expo-dev-client

name	expo-dev-client
description	Build Expo app for development
risk	unknown
source	https://github.com/expo/skills/tree/main/plugins/expo/skills/expo-dev-client
source_repo	expo/skills
source_type	official
date_added	"2026-07-01T00:00:00.000Z"
license	MIT
license_source	https://github.com/expo/skills/blob/main/LICENSE

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

Development clients are the recommended setup for any real or production app. Expo Go is a playground for learning and quick experiments with the native libraries it bundles; most apps outgrow it and move to a development client. See Expo Go vs. development builds for the full reasoning.

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
• Config plugins, or testing remote push notifications and App/Universal Links

EAS Configuration

Ensure eas.json has a development profile:

{
  "cli": {
    "version": ">= 16.0.1",
    "appVersionSource": "remote"
  },
  "build": {
    "production": {
      "autoIncrement": true
    },
    "development": {
      "autoIncrement": true,
      "developmentClient": true