expo-managed

name	expo-managed
description	Expo Managed Workflow guidelines. Trigger: When configuring app.json, installing native libraries, or dealing with permissions/plugins.
license	Apache-2.0
metadata	{"author":"fontstock-arch","version":"1.0","scope":["root"],"auto_invoke":"Configuring Expo (app.json)"}
allowed-tools	Read, Edit, Write, Glob, Grep, Bash, WebFetch, WebSearch, Task

Core Principles

1. Configuration as Code: All native configuration goes into app.json or Config Plugins.
2. Prebuild First: Do not rely on committing android/ or ios/ folders.
3. Expo APIs: Prefer expo-* packages over unmaintained bare react-native libraries.

CRITICAL RULES

1. app.json / app.config.ts

• ALWAYS use app.json for static config and app.config.ts if you need dynamic environment variables.
• NEVER manually edit Info.plist or AndroidManifest.xml natively. Use cnal, mods, or config plugins.

2. Native Dependencies

• ALWAYS install libraries using npx expo install to ensure version compatibility.
• CHECK if a library requires a config plugin before installing.

3. Environment Variables

• ALWAYS use expo-constants for public keys.
• NEVER commit secret keys to the repo.

4. Updates & OTA

• UNDERSTAND that modifying native code (adding a new library with native code) requires a new Development Build, simply refreshing the bundler won't work.