Building & Deployment

Expo Application Services (EAS) handles all builds and submissions. No local Xcode or Android Studio required for production builds.

Build Types

Build Type	Use Case	Distribution
Development	Local testing with Expo Go	Not distributed
Preview	Internal testing, stakeholder review	Internal distribution / TestFlight
Production	App store release	App Store / Google Play

Prerequisites

1. EAS CLI — npm install -g eas-cli
2. Logged into EAS — eas login
3. Project configured — eas build:configure (run once per project)

Development Builds

For local development and testing:

# Start the development server
npx expo start

# Scan QR code with Expo Go app (iOS/Android)

For features requiring native code (push notifications, etc.), create a development build:

# iOS development build
eas build --profile development --platform ios

# Android development build
eas build --profile development --platform android

Preview Builds

Internal distribution for testing before release:

# Build for both platforms
eas build --profile preview --platform all

# Or build individually
eas build --profile preview --platform ios
eas build --profile preview --platform android

iOS Preview Distribution:

• Uses Ad Hoc provisioning
• Requires device UDIDs registered in Apple Developer account
• Or use TestFlight for broader internal testing

Android Preview Distribution:

• Generates APK for direct installation
• No Play Store required
• Share via link or internal distribution

Production Builds

Release builds for app store submission:

# Build for both platforms
eas build --profile production --platform all

iOS Production

The build will be signed with your distribution certificate and uploaded to App Store Connect automatically if configured.

Android Production

The build will be signed with your upload key and formatted as an AAB (Android App Bundle) for Play Store submission.

Submitting to App Stores

Automated Submission

EAS Submit can automatically upload builds to both stores:

# Submit latest iOS build to App Store Connect
eas submit --platform ios

# Submit latest Android build to Google Play
eas submit --platform android

# Submit specific build
eas submit --platform ios --id [build-id]

Manual Submission

If you prefer manual submission:

1. Download the build artifact from expo.dev
2. iOS: Upload via Transporter app or xcrun altool
3. Android: Upload AAB via Google Play Console

Environment Configuration

Each client app uses environment variables to connect to their WordPress site:

# .env.local (not committed)
EXPO_PUBLIC_API_URL=https://clientchurch.com
EXPO_PUBLIC_APP_NAME=Client Church

For EAS builds, set secrets:

eas secret:create --name API_URL --value "https://clientchurch.com"

Build Configuration (eas.json)

{
  "cli": {
    "version": ">= 5.0.0"
  },
  "build": {
    "development": {
      "developmentClient": true,
      "distribution": "internal"
    },
    "preview": {
      "distribution": "internal",
      "ios": {
        "simulator": false
      }
    },
    "production": {
      "autoIncrement": true
    }
  },
  "submit": {
    "production": {
      "ios": {
        "appleId": "mark.tenney@icloud.com",
        "ascAppId": "APP_STORE_CONNECT_APP_ID",
        "appleTeamId": "CWQ9VCV3Z6"
      },
      "android": {
        "serviceAccountKeyPath": "./play-store-credentials.json",
        "track": "internal"
      }
    }
  }
}

Troubleshooting Builds

iOS Build Failures

• Provisioning profile mismatch: Ensure bundle ID matches Apple Developer configuration
• Certificate expired: Regenerate via Apple Developer portal, update EAS credentials

Android Build Failures

• Keystore issues: EAS manages keystores by default; check eas credentials for status
• SDK version mismatch: Update expo-build-properties in app.json

Check Build Logs

# View recent builds
eas build:list

# View specific build logs
eas build:view [build-id]