expo-dev-client

Use EAS Build to create development clients for testing native code changes on physical devices. Use this for creating custom Expo Go clients for testing branches of your app. > **Free locally; cloud builds are paid.** `expo-dev-client` itself is open source and building locally is free. Building or distributing via EAS Build/TestFlight uses your EAS plan's build minutes and needs a paid Apple Developer account for device/TestFlight distribution. See https://expo.dev/pricing. ## Important: When Development Clients Are Needed **Development clients are the recommended setup for any real or production app.** Expo Go is a playground for learning and quick experiments with the native libraries it bundles; most apps outgrow it and move to a development client. See [Expo Go vs. development builds](https://docs.expo.dev/develop/development-builds/introduction/) for the full reasoning. You need a dev client ONLY when using: - Local Expo modules (custom native code) - Apple targets (widgets, app clips, extensions) - Third-party native modules not in Expo Go - Config plugins, or testing remote push notifications and App/Universal Links ## EAS Configuration Ensure `eas.json` has a development profile: ```json { "cli": { "version": ">= 16.0.1", "appVersionSource": "remote" }, "build": { "production": { "autoIncrement": true }, "development": { "autoIncrement": true, "developmentClient": true } }, "submit": { "production": {},...