Build and Deploy

Ready to share your app with the world? This tutorial covers everything you need to build your Expo app for production and deploy it to the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Build Options

Expo provides two ways to build your app:

EAS Build

Cloud-based builds. No Xcode or Android Studio required. Recommended for most developers.

Local Builds

Build on your machine with Xcode and Android Studio. Full control, but more setup.

Prerequisites

EAS Build (Recommended)
Local Builds

Requirements:

Expo account (free): expo.dev/signup
Node.js 18+
Your Expo project

For iOS:

Apple Developer account ($99/year)
Not required for testing, only for App Store submission

For Android:

Google Play Developer account ($25 one-time)
Not required for testing, only for Play Store submission

Building with EAS (Recommended)

Step 1: Install EAS CLI

npm install -g eas-cli

Verify installation:

eas --version

Step 2: Log In to Expo

eas login

Enter your Expo credentials. Don’t have an account? Create one at expo.dev/signup.

Step 3: Configure EAS Build

In your project directory:

eas build:configure

This creates eas.json with build profiles:

eas.json

{
  "cli": {
    "version": ">= 5.0.0"
  },
  "build": {
    "development": {
      "developmentClient": true,
      "distribution": "internal",
      "ios": {
        "simulator": true
      }
    },
    "preview": {
      "distribution": "internal",
      "android": {
        "buildType": "apk"
      }
    },
    "production": {
      "autoIncrement": true
    }
  },
  "submit": {
    "production": {}
  }
}

Build Profiles Explained:

development: For local testing with custom native code
preview: For internal testing (APK for Android, Ad Hoc for iOS)
production: For app store submission

Step 4: Build for Android

Start the build

eas build --platform android --profile production

Choose build type

Select APK for testing or AAB (Android App Bundle) for Play Store:

? What would you like your Android application id to be?
› com.yourcompany.yourapp

Generate keystore

EAS will generate a new keystore for signing:

✔ Generated a new Android Keystore
✔ Uploaded credentials

EAS securely stores your keystore. You can download it later if needed.

Build starts

Your build is queued in the cloud:

✔ Build started
› Build ID: abc123-def456-ghi789
› View build details: https://expo.dev/accounts/yourname/projects/yourapp/builds/abc123

Download APK/AAB

When complete (5-15 minutes), download your build:

eas build:list

Or visit the URL to download from the dashboard.

Testing the APK

Install on your Android device:

Download the APK to your phone
Open it to install
You may need to enable “Install from Unknown Sources”
Test all features

Step 5: Build for iOS

Start the build

eas build --platform ios --profile production

Configure bundle identifier

? What would you like your iOS bundle identifier to be?
› com.yourcompany.yourapp

This must match your Apple Developer account configuration.

Set up Apple credentials

EAS needs access to your Apple Developer account:

? Do you have access to the Apple account that will be used for this app?
› Yes

? Provide your Apple ID:
› your-email@example.com

You’ll receive a verification code via email/SMS.

Generate certificates

EAS generates distribution certificates and provisioning profiles:

✔ Generated Distribution Certificate
✔ Generated Provisioning Profile
✔ Uploaded credentials

Build starts

✔ Build started
› Build ID: xyz789-abc123-def456
› View: https://expo.dev/accounts/yourname/projects/yourapp/builds/xyz789

Download IPA

When complete, download the .ipa file from the dashboard.

Testing the IPA

Option 1: TestFlight (Recommended)

Upload to App Store Connect
Add internal testers
They install via TestFlight app

Option 2: Ad Hoc BuildFor ad hoc distribution:

eas build --platform ios --profile preview

Install with Apple Configurator or Xcode.

Step 6: Submit to App Stores

EAS can submit builds automatically! Submit to Google Play:

eas submit --platform android

You’ll need:

Google Play Console account
App created in Play Console
Service account key (EAS guides you through this)

Submit to App Store:

eas submit --platform ios

You’ll need:

Apple Developer account
App created in App Store Connect
App Store Connect API key (EAS guides you through this)

For detailed submission guides, see:

Building Locally

Generate Native Projects

First, generate the native ios/ and android/ folders:

npx expo prebuild

This creates native projects configured for your app.

Run npx expo prebuild --clean to regenerate from scratch if you modify app.json.

Build iOS Locally

Open in Xcode

open ios/YourApp.xcworkspace

Open the .xcworkspace file, NOT .xcodeproj!

Select scheme

In Xcode, select your app scheme and “Any iOS Device” as the destination.

Configure signing

Select your project in the navigator
Go to “Signing & Capabilities”
Select your team
Xcode will handle provisioning

Build Android Locally

Generate signing key

keytool -genkeypair -v -storetype PKCS12 -keystore my-release-key.keystore -alias my-key-alias -keyalg RSA -keysize 2048 -validity 10000

Remember the passwords you set!

