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The 20 terminal commands you run daily building Expo SDK 57 apps - Metro, prebuild, local native runs, and EAS cloud workflows. Treat this page as a cookbook reference card; platform-specific debugging lives in xcrun simctl and adb.
Quick-reference recipe card - copy-paste ready.
# Morning startup (dev client on simulator)
npx expo start --dev-client
npx expo run:ios --simulator "iPhone 16 Pro" # or: npx expo run:android
# Health check before a PR or release
npx expo-doctor
npm run lint && npx tsc --noEmit && npm test -- --ci
# Cloud build + submit (after eas.json is configured)
eas build --profile production --platform all --non-interactive
eas submit --platform all --latest --non-interactiveWhen to reach for this:
git clone?"expo run:* and cloud eas build.Typical SDK 57 day - from clone to TestFlight-shaped binary:
# 1. Install deps (lockfile-driven)
npm ci
# 2. Verify SDK alignment
npx expo-doctor
# 3. Start Metro for a dev client (not Expo Go)
npx expo start --dev-client --clear
# 4. Compile and install native shell (first time or after native dep change)
npx expo run:ios --simulator "iPhone 16 Pro"
# npx expo run:android # parallel Android path
# 5. Add a native-capable package the Expo way
npx expo install expo-camera
npx expo prebuild --platform ios # only when plugin changes native project
npx expo run:ios
# 6. Pre-merge quality gate (same as CI)
npm run lint
npx tsc --noEmit
npm test -- --ci
# 7. Production-shaped cloud build
eas build --profile production --platform ios --non-interactive --wait
eas build:list --limit 1 --json > /tmp/last-build.json # see jq page for parsingWhat this demonstrates:
npm ci - deterministic installs; CI and laptops share the same graph.expo-doctor - catches React/RN/Expo version skew before native compile.expo start --dev-client - pairs with a custom dev build, not Expo Go alone.expo install - resolves compatible semver for SDK 57 modules.eas build --wait - blocks until the artifact URL is ready for QA handoff.| # | Command | What it does | When you run it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | npx expo start | Starts Metro bundler and Dev Tools | Every JS iteration session |
| 2 | npx expo start --dev-client | Metro tuned for expo-dev-client launcher | Daily when using custom dev builds |
| 3 | npx expo start --clear | Metro with cache reset | Stale bundle, weird HMR, after dep upgrades |
| 4 | npx expo start --tunnel | Expo tunnel when LAN/firewall blocks device | QA on cellular, corporate Wi-Fi |
| 5 | npx expo install <pkg> | Adds deps pinned to SDK 57 matrix | Any new expo-* or RN community module |
| 6 | npx expo-doctor | Validates project against Expo compatibility rules | Before PR, after SDK bump, when builds fail mysteriously |
| 7 | npx expo prebuild | Generates ios/ and android/ from app.config.ts | After config plugin or native entitlement change |
| 8 | npx expo run:ios | Prebuild (if needed) + Xcode build + simulator/device install | Local iOS dev client iteration |
| 9 | npx expo run:android | Prebuild (if needed) + Gradle assemble + install | Local Android dev client iteration |
| 10 | npx expo lint | Runs ESLint with Expo's recommended config | Pre-commit and PR checks |
| 11 | npx tsc --noEmit | TypeScript compile check without output | Pre-commit and PR checks |
| 12 | npm test -- --ci | Jest in CI-safe mode (no watch) | Every PR and before eas build |
| 13 | eas build | Cloud native compile with EAS credentials | Store binaries, QA builds, simulator IPAs |
| 14 | eas build:list | Lists recent cloud builds (status, artifact URLs) | "Where is my IPA?" after CI |
| 15 | eas build --local | Runs EAS build recipe on your machine | Reproduce cloud signing/compile failures |
| 16 | eas submit | Uploads latest build to App Store Connect / Play Console | After green QA on production profile |
| 17 | eas update | Publishes JS bundle to EAS Update channel | Hotfix JS without store review |
| 18 | eas credentials | Manage iOS certs/profiles and Android keystores | Signing errors, new bundle ID, push setup |
| 19 | npx expo export | Static export of web or embedded bundle | Web deploy, size audits, offline bundle inspection |
| 20 | watchman watch-del-all | Clears Watchman roots (macOS/Linux) | Metro file-watcher stuck after branch switch |
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Metro / JS loop │ expo start*, expo export, eas update │
├─────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Native shell │ expo prebuild, expo run:ios/android │
├─────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Quality gates │ expo-doctor, lint, tsc, jest --ci │
├─────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Cloud ship │ eas build*, eas submit, eas credentials│
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘# Simulator / device targeting
npx expo run:ios --simulator "iPhone 16 Pro"
npx expo run:ios --device
npx expo run:android --device
# Non-interactive CI (always pair with EXPO_TOKEN)
eas build --profile preview --platform android --non-interactive --wait
eas submit --platform ios --latest --non-interactive
# Inspect last build as JSON (feeds jq recipes)
eas build:list --limit 5 --json --status finished# Prefer npx for one-off Expo/EAS CLIs - avoids global version drift
npx expo-doctor
npx eas-cli@latest build --profile production --platform all
# Export token for CI shells (GitHub Actions sets secrets.EXPO_TOKEN)
export EXPO_TOKEN="your-robot-token"
eas whoami # verify auth before --non-interactive builds
# Chain gates the way CI does - fail fast
npx expo-doctor && npm run lint && npx tsc --noEmit && npm test -- --cinpm install expo-camera instead of npx expo install - version may not match SDK 57; native build fails in CocoaPods or Gradle. Fix: always npx expo install <pkg>.expo start without --dev-client on a custom native build - launcher cannot find the right entry or dev menu. Fix: npx expo start --dev-client after expo run:*.eas build without eas login / EXPO_TOKEN in CI - interactive prompts hang the job. Fix: eas login locally; robot token in CI - see EAS Build Basics.expo-doctor after merging dependabot - green TypeScript but red native link step. Fix: doctor before every expo run:* or eas build.expo prebuild on every JS save - wipes hand-edited native files under CNG. Fix: prebuild only when app.config.ts, plugins, or native modules change.eas update replaces entitlements or native modules - OTA is JS-only. Fix: eas build when native code or config plugins change.npm run targets.| Alternative | Use When | Don't Use When |
|---|---|---|
Expo Go (expo start + scan QR) | Learning RN, no custom native modules | Push, universal links, custom native SDKs |
eas build --local | Reproduce cloud compile on a Mac with Xcode | You only need a quick Debug simulator run |
npx react-native run-ios | Bare RN without Expo prebuild pipeline | Expo projects - loses config plugins |
Global eas / expo install | You pin versions in every script anyway | Default - npx avoids team-wide CLI drift |
npx eas-cli@latest <command> or npm install eas-cli --save-dev keeps versions in package.json.expo/expo-github-action or npx eas-cli@latest with EXPO_TOKEN.expo run:ios (or run:android) once to install the dev client binary.expo start --dev-client for daily JS reload - Metro stays up across saves.adb reverse on Android when possible.npx expo start plus press i in the terminal, or npx expo run:ios for native compile.expo start --ios shortcut in modern Expo CLI.eas build:cancel - then eas build:list to confirm status before retrying.eas build:list --json in CIeas.json, first cloud buildexpo run:ios pulls you into Xcodeadb and Gradle mental modelStack versions: This page was written for React 19.2.3, React Native 0.86.0, and Expo SDK 57 (
expo~57.0.4).
Reviewed by Chris St. John·Last updated Jul 16, 2026