eas-app-stores

$npx mdskill add expo/skills/eas-app-stores

> **EAS service - costs apply.** Cloud builds use EAS plan resources, and EAS services have free-tier and paid-plan limits. Apple Developer and Google Play memberships are separate. Check https://expo.dev/pricing for the requested service.

SKILL.md

.github/skills/eas-app-storesView on GitHub ↗
---
name: eas-app-stores
description: Build and submit iOS and Android apps with EAS to TestFlight, the App Store, or Google Play. Supports Expo and other React Native projects, plus existing native apps. Use for eas.json setup, release pipelines, signing, app versions and build numbers, store submissions, and listing metadata. For Expo websites and API routes, use eas-hosting; for adding React Native screens to a native app, use expo-brownfield.
version: 1.1.0
license: MIT
---

# App Store Deployment

> **EAS service - costs apply.** Cloud builds use EAS plan resources, and EAS services have free-tier and paid-plan limits. Apple Developer and Google Play memberships are separate. Check https://expo.dev/pricing for the requested service.

This skill covers building and releasing iOS and Android apps with EAS: Expo and other React Native projects, plus existing native apps. EAS is a delivery service; native apps can use it without adding Expo or React Native to their runtime. The native setup walkthrough currently covers SwiftUI/UIKit on iOS.

## Choose the project path

- **SwiftUI/UIKit app with no React Native runtime:** read [references/native-ios.md](references/native-ios.md) before changing its build configuration. Keep the Xcode project and Swift code as the app's source of truth. The Expo/React Native quick-start and development-client examples below do not apply to this path.
- **Native Android app with no React Native runtime:** preserve its existing native build setup. See [references/play-store.md](references/play-store.md) for submission; the Swift/iOS setup instructions do not apply. A dedicated native Android setup walkthrough is not yet included.
- **Expo/React Native app:** use the quick-start below, then the relevant store reference.
- **Adding React Native screens to an existing native app:** use `expo-brownfield` for that integration; return here for distribution.

Use the archive and icon checks in [references/native-ios.md](references/native-ios.md) during initial native iOS setup, after changing versioning, bundle IDs, or icons, or when diagnosing a rejected upload. Routine releases follow the EAS build/submit flow and the processing and availability checks in [references/testflight.md](references/testflight.md). A successful EAS build or a queued submission does not establish Apple acceptance, tester access, or an App Store release.

## References

Consult these resources as needed:

- ./references/workflows.md -- CI/CD workflows for automated store releases and PR previews
- ./references/testflight.md -- Submitting iOS builds to TestFlight for beta testing
- ./references/app-store-metadata.md -- Managing App Store metadata and ASO optimization
- ./references/play-store.md -- Submitting Android builds to Google Play Store
- ./references/ios-app-store.md -- iOS App Store submission and review process
- ./references/native-ios.md -- Native Swift/SwiftUI/UIKit setup, versioning, and archive verification without an Expo runtime

## Expo / React Native Quick Start

### Install EAS CLI

```bash
npm install -g eas-cli
eas login
```

### Initialize EAS

```bash
npx eas-cli@latest init
```

`eas init` links or creates the EAS project. Run `eas build:configure` to create build profiles in `eas.json`; preserve existing project and store identifiers when a release setup already exists.

## Build Commands

### Production Builds

```bash
# iOS App Store build
npx eas-cli@latest build -p ios --profile production

# Android Play Store build
npx eas-cli@latest build -p android --profile production

# Both platforms
npx eas-cli@latest build --profile production
```

### Submit to Stores

```bash
# iOS: Build and submit to App Store Connect
npx eas-cli@latest build -p ios --profile production --auto-submit

# Android: Build and submit to Play Store
npx eas-cli@latest build -p android --profile production --auto-submit

# Expo / React Native shortcut for iOS TestFlight
npx testflight
```

## Web & API Route Hosting

Deploying an Expo website or Expo Router API routes to EAS Hosting (`npx expo export -p web` then `eas deploy`) is covered by the `eas-hosting` skill. This skill focuses on native app store releases.

## EAS Configuration

Example for an Expo / React Native project (native Swift profiles are in `references/native-ios.md`):

```json
{
  "cli": {
    "version": ">= 16.0.1",
    "appVersionSource": "remote"
  },
  "build": {
    "production": {
      "autoIncrement": true,
      "ios": {
        "resourceClass": "m-medium"
      }
    },
    "development": {
      "developmentClient": true,
      "distribution": "internal"
    }
  },
  "submit": {
    "production": {
      "ios": {
        "appleId": "[email protected]",
        "ascAppId": "1234567890"
      },
      "android": {
        "serviceAccountKeyPath": "./google-service-account.json",
        "track": "internal"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

## Platform-Specific Guides

### iOS

- For native Swift apps, use the explicit build/submit flow in `references/native-ios.md`
- For Expo / React Native apps, `npx testflight` provides a quick TestFlight flow
- Configure Apple credentials via `eas credentials`
- See ./references/testflight.md for credential setup
- See ./references/ios-app-store.md for App Store submission

### Android

- Set up Google Play Console service account
- Configure tracks: internal → closed → open → production
- See ./references/play-store.md for detailed setup

## Automated Releases

EAS Workflows automate the build → submit → update pipeline for CI/CD. See ./references/workflows.md for store-release examples. To author or validate workflow YAML, use the `eas-workflows` skill - it works from the live workflow schema.

## Version Management

EAS manages version numbers automatically with `appVersionSource: "remote"`:

