Expo CLI Reference

Complete command reference for the Expo CLI with all commands, options, and examples.

The Expo CLI is a command-line tool for developing, building, and deploying Expo and React Native apps. It’s included when you install the expo package.

Installation

The CLI is automatically installed with the expo package:

npm install expo

Usage

Run Expo CLI commands using npx:

npx expo <command> [options]

Global Options

These options are available for all commands:

--version · flag

Output the version number

--help · flag

Display help for command

--non-interactive · flag

Disable interactive prompts

Commands

expo start

Start a development server for your project.

npx expo start [options]

Options

--clear, -c · flag

Clear the Metro bundler cache

--dev · flag · default: "true"

Enable development mode

--no-dev · flag

Disable development mode (production mode)

--minify · flag

Minify JavaScript

--https · flag

Start server with HTTPS

--port, -p · number · default: "8081"

Port to run Metro bundler on

--host · string

Hostname for the dev server

--tunnel · flag

Start a tunnel for the dev server

--lan · flag

Use LAN connection

--localhost · flag

Use localhost connection

--offline · flag

Skip network requests

--dev-client · flag

Start for a development build (non-Expo Go)

--go · flag

Start for Expo Go

--scheme · string

Custom URL scheme to use when launching the app

--android · flag

Open on connected Android device/emulator

--ios · flag

Open on connected iOS simulator

--web · flag

Open in web browser

--private-key-path · string

Path to private key for code signing

Examples:

# Start development server
npx expo start

# Start with cache cleared
npx expo start --clear

# Start and open on iOS
npx expo start --ios

# Start for development build
npx expo start --dev-client

# Start with tunnel
npx expo start --tunnel

expo run:ios

Build and run the iOS app locally.

npx expo run:ios [options]

Options

--device · string

Device name or UDID to build for

--scheme · string

Xcode scheme to build

--configuration · string · default: "Debug"

Xcode configuration (Debug or Release)

--port, -p · number · default: "8081"

Port to run Metro bundler on

--no-bundler · flag

Skip starting the Metro bundler

Examples:

# Run on default simulator
npx expo run:ios

# Run on specific device
npx expo run:ios --device "iPhone 15 Pro"

# Run release build
npx expo run:ios --configuration Release

expo run:android

Build and run the Android app locally.

npx expo run:android [options]

Options

--device · string

Device name or ID to build for

--variant · string · default: "debug"

Build variant to use (debug or release)

--port, -p · number · default: "8081"

Port to run Metro bundler on

--no-bundler · flag

Skip starting the Metro bundler

Examples:

# Run on default device/emulator
npx expo run:android

# Run release variant
npx expo run:android --variant release

# Run on specific device
npx expo run:android --device emulator-5554

expo prebuild

Generate native iOS and Android directories for your project.

npx expo prebuild [options]

Options

--clean · flag

Delete native directories before generating

--npm · flag

Use npm to install dependencies

--yarn · flag

Use Yarn to install dependencies

--no-install · flag

Skip installing npm packages

--template · string

Template to use for native directories

--platform · string

Platforms to generate (ios, android, or all)

Examples:

# Generate native projects
npx expo prebuild

# Clean and regenerate
npx expo prebuild --clean

# Generate only iOS
npx expo prebuild --platform ios

Running prebuild will create ios/ and android/ directories. These should be added to .gitignore if using continuous native generation.

expo install

Install a package and ensure compatible versions with your Expo SDK.

npx expo install <packages...> [options]

Options

--check · flag

Check which packages need to be updated

--fix · flag

Automatically update packages to compatible versions

--npm · flag

Use npm

--yarn · flag

Use Yarn

--pnpm · flag

Use pnpm

--bun · flag

Use Bun

Examples:

# Install packages
npx expo install expo-camera expo-location

# Check for incompatible versions
npx expo install --check

# Fix incompatible versions
npx expo install --fix

expo export

Export the app for deployment.

npx expo export [options]

Options

--platform · string · default: "all"

