expo-updates

What is expo-updates?

The expo-updates package allows you to manage and deploy updates to your Expo app over-the-air (OTA). This means you can push updates to your app without requiring users to download a new version from the app store.

What are expo-updates's main functionalities?

Check for Updates

This feature allows you to check if there is a new update available for your app. If an update is available, you can notify the user or proceed to download it.

import * as Updates from 'expo-updates';

async function checkForUpdates() {
  const update = await Updates.checkForUpdateAsync();
  if (update.isAvailable) {
    // Update is available, you can notify the user or download it
  }
}

Fetch and Apply Updates

This feature allows you to fetch the latest update and apply it. If a new update is fetched, the app will reload to apply the update.

import * as Updates from 'expo-updates';

async function fetchAndApplyUpdates() {
  const update = await Updates.fetchUpdateAsync();
  if (update.isNew) {
    await Updates.reloadAsync(); // This will reload the app with the new update
  }
}

Event Listeners for Updates

This feature allows you to listen for update-related events, such as when an update has been downloaded. You can handle these events to provide a better user experience.

import * as Updates from 'expo-updates';
import { EventEmitter } from 'expo-modules-core';

const eventEmitter = new EventEmitter(Updates);

const subscription = eventEmitter.addListener('Expo.updates.updateDownloaded', (event) => {
  // Handle the update downloaded event
  console.log('Update downloaded:', event);
});

// Remember to remove the listener when it's no longer needed
subscription.remove();

Other packages similar to expo-updates

react-native-code-push

React Native CodePush is a similar package that allows you to push updates to your React Native app over-the-air. It integrates with Microsoft's CodePush service and provides similar functionalities like checking for updates, downloading updates, and applying updates. Compared to expo-updates, it requires additional setup and configuration but offers more control and flexibility.

rn-update-apk

The rn-update-apk package is used for updating Android apps by downloading and installing APK files. It is more suitable for apps that need to update the entire APK rather than just JavaScript bundles. Unlike expo-updates, it is platform-specific and does not support iOS.

README

expo-updates

expo-updates fetches and manages updates to your app stored on a remote server.

API documentation

• Documentation for the master branch
• Documentation for the latest stable release

Additionally, for an introduction to this module and tooling around OTA updates, you can watch this talk by @esamelson from ReactEurope 2020.

Compatibility

This module requires expo-cli@3.17.6 or later; make sure your global installation is at least this version before proceeding.

Additionally, this module is only compatible with Expo SDK 37 or later. For bare workflow projects, if the expo package is installed, it must be version 37.0.2 or later.

Finally, this module is not compatible with ExpoKit. Make sure you do not have expokit listed as a dependency in package.json before adding this module.

Upgrading

If you're upgrading from expo-updates@0.1.x, you can opt into the no-publish workflow. In this workflow, release builds of both iOS and Android apps will create and embed a new update at build-time from the JS code currently on disk, rather than embedding a copy of the most recently published update. For instructions and more information, see the CHANGELOG. (For new projects, the no-publish workflow is enabled by default.)

Installation in managed Expo projects

For managed Expo projects, please follow the installation instructions in the API documentation for the latest stable release.

Installation in bare React Native projects

Learn how to install expo-updates in your project in the Installing expo-updates documentation page.

Embedded Assets

In certain situations, assets that are required by your JavaScript are embedded into your application binary by Xcode/Android Studio. This allows these assets to load when the packager server running locally on your machine is not available.

Debug builds of Android apps do not, by default, have any assets bundled into the APK; they are always loaded at runtime from the Metro packager.

Debug builds of iOS apps built for the iOS simulator also do not have assets bundled into the app. They are loaded at runtime from Metro. Debug builds of iOS apps built for a real device do have assets bundled into the app binary, so they can be loaded from disk if they cannot be loaded from the packager at runtime.

Release builds of both iOS and Android apps include a full embedded update, including manifest, JavaScript bundle, and all imported assets. This is critical to ensure that your app can load for all users immediately upon installation, without needing to talk to a server first.

Configuration

Some build-time configuration options are available to allow your app to update automatically on launch. On iOS, these properties are set as keys in Expo.plist and on Android as meta-data tags in AndroidManifest.xml, adjacent to the tags added during installation.

