Building with EAS
1. Installing EAS CLI
The EAS CLI is the primary command-line tool for building and managing Expo applications with EAS Build and EAS Submit.
| Installation Method | Command | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| npm | npm install -g @expo/eas-cli |
Installs EAS CLI globally using npm |
| yarn | yarn global add @expo/eas-cli |
Installs EAS CLI globally using yarn |
| pnpm | pnpm add -g @expo/eas-cli |
Installs EAS CLI globally using pnpm |
Note: Ensure Node.js version 18 or higher is installed before installing EAS CLI.
2. Logging In
| Command | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| eas login | Logs into your Expo account | Requires valid credentials |
| eas login --token <token> | Logs in using a token | Useful for CI/CD environments |
Note: You need an Expo account to use EAS. If you don't have one, create it at
https://expo.dev.3. Configuring Project
| Property | Values | Description |
|---|---|---|
| expo.config | object |
Root configuration object for the Expo project |
| expo.name | string |
Name of the app as displayed in stores and on devices |
| expo.slug | string |
Unique identifier for the app in Expo ecosystem |
| expo.version | string |
Version of the app, used for updates and store submissions |
| expo.platform | string |
Platform-specific configuration (e.g., ios, android) |
| expo.bundleIdentifier | string |
Unique identifier for the app on iOS and Android (e.g., com.example.myapp) |
| expo.ios.buildNumber | string |
Build number for iOS builds (e.g., 1.0.0) |
| expo.android.versionCode | number |
Version code for Android builds (e.g., 1) |
| expo.icon | string |
Path to the app icon (e.g., ./assets/icon.png) |
| expo.splash.image | string |
Path to the splash screen image (e.g., ./assets/splash.png) |
| expo.splash.resizeMode | string |
Resize mode for splash screen (e.g., contain, cover) |
| expo.orientation | string |
Orientation of the app (e.g., portrait, landscape) |
| expo.backgroundColor | string |
Background color for the app (e.g., #ffffff) |
| expo.scheme | string |
Custom URI scheme for deep linking (e.g., myapp) |
| expo.permissions | array |
Permissions required by the app (e.g., ["camera", "location"]) |
| expo.plugins | array |
List of plugins to include in the project (e.g., ["expo-camera"]) |
| expo.extra | object |
Custom configuration values accessible at runtime (e.g., { apiEndpoint: "https://api.example.com" }) |
Example: Basic project configuration
{
"expo": {
"name": "MyApp",
"slug": "my-app",
"version": "1.0.0",
"platform": {
"ios": {
"buildNumber": "1.0.0"
},
"android": {
"versionCode": 1
}
},
"icon": "./assets/icon.png",
"splash": {
"image": "./assets/splash.png",
"resizeMode": "contain"
},
"orientation": "portrait",
"backgroundColor": "#ffffff",
"scheme": "myapp",
"permissions": ["camera", "location"],
"plugins": ["expo-camera"],
"extra": {
"apiEndpoint": "https://api.example.com"
}
}
}4. Building for Android
| Property | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| eas.build.android.image | ubuntu-20.04-node-18 |
Base image used for building Android apps |
| eas.build.android.ndkVersion | 21.4.7075529 |
Version of the Android NDK to use |
| eas.build.android.gradleVersion | 7.4.2 |
Gradle version used for building |
Note: Ensure that your
eas.json is configured correctly for Android builds.
Warning: Make sure to have the correct keystore and key alias configured in
eas.json for signing your Android app.
| Build Type | Command | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Development | eas build --platform android --profile development |
Builds a debug APK for local testing |
| Production | eas build --platform android --profile production |
Builds a release APK for distribution |
5. Building for iOS
| Property | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| eas.build.ios.release | true |
Enables building for release on iOS |
| eas.build.ios.simulator | false |
Enables building for simulator on iOS |
| eas.build.ios.provisioningProfile | string |
Path to provisioning profile for iOS |
| eas.build.ios.codeSigning | true |
Enables code signing for iOS builds |
Note: Ensure you have configured your iOS credentials in EAS Build settings before running the build command.
