BUILDING FOR RELEASE AND SUBMITTING A REACT NATIVE EXPO APP TO APPLE STORE AND PLAY STORE

Building and submitting a React Native Expo app to the Apple App Store and Google Play Store involves several steps. Here's a general guide to help you through the process:

Build for iOS:

expo build:ios

build:ios: This is a specific command within Expo CLI that tells Expo to build the iOS version of your app.

When you run expo build:ios, Expo initiates the build process by doing the following:

Checking Configuration: Expo will check your project configuration, including the app.json file, for any necessary settings related to building the iOS app.

Building Assets: Expo will bundle and optimize your app's assets, including images, icons, and other resources.

Building the iOS Binary: Expo will use the configuration and assets to build the binary file (.ipa) for iOS.

Creating a Build Profile: If it's your first time building for iOS or if your credentials need to be updated, Expo will prompt you to provide the necessary information or create the required profiles and certificates.

Submitting to Apple Servers: Expo will submit the build to Apple's servers. This doesn't mean the app is immediately available on the App Store; it's just being uploaded to Apple's servers for further processing.

Monitoring Build Status: After the build is submitted, Expo provides a link to the build status. You can use this link to check the progress of your build.

Download the Build: Once the build is complete and successful, you'll be able to download the generated iOS binary from the Expo servers.

It's important to note that after running expo build:ios, you may need to interact with the Apple Developer portal to set up certificates and provisioning profiles. The Expo CLI will guide you through this process if needed.

Remember, building for iOS requires a Mac computer with Xcode installed, and you need to have an Apple Developer account. Additionally, managing the submission and approval process for the App Store is a separate step after the build.

Build for Android:

expo build:android

When you run expo build:android, here's what happens:

Checking Configuration:
Expo reviews your project's configuration, including the app.json file, to ensure that all necessary settings for building the Android app are correctly specified.

Building Assets:
Expo bundles and optimizes your app's assets, such as images and icons, to ensure efficient performance on Android devices.

Building the Android Binary (APK):
Expo uses the provided configuration and assets to build the binary file for Android, known as the APK (Android Package). This file contains all the necessary components of your app.

Creating a Build Profile:
If it's your first time building for Android or if your credentials need updating, Expo prompts you to provide the necessary information. This may include creating the required profiles and certificates for Android app distribution.

Submitting to Google's Servers:
Expo submits the built APK to Google's servers. This is not the final step of making your app publicly available on the Google Play Store; it's more like sending your app to Google for processing.

Monitoring Build Status:
After the submission, Expo provides a link to the build status. You can use this link to check the progress of your build, similar to tracking a package during shipment.

Download the Built APK:
Once the build process is complete and successful, Expo provides a link for you to download the generated Android APK. This file is what you'll eventually submit to the Google Play Store.

It's important to note that certain prerequisites must be met before running this command, such as having the necessary dependencies installed and configured on your development machine. Additionally, you may need to set up credentials and profiles for Android app signing. The Expo CLI will guide you through these steps if needed.

Submitting to App Stores:
Upload to App Store Connect:
Upload the .ipa file generated by Expo to App Store Connect using Xcode or the Application Loader.

Submit for Review:
Submit your app for review on App Store Connect.
Using your terminal enter

 eas submit --platform ios --latest 

The command eas submit --platform ios --latest is used with the Expo Application Services (EAS) CLI to submit a new version of your iOS app to the Apple App Store. Here's a breakdown of what each part of the command does:

eas: This is the command-line interface for Expo Application Services. Expo Application Services provides build and deployment services for Expo projects.

submit: This is a specific command within the EAS CLI that initiates the process of submitting your app to the App Store.

--platform ios: This flag specifies that you want to submit the app for the iOS platform. It indicates that the subsequent actions apply specifically to the iOS version of your app.

--latest: This flag is used to submit the latest build of your app. It helps automate the process by selecting the most recent build generated for submission.

When you run eas submit --platform ios --latest, here's what happens:

Identify the Platform: The command specifies that the following actions are related to the iOS platform.

