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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

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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

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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.

For developers building with Expo, one of the sneakiest “gotchas” is how quickly outdated app versions can pile up in the wild. Users may continue running older builds long after new releases are available, leading to bug reports, missing features, and a fractured experience. This not only creates headaches for developers but also hurts customer confidence in the app.

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Fortunately, Expo provides a way to bypass the App Store and Google Play update bottleneck by enabling automatic upgrades. With the right configuration, developers can ensure that users always run the latest version, instantly benefiting from new features and fixes. For businesses, this means fewer support issues, faster adoption of improvements, and a consistently polished product in the hands of every customer.

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The eas-cli tool offers a really great way to make live updates to your app. Say you squash a bug and want to publish the changes to people who have your app installed. You would just run a simple Expo update. Next time they open your app, they’ll see the changes reflected. But sometimes, with new packages, infrastructure changes, or just larger updates, you’ll want to publish a new version through the Apple App Store and/or Google Play. It’s important to keep your users on the most up-to-date version of your app. Luckily, Expo offers a way to automatically compare the app version with the latest one in the app stores called Expo Updates.

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First, install the Expo Updates package:

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expo install expo-updates

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Then, import the package:

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import * as Updates from "expo-updates"

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Now you can check for updates and give the option to install them like this:

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const fetchUpdate = async () => {
   const update = await Updates.checkForUpdateAsync();

   if (update.isAvailable) {
      Alert.alert(
         "Time for an Upgrade!",
         "To use the latest and greatest features, update your app.",
         [
            {
               text: "Update",
               onPress: async () => {
                   await Updates.fetchUpdateAsync();
                   await Updates.reloadAsync();
               },
               isPreferred: true,
            },
            {
               text: "Later",
            },
         ],
      );
   }
};

useEffect(() => {
   fetchUpdate();
}, []); 

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Automating app updates with Expo solves a problem that frustrates both developers and end users. By embracing this approach, teams save time, reduce friction, and deliver a stronger experience across every install. For businesses, it’s more than a technical fix. It’s a competitive advantage that builds trust, improves retention, and keeps apps ready for what comes next.

For any React Native app developer expanding into full-stack and web solutions, deploying a Next.js app on AWS EC2 is a power move. This setup combines the flexibility of cloud infrastructure with the performance of server-side rendering, ideal for businesses needing scalable, cross-platform app development. Whether you’re managing custom business app solutions or an enterprise-grade product, learning to host Next.js on EC2 builds confidence in creating seamless digital ecosystems that connect your mobile app development with robust, production-ready web experiences.

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Be sure to use the desired region.

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Create an SSH key pair and upload it to AWS before generating an EC2 instance. Use this key when setting up your EC2.

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Install and Configure Apache

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sudo apt update

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sudo apt install apache2

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sudo systemctl start apache2

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sudo systemctl enable apache2

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sudo a2enmod proxy_http

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sudo systemctl restart apache2

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Modify files in /etc/apache2/sites-available accordingly and enable and restart, if necessary:

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sudo cp /etc/apache2/sites-available/000-default.conf /etc/apache2/sites-available/<domain>.conf

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sudo rm -R /var/www/html

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Example File:

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<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerAdmin webmaster@localhost
    ServerName <domain>
    ServerAlias <subdomain>.<domain>
    DocumentRoot /var/www/<project>
...
    ProxyPass / http://localhost:3000/
    ProxyPassReverse / http://localhost:3000/
</VirtualHost>

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sudo a2dissite 000-default

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sudo a2ensite <domain>

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sudo systemctl reload apache2

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Generate an SSL Certificate

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Make sure to add the elastic IP address to the DNS records so the app resolves before completing the next steps.

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sudo apt-get install certbot python3-certbot-apache

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sudo certbot --apache

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Install Node and NPM

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sudo apt install nodejs

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sudo apt install npm

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Install PM2

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sudo npm install pm2 -g 

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Clone Project

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ssh-keygen

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Add your public key to GitLab through the Console.