Configure Gradle

Create android/gradle.properties:

MYAPP_RELEASE_STORE_FILE=my-release-key.keystore
MYAPP_RELEASE_KEY_ALIAS=my-key-alias
MYAPP_RELEASE_STORE_PASSWORD=your-store-password
MYAPP_RELEASE_KEY_PASSWORD=your-key-password

Update android/app/build.gradle:

android {
  signingConfigs {
    release {
      storeFile file(MYAPP_RELEASE_STORE_FILE)
      storePassword MYAPP_RELEASE_STORE_PASSWORD
      keyAlias MYAPP_RELEASE_KEY_ALIAS
      keyPassword MYAPP_RELEASE_KEY_PASSWORD
    }
  }
  buildTypes {
    release {
      signingConfig signingConfigs.release
    }
  }
}

Build APK

cd android
./gradlew assembleRelease

Output: android/app/build/outputs/apk/release/app-release.apk

Or build AAB (for Play Store)

./gradlew bundleRelease

Output: android/app/build/outputs/bundle/release/app-release.aab

Running on Physical Devices

Development Builds

Create a development build to test on device:

eas build --profile development --platform ios
eas build --profile development --platform android

Development builds:

Include dev menu
Connect to Metro bundler
Support Fast Refresh
Include all your native dependencies

Install on Device

iOS:

Download IPA from EAS dashboard
Install via Xcode: Window → Devices and Simulators
Drag IPA onto device

Android:

Download APK from EAS dashboard
Transfer to device
Open APK to install
Or use adb install app.apk

App Store Guidelines

iOS App Store

App Review Guidelines

Key requirements:

App must be fully functional
No placeholder content
Privacy policy required
App description accurate
Screenshots required (multiple sizes)
Test account if login required

Full guidelines: developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/

App Store Connect Setup

Create app in App Store Connect
Fill in metadata:
- Name, subtitle, description
- Keywords
- Category
- Content rating
Upload screenshots (required sizes)
Set pricing
Submit for review

Review typically takes 1-3 days.

Common Rejection Reasons

Crashes or bugs
Missing functionality
Poor user experience
Privacy policy issues
Misleading description
Placeholder content

Always test thoroughly before submission!

Google Play Store

Play Console Setup

Create app in Play Console
Complete store listing:
- Title, description
- Screenshots (phone, tablet, TV)
- Feature graphic
- App icon
Set content rating (questionnaire)
Add privacy policy
Choose countries
Set pricing
Upload AAB

Release Tracks

Internal Testing: Up to 100 testers, instant access
Closed Testing: Limited testers, opt-in
Open Testing: Public beta, anyone can join
Production: Live on Play Store

Start with internal testing, then progress through tracks.

App Review Process

Google Play reviews are typically faster than iOS:

Initial review: Few hours to 2 days
Updates: Usually faster
Automated checks run immediately

Common issues:

Permissions not justified
Privacy policy missing
Content rating incorrect
Crashes on specific devices

Over-the-Air Updates

Update your app instantly without going through app stores:

# Install expo-updates
npx expo install expo-updates

# Publish update
eas update --branch production

OTA updates work for JavaScript code only. Native code changes require a new build.

Configure in app.json:

app.json

{
  "expo": {
    "updates": {
      "url": "https://u.expo.dev/your-project-id"
    },
    "runtimeVersion": "1.0.0"
  }
}

Users get updates automatically when they open the app!

Production Checklist

Before Building

App Store Submission

Play Store Submission

Troubleshooting

Build fails with credentials error

Reset credentials:

eas credentials

Select platform and “Remove all credentials” then rebuild.

App crashes on production build

Check:

Running in production mode locally:
expo start --no-dev --minify
All environment variables set
API URLs correct (not localhost)
All assets included
No development-only code

iOS app rejected

Common fixes:

Add NSPhotoLibraryUsageDescription in app.json
Ensure privacy policy is accessible
Test on actual device
Provide test account
Remove references to other platforms

Android signing issues

For EAS builds:

eas credentials

For local builds, verify:

Keystore path correct
Passwords correct in gradle.properties
Keystore not corrupted

Next Steps

Congratulations on building your first Expo app!

Monitor with Sentry

Track errors in production

Analytics

Understand user behavior

Push Notifications

Engage users with notifications

EAS Documentation

Learn advanced EAS features

Introduction

Core Concepts

Creating Your First App

Build and Deploy

Build Options

EAS Build

Local Builds

Prerequisites

Building with EAS (Recommended)

Step 1: Install EAS CLI

Step 2: Log In to Expo

Step 3: Configure EAS Build

Step 4: Build for Android

Step 5: Build for iOS

Step 6: Submit to App Stores

Building Locally

Generate Native Projects

Build iOS Locally

Build Android Locally

Running on Physical Devices

Development Builds

Install on Device

App Store Guidelines

iOS App Store

Google Play Store

Over-the-Air Updates

Production Checklist

Troubleshooting

Next Steps

Monitor with Sentry

Analytics

Push Notifications

EAS Documentation

​Build Options

EAS Build

Local Builds

​Prerequisites

​Building with EAS (Recommended)

​Step 1: Install EAS CLI

​Step 2: Log In to Expo

​Step 3: Configure EAS Build

​Step 4: Build for Android

​Step 5: Build for iOS

​Step 6: Submit to App Stores

​Building Locally

​Generate Native Projects

​Build iOS Locally

​Build Android Locally

​Running on Physical Devices

​Development Builds

​Install on Device

​App Store Guidelines

​iOS App Store

​Google Play Store

​Over-the-Air Updates

​Production Checklist

​Troubleshooting

​Next Steps

Monitor with Sentry

Analytics

Push Notifications

EAS Documentation

Build Options

Prerequisites

Building with EAS (Recommended)

Step 1: Install EAS CLI

Step 2: Log In to Expo

Step 3: Configure EAS Build

Step 4: Build for Android

Step 5: Build for iOS

Step 6: Submit to App Stores

Building Locally

Generate Native Projects

Build iOS Locally

Build Android Locally

Running on Physical Devices

Development Builds

Install on Device

App Store Guidelines

iOS App Store

Google Play Store

Over-the-Air Updates

Production Checklist

Troubleshooting

Next Steps