What is Expo?

Introduction to Expo App Development
Since mobile users spend nearly 90% of their time in apps, mobile development become a must for businesses looking to meet the demands of their audience. For those interested in cross-platform mobile development, React Native is often a natural choice due to its great performance and thriving community. Recently, React Native team officially recommended using Expo to create new apps.
“As of today, the only recommended community framework for React Native is Expo. Folks at Expo have been investing in the React Native ecosystem since the early days of React Native and as of today, we believe the developer experience offered by Expo is best in class.”
Nicola Corti, Software Engineer at Meta
With numerous public repositories on GitHub, Expo’s popularity speaks for itself. But what is Expo, and why has the React Native team recommended it for starting new projects? In this article, we’ll explore why using Expo might be the right decision for your next project, its key features, and how it simplifies mobile development.
What is Expo?
Expo is an open-source platform built around React Native that simplifies cross-platform mobile development. It extends React Native’s capabilities by packaging essential features and streamlining the development workflow. Overall it improves productivity and reduces the complexity of app development.
Wondering if Expo is a good choice for your project?
Features of Expo
The toolkit provided to Expo devs makes the process of creating an app very efficient and accessible for programmers of all skill levels. Some of its most useful features include:
Over-the-Air Updates
Over-the-Air (OTA) updates enable the delivery of app updates directly to users, without requiring app store approvals, which can take a long time to get. Great feature for teams that need to iterate and push changes frequently.
Unified APIs for Mobile Device Capabilities
Using unified and pre-configured APIs allows for interaction with important features of the devices, such as cameras, GPS, and accelerometers. The interface for developers to interact with is consistent across iOS, Android, and web platforms, eliminating potential differences that could affect development time and quality.
Expo CLI
Command Line Interface (CLI) simplifies project management through commands for creating, developing, and deploying apps. It eliminates much of the manual configuration needed in traditional development environments
Expo Go App
An app built to help out with testing, Expo Go allows for real-time testing on actual devices by scanning a QR code to view their app in action. There’s no need to build an app each time you want to check something.
Expo Router
A file-based routing solution that makes navigation in mobile apps easier. Inspired by web frameworks like Next.js, it defines routes based on the project’s file structure, making navigation more intuitive.
Expo EAS (Expo Application Services)
With Expo EAS, building, deploying, and managing apps is streamlined. It offers cloud-based build services, automates submissions to the App Store and Google Play, and supports over-the-air updates, so users don’t need to reinstall apps to receive updates.
Expo SDK
The Expo Software Development Kit is a set of libraries and APIs that provide modules for common app features like push notifications, camera access, location tracking, media playback, and more.
Expo Managed Workflow
In the Managed Workflow, Expo takes care of most of the underlying configuration, updates, and dependencies. This reduces the need for manual management of native code, letting developers focus on writing JavaScript.
Advantages of Expo
Although app development with React Native offers amazing benefits, Expo can significantly improve the process by addressing some common pain points:
Fast Setup and Development
Project setup is quick, as the framework handles much of the initial configuration and environment setup for both iOS and Android. With CLI you can create, test, and deploy apps with minimal manual setup.
Access to Native Features
Device features such as camera or location are usually locked behind code, but Expo’s SDK simplifies the access via pre-built APIs that work consistently across platforms. As a result, it reduces the dependency on native code in Swift or Java, making the development process much simpler.
Painless Updates
Pushing changes and fixes can take a lot of time, due to Google Play and App Store approvals. Expo’s OTA updates push new features directly to users’ devices, without going through store approvals.
Development for All Platforms
With support for iOS, Android, and the web, Expo allows developers to write a single codebase and deploy it across multiple platforms, saving time and reducing maintenance efforts.
Built-in Native Libraries
It comes with optimized native libraries, like those for push notifications and geolocation, that are pre-configured and ready to use.
Flexible Managed Workflow
Managed workflow in Expo handles most complexities related to native code, but developers can “eject” to a bare workflow if they need a native solution or third-party libraries, letting them choose the level of control that suits their project
Strong Community Support
It has a large, active community with extensive resources, tutorials, and support channels, making it easier for developers to find solutions and stay productive. Moreover, if you ever need second-hand expertise or plan to expand the team, finding experienced developers won’t be a problem.
Expo Use Cases
Expo has become an important tool in the tech stacks of many companies across various industries. Below, we’ve highlighted a few examples of Expo applications:
Starlink
SpaceX’s satellite internet service, Starlink serves as the primary tool for configuring network settings from any place on Earth, and troubleshooting connectivity issues. The app provides users with an intuitive way to assess sky obstructions to set up the best possible internet access.
Burger King App
Like many other fast food restaurants, Burger King strives to provide their customers with up-to-date information on new menu items and deals. The addition of online ordering lets hungry users get their favorite meal even if they’re not physically in the restaurant.
Payhip
Payhip is an eCommerce platform for selling digital services and physical products. Initially limited to a web platform only, Payhip’s team received feedback from users complaining about the lack of real-time sales notifications and access to revenue data. To address this, the company teamed up with us to develop a mobile app using React Native and Expo, letting users manage their stores and transactions on the go.
Payhip
Boosting User Experience of the e-Commerce Platform with React Native and Expo
READ CASE STUDY
incident.io
While no developer enjoys dealing with bugs and incidents, incident.io turns these challenges into learning opportunities. Their mobile app, built with React Native and Expo, enables developers to manage and resolve issues on the go, offering convenience and flexibility that’s highly valued by their clients.
DailyPay
An on-demand pay platform, DailyPay makes paying and receiving wages easier than ever. The mobile app lets users view their available balance, instantly transfer funds to a bank account or card, and track their earnings with a detailed breakdown and instant notifications.
Coinbase

Coinbase is a cryptocurrency exchange that allows users to buy, sell, and manage digital currencies through a mobile app. Users can trade cryptocurrencies, monitor their portfolios, and securely store assets from the comfort of an accessible interface.
Why Use Expo
It has established itself as a powerful framework for React Native developers, offering a streamlined approach to mobile development that simplifies many of the complex tasks typically associated with native development.
Tools like pre-configured APIs, real-time testing with Expo Go, and over-the-air updates, allow developers to create cross-platform applications with ease. The managed workflow reduces the need for platform-specific setups, without limiting access to deeper native functionalities.
Expo streamlines development by removing the complexities of platform-specific code, enabling developers to focus on building great user experiences. The combination of powerful features, ease of use, and strong community support make it a top choice for cross-platform development.
Ready to start your Expo project?