EAS-CLI Logo

EAS-CLI — Info¶

(Expo Application Services Command Line Interface)

Warning

This file serves as a reference for understanding EAS-CLI. For installation or setup, see the Getting Started folder of your Expo project.

What is EAS-CLI?¶

EAS (Expo Application Services) is Expo’s cloud-based infrastructure for building, signing, submitting, and updating React Native applications. It replaces traditional local native build pipelines by offering a consistent, automated, and secure workflow.

EAS consists of several core services:

EAS Build — Cloud-based iOS & Android builds.
EAS Submit — Automated submission to app stores.
EAS Update — Over-the-air updates without rebuilding binaries.
EAS Device — Register physical iOS devices for internal distribution.

The EAS CLI is the local command-line tool used to interact with these services.

Why use EAS-CLI?¶

Build native binaries without Xcode or Android Studio.
Build apps in the cloud or locally.
Keep signing credentials synced and automatically managed.
Enable app updates without publishing a new version (OTA).
Enforce consistent build pipelines across development teams.
Integrate seamlessly into CI/CD environments.
Support internal distribution for testing.

EAS modernizes the entire React Native production workflow.

Project Structure¶

EAS-CLI uses a configuration file named eas.json located at the root of your project directory. This file defines build profiles, submission settings, and update configurations.

Here is an example eas.json file:

{
  "cli": {
    "version": ">= 3.0.0"
  },
  "build": {
    "development": {
      "distribution": "internal",
      "android": {
        "buildType": "apk"
      },
      "ios": {
        "simulator": true
      }
    },
    "production": {
      "distribution": "store",
      "android": {
        "buildType": "aab"
      },
      "ios": {
        "image": "latest"
      }
    }
  },
  "submit": {
    "production": {}
  }
}

The eas.json file defines profiles. Each profile describes how a build should behave.

EAS Build¶

EAS Build allows you to create native builds of your app in the cloud or on your local machine. You can choose different build profiles defined in your eas.json file.

Common build profiles include:

preview: For quick testing with minimal optimizations.
development: For testing with debug options enabled.
production: For app store distribution with optimizations.
custom: User-defined profiles for specific build configurations.
internal: For internal distribution builds.
simulator: For building iOS simulator binaries.

running a build is as simple as executing the following command in your project directory:

eas build

You can specify the platform and profile:

eas build --platform ios --profile production

This command will start a cloud build for iOS using the production profile defined in your eas.json file.

Or for Android:

eas build --platform android --profile development

This command will start a cloud build for Android using the development profile.

Local Vs Cloud Builds - Cloud builds are executed on Expo's servers, requiring no local setup. - Cloud builds are easier to set up and maintain, especially for teams without native development expertise.

Local builds run on your machine, requiring native toolchains (Xcode, Android Studio).
Local builds offer more control but need proper environment configuration.
Choose the build method that best fits your project's needs.

example Build Commands

local: --local flag

eas build --platform ios --local --profile development

❗when there is no --local flag, the build will be a cloud build by default.

Credentials Management¶

eas handels credentials automatically:

eas credentials

This command allows you to view and manage your app signing credentials for both iOS and Android.

you can : * generate certificates * upload your own provisioning profiles * let eas manage everything for you

eas stores your credentials securely in the cloud, making it easy to manage them across different machines and team members.

EAS Submit¶

EAS Submit automates the process of submitting your app to the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

After building , you can submit your app using:

for iOS:

eas submit --platform ios

for Android:

eas submit --platform android

use a specific profile:

eas submit --platform ios --profile production
eas submit --platform android --profile production

* submissions can also pull the correct binary from the eas server if you don't have it locally.

EAS Submit handles all the necessary steps, including authentication, metadata management, and binary upload.

EAS Update (OTA Updates)¶

EAS Update allows you to push Over-The-Air updates to your app without going through the app store review process.

To publish an update, use the following command:

eas update

target a branch:

eas update --branch production

This command will bundle your JavaScript and assets and upload them to the EAS Update servers.

or define a specific message for the update:

eas update --message "Fixed critical bug in login flow"

this updates all users instantly (within your rollout rules).

