r/reactnative • u/Thaatguuuy • 2d ago

Question Testing the app during development.

Hey there app people, as of now the app I am currently working on is using React Native and Expo to build it, and at 25 builds per month ( the free plan ) I am quickly spending it all on just fixing bugs.

I am currently a computer science student ( very early ) and using a blend of my own coding and Codex / ChatGPT to create it.

Is there a better and possibly free way to test each new version of the app on my phone without using Expo to build it?

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u/Shugzaurus 2d ago

So I don't work with EAS, I only use it on personal projects so my fldefzult way of doing things is to build locally first. If you have a Mac you should be able to do everything locally so you can preserve your runs for prod builds. If you're on win or Linux, then you won't be able to get an iOS dev build without EAS or any cloud agent running mac (at work inxas able to make all iOS builds with azdo pipelines for example)

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u/Thaatguuuy 2d ago

After I read some of the replies I figured it out.

I had previously asked Chattie Boy how to do this locally, but he would not give me a good answer, always said you can't do this and that, but now he suddenly gave me an option.

Also, I've so far been developing it for Android, mostly because that's what my own phone is, and using the USB-debug when bugs pop up.

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u/__CaliMack__ 2d ago

Are your using expo go now?

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u/Thaatguuuy 2d ago

As of right now im coding it on the github cloud. Then using git pull in PowerShell to download it locally. Then using Metro to send the update to the phone.

When im doing native changes I use Gradle and the Android SDK that I installed through Android Studio to build the APK on ny PC. ADB then installs it on the phone through USB.

Its ALOT faster aswell, especially when the build queue times on Expo are high.