Install your app on an Android phone

Expo Go is great while you build. When you want the app on its own icon, on your phone or a friend's, build an Android APK. It takes a few minutes and no Mac.

Native builds come with the Pro and Team plans, which are coming soon. On the Free plan, open your app in Expo Go instead.

1. Get to a working version

Builds use your current version, and it has to be working (it passed its checks). If the latest one is broken, fix it or roll back first.

2. Build for Android

Click Build in the top bar and choose Android. The build runs in the cloud. A card in the chat tracks it, and you can keep chatting with the agent in the meantime.

3. Install it

1. When the build finishes, scan the card's QR code with your Android phone, or download the APK.
2. Open the downloaded file. Android may ask you to allow installs from your browser: allow it for this install.
3. Tap Install. Your app now has its own icon on the home screen.

4. Share it

Send the APK to anyone with an Android phone and they can install it the same way. To ship an update, build again from a newer version and install over the old one.

What about iPhone?

iOS builds are simulator builds for now: they run in Xcode's iOS Simulator on a Mac. To try your app on an iPhone today, use Expo Go. See Preview on your phone.