Build, Upgrade, and Release

Release is a repeatable product process, not the last successful build command. Separate preview distribution from store binaries, automate monotonically increasing versions, and rehearse submission before launch day.

Maintain the Project Before Release

• Upgrade one Expo SDK at a time when practical.
• Read the SDK and React Native release notes for breaking changes.
• Align dependencies with bun expo install --fix, run bunx expo-doctor, and rebuild native binaries.
• Verify libraries against the React Native New Architecture and remove abandoned native dependencies.
• Test clean install, upgrade from the current store version, background/foreground, and offline startup.

Define Build Profiles

• Development: debug client and development services.
• Preview: release-like binary for internal or external testers, isolated from production where possible.
• Production: store signing, production identifiers, production services, and final update channel/runtime.

Automate build numbers or version codes so every uploaded binary is unique. Keep the human-facing semantic version intentional and tied to release notes.

Prepare Store Metadata and Compliance

Before submission, finish app name, descriptions, screenshots, support and privacy URLs, age/content ratings, data-safety/privacy declarations, encryption answers, account-deletion behavior, review credentials, and reviewer notes. Confirm permission messages explain their feature-specific purpose.

Apple and Google accounts may require agreements, tax, banking, identity, and access setup that code cannot automate. Resolve these early.

Use a Release Gate

• Types, lint, tests, and critical E2E flows pass.
• Production environment and signing identities are confirmed.
• Purchases, deep links, notifications, universal/app links, and authentication callbacks work on physical devices.
• Crash reporting and release identifiers are visible.
• Rollback/update response is documented.
• A teammate installs the exact submitted artifact.

Submit through EAS or the store tooling, then monitor processing and review status. A successful upload is not an approved release.

Sources

Verify release steps against Expo's current documentation for EAS Build, internal distribution, EAS Submit, SDK upgrades, and the React Native New Architecture.