Select the Latest Build: The --latest flag instructs the EAS CLI to choose the most recent build of your app for submission. This is convenient because you don't need to manually specify the version number; it automatically picks the latest one.

**Initiate Submission Process: **The submit command triggers the submission process, which includes preparing the build, handling any required credentials, and interacting with Apple's App Store Connect API to submit the app for review.

**Check Build Status: **After initiating the submission, EAS provides feedback on the build status, and you can monitor the progress of the submission.

This command assumes that you've already configured your project for EAS builds and set up the necessary credentials for iOS app signing. It streamlines the process of submitting your latest iOS build to the App Store without requiring you to manually specify version numbers or build IDs.

Always make sure to check the official Expo and EAS documentation for the most up-to-date information and best practices.

For Android (Google Play Store):
Building an apk

 eas build -p android --profile preview      

The command eas build -p android --profile preview is used with the Expo Application Services (EAS) CLI to initiate the build process for an Android APK (Android Package) with a specific build profile. Let's break down each part of the command:

eas: This is the command-line interface for Expo Application Services (EAS). EAS provides build and deployment services for Expo projects.

build: This is a specific command within the EAS CLI that instructs EAS to start the build process for your project.

**-p android: **This flag specifies the platform for which you want to build your app. In this case, it's set to android, indicating that you are building the Android version of your app.

--**profile preview: **This flag specifies the build profile to use for the build. The value preview indicates that you are using a specific configuration profile named "preview" for this build. Build profiles typically contain settings related to things like app signing, environment variables, and other configuration options.

When you run eas build -p android --profile preview, here's what happens:

Identify the Platform: The -p android flag specifies that the build is for the Android platform.

Select Build Profile: The --profile preview flag indicates that you want to use the build profile named "preview." This profile likely contains settings that are suitable for preview or testing builds.

Initiate Build Process: The build command triggers the build process for your Android app. This includes bundling your app's assets, compiling the code, and preparing the Android APK for distribution.

Check Build Status: After initiating the build, EAS provides feedback on the build status. You can monitor the progress of the build and check for any errors or warnings.

Using a build profile allows you to customize the build process for different environments or purposes. For example, you might have different profiles for development, testing, and production builds, each with its own set of configurations.

Make sure that your project is properly configured for EAS builds and that you have the necessary credentials and configurations in place, especially if you are building for Android. Always refer to the official Expo and EAS documentation for the latest and most accurate information.

Else build to upload to google playstore

expo build:android
expo publish --release-channel staging

expo build:android:

This is the first command used to build the Android version of your React Native app using Expo.
Running expo build:android initiates the build process, where Expo compiles your app's code, optimizes assets, and creates the Android binary (APK).
This command may prompt you for certain configurations and credentials, especially if it's your first time building for Android. Expo will guide you through the necessary steps.
expo publish --release-channel staging:

After successfully building the Android APK, the second command is used to publish your app's JavaScript and asset updates over-the-air (OTA) using Expo's release channels.
expo publish updates the JavaScript code and assets of your app without requiring users to download a new APK. It's particularly useful for releasing updates quickly.
The --release-channel staging flag specifies the release channel to which you want to publish the updates. In this case, it's set to "staging." Release channels allow you to target specific environments or stages, such as development, staging, or production.
Explanation:

Build the Android App:

expo build:android is like telling Expo to assemble all the necessary components of your React Native app into an Android package (APK) suitable for installation on Android devices.
Publish the Updates:

expo publish --release-channel staging is like telling Expo to share the latest changes in your JavaScript code and assets with devices that are subscribed to the "staging" release channel. This is useful for testing changes in a controlled environment before a wider release.
These commands are part of the Expo workflow, which simplifies the development and deployment process for React Native applications. After running these commands, you'll have an Android APK ready for distribution, and your app's updates will be available to devices subscribed to the specified release channel.

Remember to follow the Expo documentation for any additional configurations and details related to the build and publish process. Additionally, for Google Play Store distribution, you'll eventually need to manually upload the APK to the Google Play Console and complete the store listing and submission process there.