On Android, you may also define these properties at runtime by passing a Map as the second parameter of UpdatesController.initialize(). If provided, the values in this Map will override any values specified in AndroidManifest.xml. On iOS, you may set these properties at runtime by calling [UpdatesController.sharedInstance setConfiguration:] at any point before calling start or startAndShowLaunchScreen, and the values in this dictionary will override Expo.plist.

iOS plist/dictionary key	Android Map key	Android meta-data name	Default	Required?
EXUpdatesEnabled	enabled	expo.modules.updates.ENABLED	true	❌

Whether updates are enabled. Setting this to false disables all update functionality, all module methods, and forces the app to load with the manifest and assets bundled into the app binary.

iOS plist/dictionary key	Android Map key	Android meta-data name	Default	Required?
EXUpdatesURL	updateUrl	expo.modules.updates.EXPO_UPDATE_URL	(none)	✅

The URL to the remote server where the app should check for updates. A request to this URL should return a valid manifest object for the latest available update and tells expo-updates how to fetch the JS bundle and other assets that comprise the update. (Example: for apps published with expo publish, this URL would be https://exp.host/@username/slug.)

iOS plist/dictionary key	Android Map key	Android meta-data name	Default	Required?
EXUpdatesSDKVersion	sdkVersion	expo.modules.updates.EXPO_SDK_VERSION	(none)	(exactly one of sdkVersion or runtimeVersion is required)

The SDK version string to send under the Expo-SDK-Version header in the manifest request. Required for apps hosted on Expo's server.

iOS plist/dictionary key	Android Map key	Android meta-data name	Default	Required?
EXUpdatesRuntimeVersion	runtimeVersion	expo.modules.updates.EXPO_RUNTIME_VERSION	(none)	(exactly one of sdkVersion or runtimeVersion is required)

The Runtime Version string to send under the Expo-Runtime-Version header in the manifest request.

iOS plist/dictionary key	Android Map key	Android meta-data name	Default	Required?
EXUpdatesReleaseChannel	releaseChannel	expo.modules.updates.EXPO_RELEASE_CHANNEL	default	❌

The release channel string to send under the Expo-Release-Channel header in the manifest request.

iOS plist/dictionary key	Android Map key	Android meta-data name	Default	Required?
EXUpdatesCheckOnLaunch	checkOnLaunch	expo.modules.updates.EXPO_UPDATES_CHECK_ON_LAUNCH	ALWAYS	❌

The condition under which expo-updates should automatically check for (and download, if one exists) an update upon app launch. Possible values are ALWAYS, NEVER (if you want to exclusively control updates via this module's JS API), or WIFI_ONLY (if you want the app to automatically download updates only if the device is on an unmetered Wi-Fi connection when it launches).

iOS plist/dictionary key	Android Map key	Android meta-data name	Default	Required?
EXUpdatesLaunchWaitMs	launchWaitMs	expo.modules.updates.EXPO_UPDATES_LAUNCH_WAIT_MS	0	❌

The number of milliseconds expo-updates should delay the app launch and stay on the splash screen while trying to download an update, before falling back to a previously downloaded version. Setting this to 0 will cause the app to always launch with a previously downloaded update and will result in the fastest app launch possible.

Removing pre-installed expo-updates

Projects created by expo init and expo eject come with expo-updates pre-installed, because we anticipate most users will want this functionality. However, if you do not intend to use OTA updates, you can disable or uninstall the module.

Disabling expo-updates

If you disable updates, the module will stay installed in case you ever want to use it in the future, but none of the OTA-updating code paths will ever be executed in your builds. To disable OTA updates, add the EXUpdatesEnabled key to Expo.plist with a boolean value of NO, and add the following line to AndroidManifest.xml:

<meta-data android:name="expo.modules.updates.ENABLED" android:value="false"/>

Uninstalling expo-updates

Uninstalling the module will entirely remove all expo-updates related code from your codebase. To do so, complete the following steps:

• Remove expo-updates from your package.json and reinstall your node modules.
• Remove the line ../node_modules/expo-updates/scripts/create-manifest-ios.sh from the "Bundle React Native code and images" Build Phase in Xcode.
• Delete Expo.plist from your Xcode project and file system.
• Remove the line apply from: "../../node_modules/expo-updates/scripts/create-manifest-android.gradle" from android/app/build.gradle.
• Remove all meta-data tags with expo.modules.updates in the android:name field from AndroidManifest.xml.
• Apply the following three diffs:

AppDelegate.h

RemoveEXUpdatesAppControllerDelegate as a protocol of your AppDelegate.

