Expo
Expo is a framework and platform built on React Native that simplifies mobile app development with managed tooling, cloud builds (EAS), over-the-air updates, and pre-built native modules.
In depth
Key Expo features: - EAS Build: compile iOS/Android apps in the cloud without a Mac (for Android) - EAS Update: push JS bundle updates instantly — no App Store review for bug fixes - Expo SDK: pre-built modules for camera, location, notifications, biometrics, etc. - Expo Go: test apps on your phone during development
Expo vs bare React Native: - Expo: faster development, OTA updates, easier CI/CD — our default for MVPs - Bare RN: needed only for deeply custom native modules (rare for MVPs)
Expo Prebuild: if you later need a custom native module, run `npx expo prebuild` to generate native project files without losing your Expo investment.
Real example
A fitness app ships bug fixes to 10K users via EAS Update in minutes, bypassing the 3-day App Store review.
Tools & calculators
Related terms
API (Application Programming Interface)
An API (Application Programming Interface) is a set of rules and protocols that allows different software applications to communicate with each other — like a contract defining how one piece of software can request data or actions from another.
ASO (App Store Optimization)
App Store Optimization (ASO) is the process of optimizing a mobile app's listing to rank higher in App Store and Google Play search results and convert more viewers into downloads.
React Native
React Native is an open-source framework by Meta that lets developers build native mobile apps for iOS and Android using JavaScript and React — sharing one codebase across both platforms.
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