Improving Developer Experience with Expo

John traces Expo to the difficulties of getting Quora’s mobile app into app stores before React Native. Expo and React Native began around the same time in 2015. The team has about 30 people working across open source tools and EAS services, and the Expo pieces can be adopted individually.

Cedric explains that EAS can build and submit React Native apps, whether or not they use Expo. Create Expo App starts a new project, while Install Expo Modules helps existing projects add Expo support. Prebuild and config plugins can regenerate native project files to ease upgrades, while developers can also keep and build their own native files.

John describes EAS Build, Submit, and Update, plus development builds with Expo Dev Client. Teams can share PR previews through a link or QR code, run simulator builds locally, and automate store submissions. Over-the-air updates can deliver certain fixes to users without waiting for another full store release.

Cedric says Expo Router uses file-based routing and URL concepts, while Expo Image adds capabilities such as improved caching and support for newer image formats. He also describes Expo’s one-key launch of Hermes debugging through Chrome DevTools, including a network inspector. The guests discuss plans around more automated workflows, better web support, testing, and cloud emulators.