-#import <EXUpdates/EXUpdatesAppController.h>
 #import <React/RCTBridgeDelegate.h>
 #import <UMCore/UMAppDelegateWrapper.h>

-@interface AppDelegate : UMAppDelegateWrapper <RCTBridgeDelegate, EXUpdatesAppControllerDelegate>
+@interface AppDelegate : UMAppDelegateWrapper <RCTBridgeDelegate>

 @property (nonatomic, strong) UMModuleRegistryAdapter *moduleRegistryAdapter;
 @property (nonatomic, strong) UIWindow *window;

AppDelegate.m

 #import <UMReactNativeAdapter/UMNativeModulesProxy.h>
 #import <UMReactNativeAdapter/UMModuleRegistryAdapter.h>

-@interface AppDelegate ()
-
-@property (nonatomic, strong) NSDictionary *launchOptions;
-
-@end
-
 @implementation AppDelegate

...

 - (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:(NSDictionary *)launchOptions
 {
   self.moduleRegistryAdapter = [[UMModuleRegistryAdapter alloc] initWithModuleRegistryProvider:[[UMModuleRegistryProvider alloc] init]];
-  self.launchOptions = launchOptions;
-
-  self.window = [[UIWindow alloc] initWithFrame:[UIScreen mainScreen].bounds];
-#ifdef DEBUG
-  [self initializeReactNativeApp];
-#else
-  EXUpdatesAppController *controller = [EXUpdatesAppController sharedInstance];
-  controller.delegate = self;
-  [controller startAndShowLaunchScreen:self.window];
-#endif
-
-  [super application:application didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:launchOptions];
-
-  return YES;
-}
-
-- (RCTBridge *)initializeReactNativeApp
-{
-  RCTBridge *bridge = [[RCTBridge alloc] initWithDelegate:self launchOptions:self.launchOptions];
+  RCTBridge *bridge = [[RCTBridge alloc] initWithDelegate:self launchOptions:launchOptions];
   RCTRootView *rootView = [[RCTRootView alloc] initWithBridge:bridge moduleName:@"YOUR-APP-NAME" initialProperties:nil];
   rootView.backgroundColor = [[UIColor alloc] initWithRed:1.0f green:1.0f blue:1.0f alpha:1];

+  self.window = [[UIWindow alloc] initWithFrame:[UIScreen mainScreen].bounds];
   UIViewController *rootViewController = [UIViewController new];
   rootViewController.view = rootView;
   self.window.rootViewController = rootViewController;
   [self.window makeKeyAndVisible];

-  return bridge;
+  [super application:application didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:launchOptions];
+
+  return YES;
 }

...

 #ifdef DEBUG
   return [[RCTBundleURLProvider sharedSettings] jsBundleURLForBundleRoot:@"index" fallbackResource:nil];
 #else
-  return [[EXUpdatesAppController sharedInstance] launchAssetUrl];
+  return [[NSBundle mainBundle] URLForResource:@"main" withExtension:@"jsbundle"];
 #endif
 }

-- (void)appController:(EXUpdatesAppController *)appController didStartWithSuccess:(BOOL)success
-{
-  appController.bridge = [self initializeReactNativeApp];
-}
-
 @end

MainApplication.java

-import android.net.Uri;
-import expo.modules.updates.UpdatesController;
-import javax.annotation.Nullable;
-
 public class MainApplication extends Application implements ReactApplication {
   private final ReactModuleRegistryProvider mModuleRegistryProvider = new ReactModuleRegistryProvider(
     new BasePackageList().getPackageList(),

...

     protected String getJSMainModuleName() {
       return "index";
     }
-
-    @Override
-    protected @Nullable String getJSBundleFile() {
-      if (BuildConfig.DEBUG) {
-        return super.getJSBundleFile();
-      } else {
-        return UpdatesController.getInstance().getLaunchAssetFile();
-      }
-    }
-
-    @Override
-    protected @Nullable String getBundleAssetName() {
-      if (BuildConfig.DEBUG) {
-        return super.getBundleAssetName();
-      } else {
-        return UpdatesController.getInstance().getBundleAssetName();
-      }
-    }
   };

...

   public void onCreate() {
     super.onCreate();
     SoLoader.init(this, /* native exopackage */ false);
-
-    if (!BuildConfig.DEBUG) {
-      UpdatesController.initialize(this);
-    }
-
     initializeFlipper(this, getReactNativeHost().getReactInstanceManager());
   }
 }

Remove Pods Target EXUpdates (Optional)

If, after following above steps, your npm run ios or yarn ios fails and you see EXUpdates in logs, follow the steps below:

• Open the iOS directory in Xcode
• Go to Pods module on right side
• In the targets, find EXUpdates, right click and delete