Eas App Stores

---
description: Curated upstream guidance for Eas App Stores; use when the workflow matches the user goal.
name: eas-app-stores
version: 1.1.0
license: MIT
source_repo: expo/skills
source_type: official
source: expo
date_added: '2026-09-21'
risk: critical
---
## When to Use
- Use when this upstream workflow matches the user's stated goal.
- Use when the task requires the procedures documented in this skill.

# App Store Deployment

> **EAS service - costs apply.** Cloud builds use EAS plan resources, and EAS services have free-tier and paid-plan limits. Apple Developer and Google Play memberships are separate. Check https://expo.dev/pricing for the requested service.

This skill covers building and releasing iOS and Android apps with EAS: Expo and other React Native projects, plus existing native apps. EAS is a delivery service; native apps can use it without adding Expo or React Native to their runtime. The native setup walkthrough currently covers SwiftUI/UIKit on iOS.

## Authorization and artifact boundaries

Store uploads, metadata pushes, invitations, public releases, paid builds and OTA publications require the applicable user scope; drafting or inspection alone does not authorize them. Pin a reviewed CLI version and inspect upload archives/ignore rules for secrets before cloud builds. Never send project logs/feedback externally without explicit instruction; redact secrets and user data. Use exact build IDs, account/team and track; latest-selection shortcuts are unsuitable when multiple candidates exist. Current CLI/store schemas override historical examples and legacy statistics.

## Choose the project path

- **SwiftUI/UIKit app with no React Native runtime:** read [references/native-ios.md] before changing its build configuration. Keep the Xcode project and Swift code as the app's source of truth. The Expo/React Native quick-start and development-client examples below do not apply to this path.
- **Native Android app with no React Native runtime:** preserve its existing native build setup. See [references/play-store.md] for submission; the Swift/iOS setup instructions do not apply. A dedicated native Android setup walkthrough is not yet included.
- **Expo/React Native app:** use the quick-start below, then the relevant store reference.
- **Adding React Native screens to an existing native app:** use `expo-brownfield` for that integration; return here for distribution.

Use the archive and icon checks in [references/native-ios.md] during initial native iOS setup, after changing versioning, bundle IDs, or icons, or when diagnosing a rejected upload. Routine releases follow the EAS build/submit flow and the processing and availability checks in [references/testflight.md]. A successful EAS build or a queued submission does not establish Apple acceptance, tester access, or an App Store release.

## References

Consult these resources as needed:

- ./references/workflows.md -- CI/CD workflows for automated store releases and PR previews
- ./references/testflight.md -- Submitting iOS builds to TestFlight for beta testing
- ./references/app-store-metadata.md -- Managing App Store metadata and ASO optimization
- ./references/play-store.md -- Submitting Android builds to Google Play Store
- ./references/ios-app-store.md -- iOS App Store submission and review process
- ./references/native-ios.md -- Native Swift/SwiftUI/UIKit setup, versioning, and archive verification without an Expo runtime

## Expo / React Native Quick Start

### Install EAS CLI

```bash
npm install -g eas-cli
eas login
```

### Initialize EAS

```bash
npx eas-cli@latest init
```

`eas init` links or creates the EAS project. Run `eas build:configure` to create build profiles in `eas.json`; preserve existing project and store identifiers when a release setup already exists.

## Build Commands

### Production Builds

```bash
# iOS App Store build
npx eas-cli@latest build -p ios --profile production

# Android Play Store build
npx eas-cli@latest build -p android --profile production

# Both platforms
npx eas-cli@latest build --profile production
```

### Submit to Stores

```bash
# iOS: Build and submit to App Store Connect
npx eas-cli@latest build -p ios --profile production --auto-submit

# Android: Build and submit to Play Store
npx eas-cli@latest build -p android --profile production --auto-submit

# Expo / React Native shortcut for iOS TestFlight
npx testflight
```

## Web & API Route Hosting

Deploying an Expo website or Expo Router API routes to EAS Hosting (`npx expo export -p web` then `eas deploy`) is covered by the `eas-hosting` skill. This skill focuses on native app store releases.

## EAS Configuration

Example for an Expo / React Native project (native Swift profiles are in `references/native-ios.md`):

```json
{
  "cli": {
    "version": ">= 16.0.1",
    "appVersionSource": "remote"
  },
  "build": {
    "production": {
      "autoIncrement": true,
      "ios": {
        "resourceClass": "m-medium"
      }
    },
    "development": {
      "developmentClient": true,
      "distribution": "internal"
    }
  },
  "submit": {
    "production": {
      "ios": {
        "appleId": "your@email.com",
        "ascAppId": "1234567890"
      },
      "android": {
        "serviceAccountKeyPath": "./google-service-account.json",
        "track": "internal"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

## Platform-Specific Guides

### iOS

- For native Swift apps, use the explicit build/submit flow in `references/native-ios.md`
- For Expo / React Native apps, `npx testflight` provides a quick TestFlight flow
- Configure Apple credentials via `eas credentials`
- See ./references/testflight.md for credential setup
- See ./references/ios-app-store.md for App Store submission

### Android

- Set up Google Play Console service account
- Configure tracks: internal → closed → open → production
- See ./references/play-store.md for detailed setup

## Automated Releases

EAS Workflows automate the build → submit → update pipeline for CI/CD. See ./references/workflows.md for store-release examples. To author or validate workflow YAML, use the `eas-workflows` skill - it works from the live workflow schema.

## Version Management

EAS manages version numbers automatically with `appVersionSource: "remote"`:

```bash
# Check current versions
eas build:version:get

# Manually set version
eas build:version:set -p ios
```

The version-set command prompts for the value. When setting up or changing native iOS versioning, or diagnosing a duplicate build number, inspect the archived `CFBundleVersion`: the remote counter alone does not prove that Xcode used it.

## Monitoring

```bash
# List recent builds
eas build:list

# Check build status
eas build:view BUILD_ID

# Inspect submissions (verified with EAS CLI 23.2.0)
eas submit:list -p ios --json
eas submit:view SUBMISSION_ID --json
```

Check the CLI version before interpreting a missing command: these submission commands are available in 23.2.0 but not in the tested 18.6.0 installation. A pinned `npx eas-cli@23.2.0` invocation can use them without changing the global installation. See `references/testflight.md` for live Apple status and retry guidance. Follow the returned log URLs when the JSON result omits the underlying failure. Report the exact build ID/version and the furthest verified release state.

## Submitting Feedback
If you encounter errors, misleading or outdated information in this skill, report it so Expo can improve:
```bash
npx --yes submit-expo-feedback@latest --category skills --subject "eas-app-stores" "<actionable feedback>"
```
Only submit after explicit user instruction to send feedback. Include minimum redacted context; do not upload workspace content, logs or credentials implicitly.
If an AI agent repeatedly failed or the user had to take over an Expo task, load the expo-skill-feedback skill and follow its eval-candidate flow instead of reusing the command above.


## Examples

```text
User: Apply this skill to my current task.
Assistant: Follow the workflow in this skill, cite limitations, and ask before risky steps.
```

## Limitations

- Imported upstream skill; verify credentials, permissions, and safety boundaries before execution.
- Does not replace environment-specific validation, testing, or maintainer review.