rn-release-eas

name	rn-release-eas
description	Build, sign, and ship Expo React Native apps to the App Store and Google Play via EAS (Expo Application Services). Covers EAS Build profiles, EAS Submit, EAS Update (OTA), iOS and Android code signing, and store metadata. Apply when configuring build pipelines, releasing to production, setting up OTA updates, or troubleshooting signing.
metadata	{"owner":"rn-builder","status":"stable"}

rn-release-eas

Purpose

Owns the full ship path from "code is ready" to "users have the new version" — build profiles, code signing, store submission, and over-the-air JS updates.

When to Apply

Use this skill when the task is:

• Setting up eas.json for a new project
• Producing a development, preview, or production build
• Configuring iOS code signing / provisioning profiles
• Configuring Android signing keys
• Submitting to App Store Connect or Google Play
• Setting up EAS Update for OTA JS deployments
• Diagnosing a failed build, submit, or update

Do not use this skill for:

• Bare RN apps with Fastlane → that's a separate workflow (out of scope for this agent; route to a DevOps specialist).
• CI test runs → read ../rn-testing/SKILL.md.

Problem → Reference

Task	Read
Configure eas.json build profiles (dev, preview, prod)	eas-build-profiles.md
Submit a built artifact to App Store / Google Play	eas-submit-stores.md
Ship a JS-only fix without a store review	eas-update-ota.md
iOS certificates, provisioning, App Store Connect API key	ios-signing-credentials.md
Android keystore, Play Console service account	android-signing-credentials.md
App icon, splash, screenshots, store listing copy	store-metadata-checklist.md

Default Choices

Concern	Default	Notes
Build service	EAS Build	Manages prebuild, native builds, caching
Submit service	EAS Submit	Wraps altool / Play API
OTA updates	EAS Update	JS-bundle hot-swap on app launch
Build distribution	expo-dev-client for dev, internal/preview for QA, store for prod
Versioning	Auto-increment ios.buildNumber and android.versionCode via EAS	Manual version (SemVer) for marketing version
Channels	production, preview, staging	Mapped to git branches: main → preview, tags → production

Build Profile Map

Profile	When	What it produces
development	Local dev	Dev client .app/.apk with Hermes + dev menu
preview	PR labels, QA, internal testing	Release-mode build, internal distribution (TestFlight internal, Play Internal Testing)
production	Tagged release	Store-distribution build, code-signed for App Store / Play Store

Critical Rules

• Never commit signing credentials to git. Use EAS-managed credentials (eas credentials) or env vars.
• Production builds must include Sentry source maps. See ../rn-scaffold-expo/references/stack-observability.md.
• Never publish OTA updates that touch native code. EAS Update is JS-only. Native changes require a new store build.
• Always bump version in app.json before producing a production build. The store rejects same-version uploads.
• EAS Update runtime version must match the binary's runtime version. A runtimeVersion: appVersion mismatch ships nothing.

Verification

After any release step:

eas build:list --limit 5            # confirm last build status
eas submit:list --limit 5           # confirm submission status
eas update:list --limit 5           # confirm OTA update status

Then test the install:

• TestFlight invite arrived (iOS preview/production)
• Play Internal Testing track visible (Android preview)
• OTA: app cold-launched, network call to update server visible in logs, version string updated