6. Building for All Platforms
| Platform | Build Command | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| iOS | eas build --platform ios |
Requires macOS or CI/CD with Xcode |
| Android | eas build --platform android |
Requires Android SDK or CI/CD with Gradle |
| Web | eas build --platform web |
Uses React Native Web under the hood |
Note: EAS Build supports building for multiple platforms in a single command using
eas build --platform all.
7. Using Build Profiles
| Profile Name | Platform | Description | Configuration |
|---|---|---|---|
| development | all | For local development and testing builds | { "development": { "distribution": "internal", "buildType": "apk" } } |
| preview | all | For sharing builds with team members or stakeholders | { "preview": { "distribution": "internal", "buildType": "aab" } } |
| production | all | For publishing to app stores | { "production": { "distribution": "store", "buildType": "aab" } } |
Example: Configuring Build Profiles
{
"build": {
"development": {
"distribution": "internal",
"buildType": "apk",
"channel": "dev-channel"
},
"preview": {
"distribution": "internal",
"buildType": "aab",
"channel": "preview-channel"
},
"production": {
"distribution": "store",
"buildType": "aab",
"channel": "production-channel"
}
}
}
Note: Build profiles are defined in
eas.json and allow you to configure different build settings for various environments like development, preview, and production.
8. Building Locally
| Command | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| eas build:local | Builds the app locally using the EAS Build service | Requires eas-cli installed |
| eas build:local --platform ios | Builds the iOS version of the app | Must have Xcode installed and configured |
| eas build:local --platform android | Builds the Android version of the app | Must have Android Studio or SDK installed |
Note: Ensure that your project is properly configured in
eas.json before running local builds.
9. Checking Build Status
| Command | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| eas build:list | List all builds for the project | Shows build ID, status, platform, and created date |
| eas build:status <build-id> | Get detailed status of a specific build | Use build ID from eas build:list |
Note: Build status can be
pending, running, success, or failed.10. Downloading Builds
| Build Type | Download Method | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Managed | eas build:download |
For builds created with EAS Build in managed workflow |
| Bare | eas build:download |
For builds created with EAS Build in bare workflow |
Note: The
--build-id is obtained from the EAS Build dashboard or via the eas build:list command.
Warning: Ensure that the build was created with the same project configuration (e.g., app version, SDK version) to avoid compatibility issues.
11. Inspecting Build
| Property | Description | Value |
|---|---|---|
| buildId | Unique identifier for the build | 1234567890 |
| status | Current status of the build | success |
| platform | Platform the build was created for | ios |
| buildTime | Duration of the build process | 2m 30s |
Example: Build Log Inspection
$ eas build:inspect --build-id 1234567890
Build ID: 1234567890
Status: success
Platform: ios
Build Time: 2m 30s
Logs:
[INFO] Starting build process...
[INFO] Building for iOS...
[SUCCESS] Build completed successfully12. Managing Credentials
| Property | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| eas.credentials | {} |
Configuration object for EAS credential management |
| eas.credentials.android | {} |
Android-specific credential configuration |
| eas.credentials.ios | {} |
iOS-specific credential configuration |
Example: Setting up Android Credentials
{
"eas": {
"credentials": {
"android": {
"keystore": {
"keystorePath": "android/keystore.jks",
"keystorePassword": "secret",
"keyAlias": "my-key-alias",
"keyPassword": "secret"
}
}
}
}
}Example: Setting up iOS Credentials
{
"eas": {
"credentials": {
"ios": {
"provisioningProfilePath": "ios/ProvisioningProfile.mobileprovision",
"distributionCertificate": {
"path": "ios/DistributionCertificate.p12",
"password": "secret"
}
}
}
}
}
Note: Credentials are managed securely by EAS and never stored in your repository.
Warning: Ensure keystore and certificate passwords are kept secure and not exposed in version control.