If you have had or you have an interest in entering the React Native Space, you may have heard of Expo. Expo is essentially a set of tools designed for and around React Native to enhance the developer experience. They are an independent company and do not have any affiliation with Facebook.

Many people are confused about whether they should use Expo or Not. If you are one of them, do not hesitate to read this article.

What is Expo?

Expo is a toolchain based on React Native that will help you set up applications quickly. It provides many tools for the process of developing and testing Native React applications and provides you with the user interface and service components typically found in third-party Native React Native components. Expo offers you the Expo SDK, which you can use for some local mobile functions, like BarcodeScanner, MapView, ImagePicker, etc., so we can define Expo as a framework and as an ecosystem. However, if you use Expo CLI to develop applications, you can only use the Expo ecosystem. This can be a burden when you build a very complex application through a lot of manual work and smoother configuration.

Advantages of using Expo

You Don’t Need To Know Native Mobile Coding

Using Expo, you will never have to write native iOS or Android code. This means that when using Expo to build applications, developers do not need to be familiar with native mobile coding. The Expo will process all native code in the background and cannot be used by developers who use it.

So, if you’ve been building a React Native app without Expo from scratch, then you’ll need to use a small portion of the native mobile coding skills. Although 95% of the code is shared between iOS and Android, you may still need to adjust the native code on both platforms based on usage. For anyone looking to achieve this level, the Expo is the best solution.

Easy Downloadable

The Expo Client is an app installed on your phone from Google Play and the Apple Store. Allows the project to be open during the development process without creating it through XCode or Android Studio. The Expo Client will enable you to send your request to others for review. This is very useful when testing because you can view all the code changes in the Expo client while you don’t need to create an apk or IPA file.

The Fastest Way To Build React Native Apps

If you have a project requiring rapid development and have chosen React Native to build cross-platform applications, then Expo is for you. Through Expo, you can quickly develop and deploy React Native applications for iOS and Android.

Publish Over The Air (OTA) Updates Instantly

A very nice feature that can be used while using the Expo is OTA (Over-the-Air) updates. Because all the code you write to develop an application through Expo is in JavaScript, you can always apply updates to the application over the air anytime. You don't need to be approved by the App Store to complete this process. The biggest problem with mobile app development is releasing updates for your app through the App Store.

Integrated Access To The Native API

Expo offers many native APIs for iOS and Android. This makes it very easy for developers to add native features to this application. Some common native features of Expo include the camera, file system, location, social authentication, push notifications, and many more. When using Expo, you don't have to worry about integrating these native features, as they are provided to you as part of the Expo package.

Limitations

Not All iOS And Android APIs Are Available

The Expo official documents indicated that not all iOS and Android APIs are available. Expo has not yet provided features like Bluetooth and in-app purchases. Before deciding which method to use, ensure to read the official documentation to check that all of the features you need to create are available at Expo.

Build’s Production May Be Delayed

As Expo provides free standalone services to developers, where there are limited clusters of shared resources, it is sometimes possible for builds to queue. For developers who don't like to stay, you can use the priority building infrastructure by purchasing a priority plan. We believe that this is not a problem, but a result of the Expo's opportunities. Servers cost money, and business users can help you meet those costs to use them first. Either way, a priority plan is cheaper than having your server.

Your Application Requires Background Code Execution

This issue has been widely and consistently discussed over time. In this case, if the application has not been closed or moved, the application will run in the background. Playing audio in the background and managing push notifications have been in development for several years. This also eliminates some possible uses of apps.

You Cannot Select A Push Notification Service

When using Expo, you will not have the chance to choose a push notification service like Firebase. You must use the product out of the box, and this is called One Signal. If this may be a problem for you, then the Expo might not be suitable for you.

Verdicts

Putting these limitations aside, there shouldn’t be any reason you should not use Expo as it offers many advantages beyond what has been written above. However, if you cannot cope with these limitations, you should continue creating without using Expo.

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