Hidden Dependencies for Clerk Every React Native App Developer Should Know

When integrating Clerk for Expo, you may run into some unexpected hiccups. The official documentation is helpful, but it leaves out a few critical dependencies that can make or break your build. As a react native app developer, I quickly learned that what works in Expo Go doesn’t always translate to a standalone app.

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Here’s the catch: Expo Go has some dependencies pre-installed, so you won’t see any red flags during testing. But when you build your project, your app can crash if you don’t install a few packages manually, specifically expo-auth-session, expo-web-browser, and react-dom. Without them, your app simply won’t run as expected.

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To keep your app stable, install these packages directly:

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expo install expo-auth-session expo-web-browser react-dom

Bash

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This step ensures your Clerk provider has the underlying support it needs. It may feel redundant since Expo Go masks the issue, but for real-world builds (especially with EAS), skipping this will lead to frustration.

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A Handy Shortcut With ClerkProvider

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Another undocumented gem: the ClerkProvider component accepts your API key directly as a prop. As a mobile app developer, this saves me time and reduces complexity, since you don’t have to juggle environment variables in eas.config.js or app.config.js if you’d rather keep things simple.

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Don’t Skip expo-doctor!

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Before you build, do yourself a favor and run:

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npx expo-doctor

Bash

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This command is like a personal check-up for your project. It won’t just catch the missing Clerk dependencies; it will also flag other hidden issues that can derail your build. Think of it as preventative care for your codebase. As a freelance app developer, I know expo-doctor can save us hours of chasing errors that expo-doctor could have solved in minutes.

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Lessons Learned

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After some hair-pulling, I discovered that the missing dependencies were the root cause of my Expo crashes. Once I installed them and re-ran expo-doctor, everything clicked into place. This experience was a reminder of why cross-platform app development requires both technical know-how and persistence. Documentation doesn’t always cover every scenario, but that’s where experience comes in.

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If you’re a startup or business looking for custom app development with fewer roadblocks, I can help. With years of experience navigating React Native development services, I make sure your builds are smooth, your features reliable, and your launch stress-free.