To integrate EAS Update into your app, you need to install the expo-updates package and configure it in your app's code:

import * as Updates from 'expo-updates';
async function checkForUpdates() {
  try {
    const update = await Updates.checkForUpdateAsync();
    if (update.isAvailable) {
      await Updates.fetchUpdateAsync();
      // Notify user about the update and reload the app
      await Updates.reloadAsync();
    }
  } catch (e) {
    // Handle or log error
    console.error(e);
  }
}

rollout strategies:

Immediate: Apply the update as soon as it's downloaded.
On Next Restart: Apply the update the next time the app is restarted.
Custom Logic: Implement your own logic to determine when to apply the update.
Rollout Percentage: Gradually roll out the update to a percentage of users.
Staged Rollout: Release the update to specific user segments or regions first.
Scheduled Rollout: Plan updates to be released at specific times.
Manual Approval: Require manual approval before applying updates.

you can do all this configuration in the eas.json file with the workflow option:

{
  "cli": {
    "version": ">= 3.0.0"
  },
  "build": {
    "production": {
      "ios": {
        "workflow": "managed"
      },
      "android": {
        "workflow": "managed"
      }
    },
    "development": {
      "ios": {
        "workflow": "generic"
      },
      "android": {
        "workflow": "generic"
      }
    }
  }
}

The workflow option specifies whether to use the managed or generic workflow for each platform in the specified build profile.

eas Device.¶

register physical iOS devices for internal distribution and testing.

eas device:create

This command allows you to register a new iOS device with your Apple Developer account, enabling you to distribute builds directly to that device for testing purposes.

fetch and manage registered devices:

eas device:list

This command lists all the devices registered under your Apple Developer account, allowing you to manage and organize them effectively.

Build with registered devices:

Use any EAS build profile that uses distribution: internal or a development client:

eas build --platform ios --profile development # This  will create a build that can be installed on the registered devices for testing.

❗Expo will automatically handle the provisioning profiles to include the registered devices.

Useful eas-cli Commands - reference¶

build

Command	Description
`eas build`	Starts a build using default profile
`eas build --profile <name>`	Uses a specific build profile
`eas build --local`	Builds locally
`eas build --platform ios/android`	Specify platform
`eas build:list`	Shows previous builds
`eas build:cancel`	Cancels an active build
`eas build:configure`	Sets up eas.json file
`eas build:inspect`	Inspects a specific build
`eas build:status`	Checks the status of the latest build
`eas build:logs`	Fetches logs for a specific build
`eas build:artifacts`	Downloads build artifacts
`eas build:purge`	Deletes old builds

submit

Command	Description
`eas submit`	Start submission flow
`eas submit --platform <ios/android>`	Submit a specific platform
`eas submit:list`	View previous submissions
`eas submit:inspect`	Inspect a specific submit
`eas submit:status`	Check status of last submit
`eas submit:credentials`	Manage submission creds

Updates

Command	Description
`eas update`	Publish an OTA update
`eas update --branch <name>`	Target a branch
`eas update:list`	List update history
`eas update:rollback`	Roll back to previous update
`eas update:inspect`	Inspect a specific update
`eas update:status`	Check status of last update

credentials

Command	Description
`eas credentials`	Manage app signing credentials
`eas credentials:manager`	Interactive credential manager
`eas credentials:clear`	Clear stored credentials
`eas credentials:sync`	Sync credentials with cloud
`eas credentials:download`	Download credentials
`eas credentials:upload`	Upload local credentials

devices

Command	Description
`eas device:create`	Register a new iOS device
`eas device:list`	List registered iOS devices
`eas device:delete`	Delete a registered iOS device
`eas device:download`	Download registered devices as CSV

Example: Building an Android App with EAS-CLI¶

Open the terminal in your project folder.

Start the build:

npx eas build --platform android --profile production

Follow the prompts:
- Log in with your Google account
- Select a keystore (EAS can manage this automatically)
EAS starts a cloud build and provides a link to monitor the build status.
When the build finishes, download the generated .aab or .apk file.

Submit the app to the Google Play Store using EAS Submit:

eas submit --platform android --profile production

Complete the submission by following the prompts.
Monitor the submission status until the app becomes available on the Play Store.
Celebrate your successful Android app deployment 🎉

Example: Building an iOS App with EAS-CLI¶

Open the terminal in your project folder.