Expo Go

Expo Go lets you run an Expo / React Native app on a real phone without building a native binary.
Your phone loads the app from the development server running on your computer.

Install

Install Expo Go from the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android).

Start the Dev Server

From the project directory:

npx expo start

A QR code will appear in the terminal or browser.

Run the App

1. Open Expo Go on your phone
2. Scan the QR code
3. The app loads on the device

Code changes automatically reload the app.

Tunnel Mode (restricted networks)

If the phone cannot connect to the server (common on school Wi-Fi):

npx expo start --tunnel

This routes the connection through Expo servers.

Quick Workflow

npx expo start

Scan QR → App runs → Edit code → Auto reload