel: EAS Update channel name for OTA updates
env: Environment variables available during build
credentialsSource: "remote" | "local" - Where to get signing credentials

Android Options:

buildType: "apk" | "app-bundle" - Output format
gradleCommand: Custom Gradle command
image: Build image version (e.g., "sdk-54")

iOS Options:

simulator: Build for simulator (development only)
buildConfiguration: "Debug" | "Release"
scheme: Xcode scheme to build

Build Output Types

Android Build Types

AAB (Android App Bundle) - Recommended for Store

{
  "android": {
    "buildType": "app-bundle"
  }
}

Required by Google Play Store (for new apps since August 2021)
Smaller download size for users
Cannot be installed directly on devices

APK (Android Package) - For Testing

{
  "android": {
    "buildType": "apk"
  }
}

Can be installed directly on devices
Useful for internal distribution
Larger file size than AAB

iOS Build Types

App Store Distribution

{
  "ios": {
    "simulator": false
  }
}

For App Store submission
Requires distribution certificate
Works on physical devices only

Simulator Build (Development)

{
  "ios": {
    "simulator": true
  }
}

Runs on iOS Simulator
Faster build times
No code signing required
Cannot run on physical devices

Advanced Build Options

Auto-Increment Version

eas.json

{
  "build": {
    "production": {
      "android": {
        "autoIncrement": "versionCode"
      },
      "ios": {
        "autoIncrement": "buildNumber"
      }
    }
  }
}

Custom Build Scripts

Run custom scripts during the build process using eas-build-pre-install and eas-build-post-install hooks in package.json:

package.json

{
  "scripts": {
    "eas-build-pre-install": "echo 'Running before dependencies install'",
    "eas-build-post-install": "node scripts/post-install.js"
  }
}

Resource Classes

For larger apps, use more powerful build machines:

eas.json

{
  "build": {
    "production": {
      "android": {
        "resourceClass": "large"  // default | medium | large
      },
      "ios": {
        "resourceClass": "large"  // default | medium | large
      }
    }
  }
}

Troubleshooting

Build Failed with Out of Memory

Increase resource class or enable Hermes (Android):

app.json

{
  "expo": {
    "android": {
      "enableHermes": true
    }
  }
}

iOS Build Fails with Provisioning Profile Issues

Clear credentials and regenerate:

eas credentials --platform ios
# Select "Remove all credentials"
eas build --platform ios --clear-cache

Android Build Fails with Gradle Errors

Clear build cache:

eas build --platform android --clear-cache

Viewing Detailed Build Logs

Click the build URL from EAS CLI output
Navigate to the “Logs” tab
Download full logs for offline analysis

For local builds, check the working directory:

export EAS_LOCAL_BUILD_SKIP_CLEANUP=1
eas build --platform android --local
# Logs will be in the working directory

Next Steps

Configure App Signing - Set up certificates and keystores
Build Configuration - Deep dive into eas.json
Submit to App Stores - Deploy your builds to stores

Building

Distribution

Web Deployment

​Building Standalone Apps

​Understanding Build Types

​EAS Build (Recommended)

​Local Builds

​Building with EAS Build

​Install and Configure EAS CLI

​Configure App Identifiers

​Create Production Builds

​Monitor Build Progress

​Local Build Configuration

​Running EAS Build Locally

​Building with Native Tools

​Build Profiles

​Build Profile Options

​Build Output Types

​Android Build Types

​iOS Build Types

​Advanced Build Options

​Auto-Increment Version

​Custom Build Scripts

​Resource Classes

​Troubleshooting

​Build Failed with Out of Memory

​iOS Build Fails with Provisioning Profile Issues

​Android Build Fails with Gradle Errors

​Viewing Detailed Build Logs

​Next Steps

Building Standalone Apps

Understanding Build Types

EAS Build (Recommended)

Local Builds

Building with EAS Build

Install and Configure EAS CLI

Configure App Identifiers

Create Production Builds

Monitor Build Progress

Local Build Configuration

Running EAS Build Locally

Building with Native Tools

Build Profiles

Build Profile Options

Build Output Types

Android Build Types

iOS Build Types

Advanced Build Options

Auto-Increment Version

Custom Build Scripts

Resource Classes

Troubleshooting

Build Failed with Out of Memory

iOS Build Fails with Provisioning Profile Issues

Android Build Fails with Gradle Errors

Viewing Detailed Build Logs

Next Steps