Platforms to export (ios, android, web, or all)

--output-dir · string · default: "dist"

Output directory for exported files

--clear · flag

Clear Metro bundler cache

--dev · flag

Export in development mode

--minify · flag

Minify JavaScript

Examples:

# Export all platforms
npx expo export

# Export only web
npx expo export --platform web

# Export to custom directory
npx expo export --output-dir build

expo build

Deprecated. Use EAS Build instead.

eas build

See EAS Build documentation.

expo config

Show the project config.

npx expo config [options]

Options

--type · string

Type of config to show (public, prebuild, or introspect)

--full · flag

Show full config including internal values

Examples:

# Show config
npx expo config

# Show public config
npx expo config --type public

# Show full config
npx expo config --full

expo customize

Generate template files for customization.

npx expo customize [files...]

Examples:

# Show available files
npx expo customize

# Generate tsconfig.json
npx expo customize tsconfig.json

# Generate metro.config.js
npx expo customize metro.config.js

expo doctor

Check the project for potential issues.

npx expo doctor [options]

Options

--fix-dependencies · flag

Fix dependency version issues

Examples:

# Check for issues
npx expo doctor

# Fix dependency issues
npx expo doctor --fix-dependencies

expo lint

Run ESLint on the project.

npx expo lint [options] [path]

Options

--fix · flag

Automatically fix problems

Examples:

# Lint project
npx expo lint

# Lint and fix
npx expo lint --fix

expo login

Login to your Expo account.

npx expo login [options]

Options

--username · string

Username

--password · string

Password

--sso · flag

Login with SSO

expo logout

Logout from your Expo account.

npx expo logout

expo whoami

Show the currently authenticated account.

npx expo whoami

expo register

Create a new Expo account.

npx expo register

Autolinking

expo-modules-autolinking

Search for Expo modules installed in the project.

npx expo-modules-autolinking [command]

Commands:

• search - Search for Expo modules
• resolve - Resolve module configuration
• verify - Verify autolinking setup

Environment Variables

EXPO_DEBUG

Enable debug logging:

EXPO_DEBUG=1 npx expo start

EXPO_NO_TELEMETRY

Disable anonymous usage telemetry:

EXPO_NO_TELEMETRY=1 npx expo start

EXPO_USE_METRO_WORKSPACE_ROOT

Use the workspace root as the Metro project root:

EXPO_USE_METRO_WORKSPACE_ROOT=1 npx expo start

Package Manager Detection

The CLI automatically detects your package manager:

• Checks for lockfiles (package-lock.json, yarn.lock, pnpm-lock.yaml, bun.lockb)
• Falls back to npm if no lockfile is found
• Can be overridden with --npm, --yarn, --pnpm, or --bun flags

Interactive Prompts

The CLI includes interactive prompts for better developer experience:

• Device selection: Choose which device to run on
• Package installation: Confirm installing missing packages
• Config generation: Confirm creating config files
• Platform selection: Choose which platforms to target

Disable prompts with --non-interactive for CI/CD environments.

Keyboard Shortcuts

When the dev server is running, use these shortcuts:

• a - Open on Android
• i - Open on iOS
• w - Open in web browser
• r - Reload app
• m - Toggle menu
• j - Open debugger
• c - Clear Metro cache
• d - Show dev menu
• ? - Show all commands

Troubleshooting

Clear Cache

If you encounter bundling issues:

npx expo start --clear

Reset Project

For persistent issues:

# Delete native directories
rm -rf ios android

# Clear cache
rm -rf node_modules
npx expo start --clear

# Reinstall dependencies
npm install

# Regenerate native projects
npx expo prebuild

View Logs

Enable debug logging:

EXPO_DEBUG=1 npx expo start

Related Commands

EAS CLI

For building and deploying with EAS:

npm install -g eas-cli
eas build
eas submit
eas update

See EAS CLI documentation.

Related Documentation

• App Configuration
• Metro Configuration
• Development Builds
• EAS Build