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sudo chown -R $USER /var/www

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git clone git@gitlab.com:<something>/<something>.git

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git fetch

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git checkout <branch>

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git pull

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Start App

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Add your variables with:

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sudo nano .env

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Inside the project run

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npm install

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npm run build

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pm2 start npm --name <project> -- run start -- -p 3000

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Gotchas

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Cloning your Project

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Do not use sudo when cloning your project.

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Make Changes

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Pull, install, and:

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pm2 restart <project>

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Deploying a Next.js app on AWS EC2 gives you a solid foundation for growth, from performance-driven websites to cross-platform apps that feel polished, fast, and dependable. For any React Native app developer, understanding how your web and mobile layers connect is what transforms good code into great user experiences. With custom app development and ongoing support in mind, this workflow keeps your projects secure, scalable, and ready to meet enterprise demands without losing the creative edge your users love.

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If you’re ready to bring your Next.js, Expo, or React Native project to life, or need expert guidance deploying your app on AWS, let’s talk. As a React Native app developer and mobile software engineer, I help startups and organizations build, launch, and scale cross-platform apps that perform beautifully across iOS, Android, and the web. Reach out today!

For a React Native app developer, Expo Notifications offer incredible simplicity, until you get to Android. While device tokens make sending push notifications easy, Android introduces its own checklist: permission requests, Firebase integration, and channel configuration. Ignoring these details can cause notifications to vanish into thin air, leaving your mobile app development feeling incomplete.

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After the iOS and Android dev builds are all set, install Expo Notifications to ask the user for permissions and require the device’s token to later send push notifications to.

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Use the following to install Expo Notifications. The example in the documentation uses some other packages, too, so it’s worth a read.

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Generate new, non-emulator dev builds after installing the packages.

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npx expo install expo-notifications

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import * as Notifications from "expo-notifications";

JavaScript (React)

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Next, run the EAS CLI to make a new build. It will prompt to set up iOS push notifications. You just log in with app store credentials. Easy!

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Expo Notifications uses Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) to send push notifications to Android devices. This requires a Google service account and the corresponding credentials.

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It’s possible to get the FCM V1 service account key from Firebase. Create a Firebase project and create an Android App from the project dashboard. Click “Add app” and select the Android Logo. Enter the package name, which is usually in the app.json file. Run through the rest of the prompts and be sure to download the google-services.json file, add it to the root of the project, and commit it to version control. It’s needed later. Now download the private key which will be uploaded to Expo. Just go the settings for the new Android app in Firebase. It should be a cog icon. Click “Service accounts” and the button that says, “Generate new private key.” This should download your key automatically as a JSON file.

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Now you need to upload your private key JSON file to Expo. Login to your Expo dashboard and select your project. Click “Credentials”from the left then select your Android application identifier. You can upload the JSON file you download under the “FCM V1 service account key” section.

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Lastly we’ll tell Expo where to fine that google-services.json file. Head over to your app.json file and add the following under the Android section. It should look something like this:

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{
  "android": {
    "googleServicesFile": "./google-services.json"
  }
}

JSON

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You may need to add FCM permissions to your Firebase service account from the IAM section in Google Cloud. I think Firebase does this for you, though.

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For a React Native app developer, getting Expo Notifications running smoothly on Android might feel like a detour, but it’s really the path to reliability. These extra setup steps with Firebase, service accounts, and permissions aren’t just technical hurdles; they’re what transform good mobile app development into trusted, production-ready software.

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Once configured, your cross-platform app development gains the consistency users expect from top-tier apps. Every ping, alert, and message lands where it should, creating an experience that feels thoughtful and complete. That’s the real payoff of strong React Native development services: fewer “why didn’t I get that notification?” moments, and more confident connections between your app and its audience.

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I see every small Android adjustment as an opportunity to elevate your product. With the right setup, your custom app development becomes future-proof; ready for scaling, launching, and thriving across every platform.