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How to Download Expo Go and Test React Native Apps on Your Device

If you are a React Native developer or enthusiast, you might have heard of Expo Go, a free and open-source app that allows you to test your React Native apps on your device without building anything locally. In this article, we will show you how to download Expo Go, run your React Native app with it, publish and share your app, and customize your app with Expo Go.

What is Expo Go and Why You Should Use It

Expo Go is a native app that is installed on your device. It is a development client that connects to the development server running on your computer or online. It lets you open up apps served through Expo CLI, a command-line tool for creating and running React Native apps. You can also open and share projects with the members of your organization by publishing with EAS Update, a service for delivering updates to your app over the air.

Expo Go Features

Some of the features of Expo Go are:

It supports all the features of the Expo SDK, a set of libraries that provide access to native APIs and functionality.
It allows you to use hot reloading and fast refresh, which reload your app instantly when you make changes to your code.
It enables you to use the developer menu, which gives you access to various tools such as debugging, performance monitoring, element inspector, and more.
It lets you scan QR codes or enter URLs to open apps from Expo CLI or EAS Update.
It displays a list of recently opened projects and projects shared by other users.
It supports multiple SDK versions, which map to different versions of React Native and Expo SDK.

Expo Go Benefits

Some of the benefits of using Expo Go are:

It is free and open-source, so you can use it without any cost or limitation.
It is easy to install and use, so you don’t need to set up any complex environment or configuration.
It is cross-platform, so you can test your app on both Android and iOS devices.
It is fast and convenient, so you can run your app on your device in seconds without waiting for builds or downloads.
It is collaborative, so you can share your app with other developers or testers easily.

How to Install Expo Go on Your Device

To use Expo Go, you need to install it on your device. It is available on both the Android Play Store and iOS App Store. Here are the steps to install it:

Android

Open the Play Store app on your device.
Search for “Expo Go” or use this link to go directly to the app page.
Tap on the Install button and wait for the app to download and install.
Once the app is installed, tap on the Open button or find the app icon on your home screen or app drawer.

iOS

Open the App Store app on your device.
Search for “Expo Go” or use this link to go directly to the app page.
Tap on the Get button and wait for the app to download and install.
Once the app is installed, – tap on the Open button or find the app icon on your home screen or app drawer.

How to Run Your React Native App with Expo Go

Once you have installed Expo Go on your device, you can run your React Native app with it. There are two ways to do this: using QR code or using URL.

Using QR Code

This is the easiest and fastest way to run your app with Expo Go. You just need to scan the QR code generated by Expo CLI or EAS Update with your device’s camera. Here are the steps to do this:

Make sure your device and your computer are on the same Wi-Fi network.
Open a terminal or command prompt on your computer and navigate to the folder where your React Native project is located.
Run expo start or eas update depending on whether you want to use Expo CLI or EAS Update.
You will see a QR code displayed on your terminal or browser window. You can also press s to send the QR code to your email or phone number.
Open Expo Go on your device and tap on the Scan QR Code button at the bottom of the screen.
Point your device’s camera at the QR code and wait for it to scan.
Your app will start running on your device and you will see the app name and icon at the top of the screen.

Using URL

This is another way to run your app with Expo Go. You just need to enter the URL of your app served by Expo CLI or EAS Update. Here are the steps to do this:

Make sure your device and your computer are on the same Wi-Fi network.
Open a terminal or command prompt on your computer and navigate to the folder where your React Native project is located.
Run expo start or eas update depending on whether you want to use Expo CLI or EAS Update.
You will see a URL displayed on your terminal or browser window. It will look something like exp://192.168.1.100:19000.
Open Expo Go on your device and tap on the Enter a URL button at the bottom of the screen.
Type or paste the URL of your app and tap on Go.
Your app will start running on your device and you will see the app name and icon at the top of the screen.

How to Publish and Share Your React Native App with Expo Go

If you want to share your React Native app with other users, you can publish it with Expo Go. This will create a URL that anyone can open with Expo Go. There are two ways to publish your app: using EAS Update or using Expo Snack.

Using EAS Update

EAS Update is a service that allows you to deliver updates to your app over the air. You can use it to publish your app and share it with other users. Here are the steps to do this:

Create an account on [Expo] if you don’t have one already.
Login to your account and create a new project or select an existing one.
Open a terminal or command prompt on your computer and navigate to the folder where your React Native project is located.
Run eas login and enter your credentials.
Run eas build --profile development --platform all. This will build your app for both Android and iOS platforms and upload it to EAS Update servers.
You will see a URL displayed on your terminal that looks something like eas://@username/projectname. You can also press s to send the URL to your email or phone number.
You can share this URL with anyone who has Expo Go installed on their device. They can open it with Expo Go and run your app.

