Leveraging Expo Updates: Streamlining React Native Development Without Waiting for Store Approval

Let's talk about the conventional headache every mobile developer faces – app updates. Waiting for app store approvals can be a real buzzkill, delaying crucial bug fixes or exciting new features from reaching our users. But fear not, Expo Updates swoops in as our knight in shining armor, offering a seamless solution to this age-old problem.

So, what exactly is Expo Updates?

Expo Updates offers a convenient way to push over-the-air (OTA) updates to your React Native apps without needing to go through the lengthy app store review process. This means that bug fixes, performance enhancements, or even feature additions can be deployed to users' devices almost instantly, greatly improving the user experience and reducing the time-to-market for new releases.

One of the most compelling aspects of Expo Updates is its ease of use. Integrating Expo Updates into your React Native project is straightforward, requiring minimal configuration. By simply installing the Expo CLI and running a few commands, you can enable OTA updates for your app and start deploying changes immediately.

Another significant advantage of Expo Updates is its reliability and robustness. Updates are delivered in a secure and efficient manner, with built-in safeguards to ensure that only authorized updates are applied to your app. Expo handles the versioning and distribution of updates seamlessly, making the process virtually invisible to end users.

Moreover, Expo Updates empowers developers to iterate rapidly and respond to user feedback more effectively. Instead of waiting days or even weeks for app store approvals, developers can push updates in real-time, allowing them to address issues promptly and iterate on features faster. This agile development approach fosters innovation and keeps users engaged by delivering a constantly evolving app experience.

Additionally, Expo Updates provides a valuable fallback mechanism in case of emergencies. If a critical bug is discovered post-release, developers can quickly roll back to a previous version or push a hotfix without waiting for store approvals. This level of flexibility is invaluable for maintaining the stability and reliability of your app while minimizing downtime for users.

However, it's essential to use Expo Updates responsibly and follow best practices to ensure a smooth deployment process. Proper testing and validation procedures should be in place to catch any potential regressions before rolling out updates to production. Additionally, communication with users about the update process and any changes introduced is crucial for transparency and user trust.

How to add Expo Updates to existing project?

Well it is very easy to follow the official expo documentation here: https://docs.expo.dev/versions/latest/sdk/updates/

But let me recap it now:

First: Install the package

npx expo install expo-updates

Second: Config the Expo Plugin in app.json file and check updates code

{
  "expo": {
    "plugins": [
      [
        "expo-updates",
        {
          "username": "account-username"
        }
      ]
    ]
  }
}

Add this expo-updates code to the root of your project (index.tsx,...)

async function onFetchUpdateAsync() {
    try {
      const update = await Updates.checkForUpdateAsync();


      if (update.isAvailable) {
        await Updates.fetchUpdateAsync();
        await Updates.reloadAsync();
      }
    } catch (error) {
      // alert(`Error fetching latest Expo update: ${error}`);
      console.log(error);
    }
  }


  useEffect(() => {
    onFetchUpdateAsync();
  }, []);

Third: Config the build channel in eas.json file (optional)

{
  "cli": {
    "version": ">= 5.9.1"
  },
  "build": {
    "development": {
      "developmentClient": true,
      "distribution": "internal",
      "channel": "development"
    },
    "preview": {
      "distribution": "internal",
      "android": {
        "buildType": "apk"
      },
      "channel": "preview"
    },
    "production": {
      "autoIncrement": true,
      "channel": "production"
    }
  },
  "submit": {
    "production": {}
  }
}

Forth: Build the project

Just build your project as normal as you do then install that build in your devices. Then open the code and change something after that run eas update and wait for success.

Open then force close app 2 times and see the update there =))

Conclusion

Expo Updates revolutionizes the way React Native developers manage app updates, offering a fast, reliable, and hassle-free solution that eliminates the need to wait for store approvals. By leveraging Expo Updates, developers can deliver a superior user experience, iterate more efficiently, and respond to feedback with agility. Embracing this modern approach to app updates empowers developers to stay ahead in a competitive landscape while delighting users with continuous improvements to their React Native applications.