Run Your Expo App on a Physical Phone (with a Development Build) — Expo 53 + Expo Router

[Cathy Lai]

Hot reloading on device, native modules, fast iteration — without the App Store or Play Store hassle.

Tags: expo, reactnative, mobile, eas, devops

Works with: Expo SDK 53, Expo Router, EAS Build/Submit

Why a “development build”?​

A development build is your own custom “Expo Go”—it includes your app’s native plugins and permissions so you can test everything on a real device with hot reload. You install it once, then iterate quickly via expo start --dev-client.

TL;DR (after you’ve done it once)​

# 1) Start the dev server
npx expo start --dev-client

# 2) On your phone
# Open your installed development build and scan the QR code

# 3) Code, save, hot-reload
# Rebuild only if you change native stuff (plugins, permissions, SDK version)

Prereqs​

• Node + npm/yarn installed
• Logged in to Expo: npx expo login (or npx expo whoami)
• EAS CLI: npm i -g eas-cli
• Same Wi-Fi for computer & phone (or use tunnel)

iOS specific

• iOS 16+ recommended
• Settings → Privacy & Security → Developer Mode: On (iOS will reboot when enabling)

Android specific

• Enable Developer options and USB debugging (if installing via USB/ADB)

1) Add a development profile​

Create or update eas.json in your project root:

{
  "cli": { "version": ">= 10.0.0" },
  "build": {
    "development": {
      "developmentClient": true,
      "distribution": "internal",
      "ios": { "resourceClass": "m-medium" },
      "android": {}
    },
    "preview": {
      "distribution": "internal"
    },
    "production": {
      "autoIncrement": "version"
    }
  },
  "submit": {
    "production": {}
  }
}

developmentClient: true tells EAS to build a dev client (your custom Expo Go) that includes your native modules.

2) Build the development client (install it once)​

iOS​

eas build -p ios --profile development

• First time? EAS will help register your device (UDID) via QR.
• Let EAS manage certs/profiles.
• When the build is done, open the build page and tap Install on your iPhone.
• If prompted, trust the developer and ensure Developer Mode is enabled.

Android​

eas build -p android --profile development

• You’ll get an APK (or AAB if configured).
• Install options:
  • From the EAS build page, scan the install QR on your phone, or
  • Via USB: adb install your-app.apk (authorize USB debugging)

3) Day-to-day: run it on your phone​

npx expo start --dev-client

• Open the development build on your phone (it has your app name/icon).
• Scan the QR from the terminal or web UI.
• Edit code → save → hot refresh.
• Rebuild only when you change native stuff:
  • Add/modify a plugin or native module
  • Change iOS/Android permissions/capabilities
  • Upgrade Expo SDK / React Native version

Copy-paste cheatsheets​

iOS (wireless)​

# First time (one-time)
eas build -p ios --profile development

# Every day
npx expo start --dev-client
# then open the dev client on iPhone and scan the QR

Android (wireless or USB)​

# One-time
eas build -p android --profile development

# Daily run
npx expo start --dev-client
# open dev client on Android and scan QR

# If Metro can’t connect over Wi-Fi:
adb reverse tcp:8081 tcp:8081   # optional; maps device port to your machine

Using Expo Router? You’re good ​

Dev clients work great with Expo Router. Changes to routes, screens, links, and layouts hot-reload instantly. Only native changes need a rebuild.

Troubleshooting​

Stuck on “Connecting…”

• Computer and phone on the same network
• Try a tunnel: npx expo start --tunnel (bypasses weird Wi-Fi)
• Kill other packagers using port 8081

iOS won’t install

• Make sure the iPhone is registered on your Apple team and rebuild after registration
• Enable Developer Mode and trust the developer certificate
• Reinstall from the EAS build page if the app was removed

Changes not showing

• Shake device → Reload in the dev client
• Clear cache: rm -rf .expo && npx expo start -c

“Do I really need to rebuild?” quick test

• If you only changed JS/TS/Router code → No
• If you added/changed a plugin, permission, or SDK version → Yes

Bonus: instant OTA updates (for preview/production)​

This is not required for dev clients, but useful for internal testers or production:

1) In eas.json, keep a preview or production profile.

2) In app.json/app.config.ts, ensure expo-updates is configured (SDK 53 has it by default).

3) To push an update:

eas update --branch preview --message "Fix copy on home screen"

4) For “update immediately on launch”, set:

updates: {
  enabled: true,
  checkOnLaunch: "ALWAYS",
  fallbackToCacheTimeout: 0
}

Use this in non-dev builds where you want users to fetch new JS quickly. (Dev clients already stream from Metro.)

FAQs​

Can I use the App/Play Store for dev?

No—dev clients are installed via EAS internal distribution. That’s the point: fast iteration without the stores.

Can teammates use my dev build?

Yes. Add their devices to your Apple team (iOS) or share the Android APK/QR. They’ll scan your Metro QR when you run expo start --dev-client.

How do I debug native issues?

• iOS: open the native project in Xcode (generated when you run npx expo prebuild or if you use bare).
• Android: use Android Studio + Logcat.
• JS debugging: React DevTools, console logs, or Flipper.

Final checklist​

• [ ] eas.json has a "development" profile with "developmentClient": true
• [ ] Built and installed the dev client on each device (one-time)
• [ ] npx expo start --dev-client running locally
• [ ] Phone + computer on same network (or using --tunnel)
• [ ] Rebuild only when you change native config

If you want, drop your iOS bundle ID and Android applicationId, and I’ll give you a copy-paste script tailored to your setup. Happy building!

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