Expo is a full-stack React Native framework and platform that provides developers with a powerful set of tools and cloud services to build, deploy, and iterate on native mobile applications faster. It is designed to simplify the entire app lifecycle, allowing developers to write their native applications using React from a single codebase for multiple platforms, including iOS, Android, and the web.
The platform is structured around two main pillars:
The Development environment is anchored by the Expo SDK, which offers over 100 production-ready libraries for accessing native device features like the camera, push notifications, and deep links. For developers who need to integrate custom native code, Expo supports Kotlin and Swift through the Expo Modules API. The platform significantly enhances the Developer Experience with tools like Expo Go, which allows real-time development on a physical device, and Expo Orbit, which can launch emulators and simulators without needing complex IDE setups like Android Studio or Xcode.
The Deployment side leverages powerful cloud services, collectively known as Expo Application Services (EAS). These services handle the critical, time-consuming parts of the release process, including Build and Hosting to compile and distribute the application to app stores, and Update for sending instant over-the-air updates (OTA) to users with the latest fixes and improvements without requiring a new app store submission. The platform also offers automated Workflows for continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) and Insights for built-in monitoring and observability after every release.
