Agent skill · software engineering · aiskillstore
expo-dev-client
Build and distribute Expo development clients locally or via TestFlight
Why this skill is useful
Provides specific commands and configurations for building and distributing Expo development clients that are not commonly known.
What it needs
Requires adb, eas-cli, xcode installed locally. Requires expo account access. About 2k tokens when loaded. Last updated 2026-08-07. 405 stars on the source repository.
What this skill does
Use EAS Build to create development clients for testing native code changes on physical devices. Use this for creating custom Expo Go clients for testing branches of your app. Important: When Development Clients Are Needed Only create development clients when your app requires custom native code. Most apps work fine in Expo Go. You need a dev client ONLY when using: Local Expo modules (custom native code) Apple targets (widgets, app clips, extensions) Third-party native modules not in Expo Go Try Expo Go first with npx expo start. If everything works, you don't need a dev client. EAS Configuration Ensure eas.json has a development profile: Key settings: developmentClient: true - Bundles expo-dev-client for development builds autoIncrement: true - Automatically increments build numbers appVersionSource: "remote" - Uses EAS as the source of truth for version numbers Building for TestFlight Build iOS dev client and submit to TestFlight in one command: This will: 1. Build the development client in the cloud 2. Automatically submit to App Store Connect 3. Send you an email when the build is ready in TestFlight After receiving the TestFlight email: 1. Download the build from TestFlight on your device 2. Launch the app to see the expo-dev-client UI 3. Connect to your local Metro bundler or scan a QR code Building Locally Build a development client on your machine: Local builds output: iOS: .ipa file Android: .apk or .aab file Installing Local Builds Install iOS build on simulator: Install iOS build on device (requires signing): Install Android build: Building for Specific Platform Checking Build Status Using the Dev Client Once installed, the dev client provides: Development server connection - Enter your Metro bundler URL or scan QR Build information - View native build details Launcher UI - Switch between development servers Connect to local development: Troubleshooting Build fails with signing errors: Clear build cache: Check EAS CLI version:
How to use it
Reference it in AdaL, Claude Code, Cursor or any coding agent — nothing to install:
@skills aiskillstore/expo-dev-client