Expo Docs MCP Server

--- title: Share previews with your team sidebar_title: Share previews description: Learn how to use EAS Update to send OTA updates and share previews with a team. hasVideoLink: true --- Updates generally fix small bugs and push small changes in between app store releases. They allow updating the non-native parts of our example app, such as JavaScript code, styling, and images. In this chapter, we'll use [EAS Update](/eas-update/introduction/) to share changes with our team. This will help [us and our team quickly share previews](/review/overview/) of the change. --- ## Install expo-updates library To initialize our project and send an update, we need to use the [`expo-updates`](/versions/latest/sdk/updates/) library. Run the following command to install it: ## Configure EAS Update To initialize our project with EAS Update, we need to follow these steps: - Since we are using dynamic **app.config.js** for our app's configuration, adding [`updates`](/versions/latest/config/app/#updates) and [`runtimeVersion`](/eas-update/runtime-versions/#setting-runtimeversion) properties are required to make our project compatible with EAS Update. Run the following command to obtain these properties and their values from EAS and manually copy them to **app.config.js**: <Collapsible summary="What about non-dynamic (app.json) projects?"> If a project doesn't use dynamic app config (uses **app.json** instead of **app.config.js**), the above command will configure our app to be compatible with EAS Update and add the right properties to **app.json** and **eas.json**. </Collapsible> - Re-run `eas update:configure` to continue with the setup process. A [`channel`](/eas/json/#channel) should be added to every build profile in **eas.json**: {/* prettier-ignore */} ```json eas.json { "build": { "development": { /* @hide ... */ /* @end */ /* @info */ "channel": "development" /* @end */ }, "ios-simulator": { /* @hide ... */ /* @end */ }, "preview": { /* @hide ... */ /* @end */ /* @info */ "channel": "preview" /* @end */ }, "production": { /* @hide ... */ /* @end */ /* @info */ "channel": "production" /* @end */ } } /* @hide ... */ /* @end */ } ``` > **info** Notice that the `eas update:configure` command adds the `channel` to every build profile in **eas.json**. However, our `ios-simulator` profile extends the `development` profile and having a separate `channel` doesn't make sense. We can safely remove `ios-simulator.channel` from the above configuration. <Collapsible summary="What is a channel?"> [Channels](/eas-update/how-it-works/#conceptual-overview) are used to group builds together. If we have an Android and iOS build, both on the app store, we can give them both a channel of production. Later, we can tell EAS Update to target the production channel, so our update will affect all builds with a production channel. </Collapsible> ## Create a development build We need to create a new development build since our last build doesn't contain the `expo-updates` library. Run the following command: > We are using a development build for Android devices to demonstrate updates. However, we can use `--platform all` or `--platform ios` to create a build for both platforms or just for iOS. After the new version of the development build is created, make sure to install it on a device. ## Modify the JavaScript code of the app Let's modify our example app's JavaScript code. If you are not using [Sticker Smash app](/tutorial/eas/introduction/#prerequisites), you can modify any piece of your code to see the changes in the app. We'll modify the text of the first button in our example app that says **Choose a photo** to **Select a photo**. ```jsx App.js ``` ## Publish an update Instead of creating a new build to share this change with our team for testing, let's publish an update: In the command above, we used the `development` channel. Every update is associated with a [channel name]](/eas-update/how-it-works/#publishing-an-update). It is similar to every commit that we make with git, which is associated with a git branch. So, by using the channel `development` in our build profile and then publishing an, we're asking EAS to deliver this update to builds with the `development` channel. When we make an EAS Update channel it automatically gets mapped to a branch with the same name. After the update is published, the CLI will prompt us with information about it. Click on the **Website link** to see the Update on the EAS dashboard under **Updates**: ## Preview the update live in a development build To preview the live update in a development build: - Log in to your Expo account within the development build. - Open the **Extensions** tab. - Look for **Branch: development** listed under **EAS Update**. - Tap on **Open** to access the update. ## Sharing changes with preview or production builds Updates for non-development builds (preview or production) are automatically downloaded to the device when the app starts up and makes a request for any new updates. Any team member running the preview or production build will receive the update with the changes we push to those specific branches. For example, for a `preview` build, we can run: Here is an example where we've published an update for the `preview` build. To test the update, force close and reopen the app twice to download and view the changes: ## Summary