Building React Native applications used to require a significant amount of native setup — Xcode projects, Gradle configuration, and platform-specific tooling. Today, Expo removes most of that complexity and provides a streamlined development experience for both Android and iOS.

Expo is no longer just a prototyping tool. With EAS Build, Development Builds, and Expo Modules, it has become a production-ready platform used by teams shipping real apps at scale.

Create a project in minutes

A modern Expo project starts with a single command:

npx create-expo-app@latest my-app
cd my-app
npx expo start

This gives you a TypeScript-ready project with file-based routing already configured. You can run it instantly on a simulator, a real device via the Expo Go app, or a Development Build.

Native when you need it

The old fear with Expo was hitting a wall and having to “eject.” That era is over. Development Builds let you add any native dependency while keeping the Expo workflow:

npx expo install expo-dev-client
eas build --profile development --platform ios

For custom native code, Expo Modules lets you write Swift or Kotlin and expose it to JavaScript without maintaining a separate native project. Most teams never need to leave the ecosystem.

Plan for production from day one

Three things should be decided before your first release, not after:

  • Builds — use EAS Build for reproducible, cloud-based binaries instead of local Xcode/Gradle setups.
  • Updates — set up expo-updates so you can ship JavaScript fixes without a store review.
  • Monitoring — wire in error reporting (e.g. Sentry) early so production crashes are visible.
// app.json — minimal production-aware config
{
  "expo": {
    "runtimeVersion": { "policy": "appVersion" },
    "updates": { "url": "https://u.expo.dev/your-project-id" }
  }
}

Conclusion

Expo has matured into a complete platform for React Native development. With Development Builds for native flexibility, EAS for builds and updates, and a sensible project structure from the start, teams can deliver high-quality mobile applications while keeping development fast and maintainable.

The key is treating it as a production platform from the first commit — not a prototype you will later have to escape.