Using Expo Snack

[Expo Snack] is an online tool that allows you to create and run React Native apps in the browser. You can use it to publish your app and share it with other users. Here are the steps to do this:

Create an account on [Expo] if you don’t have one already.
Login to your account and go to [Expo Snack].
Create a new snack or open an existing one.
Copy and paste your React Native code into the editor or upload your project files.
Click on the Save button and give your snack a name and description.
You will see a URL displayed on the top right corner of the screen that looks something like snack.expo.dev/@username/projectname.
You can share this URL with anyone who has Expo Go installed on their device. They can open it with Expo Go and run your app.

How to Customize Your React Native App with Expo Go

If you want to customize your React Native app with Expo Go, you can use two tools: app config and Expo SDK. App config is a file that contains information about your app, such as name, icon, splash screen, permissions, etc. Expo SDK is a set of libraries that provide access to native APIs and functionality, such as camera, maps, notifications, etc.

Using App Config

App config is a file named app.json or app.config.js that is located in the root folder of your React Native project. It contains a JSON object that defines various properties of your app. You can use it to customize your app with Expo Go. Here are some examples of what you can do with app config:

You can change the name and icon of your app by editing the name and icon properties under the expo key.
You can change the splash screen of your app by editing the splash property under the expo key.
You can change the orientation of your app by editing the orientation property under the expo key.
You can change the permissions of your app by editing the permissions property under the expo key.
You can change the platform-specific settings of your app by editing the android, ios, or web properties under the expo key.

You can find more information about app config and its properties on [this page].

Using Expo SDK

[Expo SDK] is a set of libraries that provide access to native APIs and functionality. You can use it to customize your app with Expo Go. Here are some examples of what you can do with Expo SDK:

You can use the [Camera] module to access the device’s camera and take photos or videos.
You can use the [Maps] module to display interactive maps and markers on your app.
You can use the [Notifications] module to send and receive push notifications on your device.
You can use the [Media Library] module to access and manage the media files on your device.
You can use the [Sensors] module to access and monitor the device’s sensors, such as accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, etc.

You can find more information about Expo SDK and its modules on [this page].

Conclusion

In this article, we have shown you how to download Expo Go, run your React Native app with it, publish and share your app, and customize your app with Expo Go. We hope you have found this article helpful and informative. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below. Happy coding!

FAQs

What is React Native?

[React Native] is a framework for building native apps using React, a JavaScript library for creating user interfaces. It allows you to use the same codebase for both Android and iOS platforms, saving time and resources.

What is Expo?

[Expo] is a platform for creating and running React Native apps. It provides various tools and services that make development easier and faster, such as Expo CLI, EAS Update, Expo Snack, Expo SDK, etc.

What is the difference between Expo Go and Expo Build?

[Expo Go] is a development client that allows you to test your React Native apps on your device without building anything locally. [Expo Build] is a service that allows you to build standalone binaries (APK or IPA files) for your React Native apps that can be distributed through app stores or other channels. Expo Go is for development and testing purposes, while Expo Build is for production and distribution purposes.

How can I debug my React Native app with Expo Go?

You can debug your React Native app with Expo Go using various tools and methods. Some of them are:

You can use the developer menu, which you can access by shaking your device or pressing Ctrl + M on Android or Cmd + D on iOS. It gives you access to various tools such as debugging, performance monitoring, element inspector, and more.
You can use the [React Native Debugger], which is a standalone app that integrates the Chrome Developer Tools and the Redux DevTools. It allows you to inspect the app state, network requests, console logs, breakpoints, etc.
You can use the [Flipper], which is a platform for debugging mobile apps. It allows you to inspect the app layout, network requests, native logs, databases, preferences, etc.
You can use the [Expo DevTools], which is a web interface that runs on your browser. It allows you to view the logs, reload the app, toggle the device mode, etc.

How can I update my React Native app with Expo Go?

You can update your React Native app with Expo Go using EAS Update, a service that allows you to deliver updates to your app over the air. You can use it to publish new versions of your app and push them to your users without going through the app stores. Here are the steps to do this:

Open a terminal or command prompt on your computer and navigate to the folder where your React Native project is located.
Run eas login and enter your credentials.
Run eas build --profile development --platform all. This will build your app for both Android and iOS platforms and upload it to EAS Update servers.
Run eas update --profile development --platform all. This will publish a new update for your app and notify your users.
Your users will receive the update automatically or manually depending on their settings. They can also check for updates by shaking their device or pressing Ctrl + M on Android or Cmd + D on iOS and tapping on Check for Updates.

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Download Expo Go ((BETTER))