```bash
# Check current versions
eas build:version:get

# Manually set version
eas build:version:set -p ios
```

The version-set command prompts for the value. When setting up or changing native iOS versioning, or diagnosing a duplicate build number, inspect the archived `CFBundleVersion`: the remote counter alone does not prove that Xcode used it.

## Monitoring

```bash
# List recent builds
eas build:list

# Check build status
eas build:view BUILD_ID

# Inspect submissions (verified with EAS CLI 23.2.0)
eas submit:list -p ios --json
eas submit:view SUBMISSION_ID --json
```

Check the CLI version before interpreting a missing command: these submission commands are available in 23.2.0 but not in the tested 18.6.0 installation. A pinned `npx [email protected]` invocation can use them without changing the global installation. See `references/testflight.md` for live Apple status and retry guidance. Follow the returned log URLs when the JSON result omits the underlying failure. Report the exact build ID/version and the furthest verified release state.

## Submitting Feedback
If you encounter errors, misleading or outdated information in this skill, report it so Expo can improve:
```bash
npx --yes @expo/agent-cli@latest feedback --category skills --subject "eas-app-stores" "<actionable feedback>"
```
Only submit when you have something specific and actionable to report. Include as much relevant context as possible.
If an agent repeatedly fails at an Expo task or the user has to step in, submit a brief report of the task, expected result, and what went wrong using `--category evals` and the relevant Expo package or command as `--subject`.

More from expo/skills

SkillDescription
building-native-uiComplete guide for building beautiful apps with Expo Router. Covers fundamentals, styling, components, navigation, animations, patterns, and native tabs.
codex-expo-run-actionsWire Expo projects into the Codex app with project-local run scripts and .codex/environments/environment.toml actions. Use when the user wants the Codex app Run button, build/run actions, action buttons, or a stable Expo start/run workflow from Codex.
eas-hostingDeploy Expo websites and Expo Router API routes to EAS Hosting - export the web bundle, run eas deploy for production and PR preview URLs, manage environment secrets and custom domains, and work within the Cloudflare Workers runtime. Also covers authoring API routes (+api.ts handlers, HTTP methods, request handling, CORS). Use when deploying an Expo web app or API routes, setting up EAS Hosting, or configuring hosting environments and domains. Not for native builds or store releases - use the eas-app-stores skill for those.
eas-observeUse for anything related to EAS Observe - adding `expo-observe` to an Expo project (AppMetricsRoot/ObserveRoot HOC, markInteractive and ObserveInteractiveMarker, the useObserve hook, the Expo Router / React Navigation integrations for per-route metrics, user-defined events via `Observe.logEvent`, error reporting via ObserveErrorBoundary and `Observe.reportError`, native crash reporting, source map upload for symbolicated stack traces, and runtime config such as sampleRate and dispatchInDebug), querying via the EAS CLI (`eas observe:metrics-summary`, `observe:metrics`, `observe:routes`, `observe:events`, `observe:session`, `observe:versions`, `observe:errors`, `observe:event`), interpreting the resulting metrics (cold/warm launch, TTR, TTI, navigation cold/warm TTR, update download, and the TTI frameRate/device/network params for triaging slow startups), or shipping an Observe integration inside a third-party package.
eas-simulatorRun and control a user's app on a remote iOS/Android simulator hosted on EAS cloud. Read before running any `eas simulator:*` commands - it has the current syntax for this experimental API. Use whenever the user needs a simulator they can't run locally - 'run my app on a cloud simulator', 'use eas simulator to run/install/screenshot my app', 'I'm on Linux/Cursor and need an iOS device', 'no sim on this box / headless CI', 'let an agent click through my app and screenshot it', 'test my dev build on a remote sim with live reload', 'stream a sim to my browser' - even when they don't say 'EAS Simulator' or 'cloud'. On a host WITHOUT a local simulator (Linux, CI, cloud sandbox) it's the default; on macOS, do NOT auto-trigger for a plain 'run on the simulator' - use it only for a cloud/remote/shareable sim, an iOS version they lack, or an agent-driven session. NOT for local sims (expo run:ios, Xcode, Android Studio), EAS Build/Update, web preview, or physical devices.
eas-updateConfigure and use EAS Update for over-the-air JavaScript and asset updates with expo-updates and EAS CLI. Use when setting up OTA updates, running eas update:configure or eas update, publishing to preview/staging/production channels, explaining branches/channels/runtime versions, testing updates, or debugging why an installed build still shows old code. Load for TestFlight, preview, or production updates that do not appear, including questions about cold launches or reopening the app. Not for update health metrics; use eas-update-insights for adoption, crashes, and rollout monitoring.
eas-update-insightsCheck the health of published EAS Update: crash rates, install/launch counts, unique users, payload size, and the split between embedded and OTA users per channel. Use when the user asks how an update is performing, whether a rollout is healthy, how many users are on the embedded build vs OTA, or wants to gate CI on update health.
eas-workflowsHelps understand and write EAS workflow YAML files for Expo projects. Use this skill when the user asks about CI/CD or workflows in an Expo or EAS context, mentions .eas/workflows/, or wants help with EAS build pipelines or deployment automation.
expo-animationBuild animations in React Native and Expo, making the decisions in the order that determines whether they feel right — should it animate, which thread it runs on, which properties, spring or timing, how the gesture hands off, how it degrades. Writes the implementation with Reanimated, Gesture Handler, Expo Router and expo-haptics. Use when animating anything in an Expo app, adding gestures, sheets, screen transitions, press feedback or haptics, or fixing motion that stutters on device. For web animation use `animate`.
expo-api-routesGuidelines for creating API routes in Expo Router with EAS Hosting