Deployment and Release Process

Building for Production: #

Prepare production builds with environment-specific configurations. Set NODE_ENV=production and configure production API URLs, keys, and feature flags in .env.production. Build iOS app with eas build –platform ios –profile production. Build Android with eas build –platform android –profile production. EAS (Expo Application Services) handles native compilation, code signing, and binary generation. Configure app.json with correct version numbers, bundle identifiers, and permissions. Test production builds on physical devices before submission. Validate performance, crashlytics integration, and analytics tracking.

App Store Submission: #

For iOS, register app in App Store Connect with app ID, description, screenshots, privacy policy, and support URL. Configure in-app purchases and subscriptions if applicable. Submit for review with compliance information. Apple review typically takes 1-3 days. Address any rejection feedback and resubmit. For Android, create Play Store listing with app details, graphics, and content rating. Upload AAB bundle, configure release tracks (internal, alpha, beta, production). Set rollout percentage for gradual releases. Monitor crash reports and user feedback post-launch. Submit updates regularly with bug fixes and new features.

Over-the-Air Updates with Expo: #

Expo enables instant updates without app store review for JavaScript/React changes. Publish updates with eas update –branch production –message ‘Bug fixes’. Updates download automatically on app launch and apply on next restart. Configure update channels in app.json. Use staged rollouts: publish to beta channel first, promote to production after validation. Monitor update adoption rates and error rates. Implement rollback capability for problematic updates. OTA updates don’t work for native code changes (new dependencies, permissions)–those require full app store releases. Balance OTA updates for speed with full releases for major features.