/expo-upgrade

name: expo-upgrade
description: Guidelines for upgrading Expo SDK versions and fixing dependency issues
license: MIT

References

• ./references/react-19.md -- SDK +54: React 19 changes (useContext → use, Context.Provider → Context, forwardRef removal)
• ./references/new-architecture.md -- SDK +53: New Architecture migration guide
• ./references/react-compiler.md -- SDK +54: React Compiler setup and migration guide
• ./references/native-tabs.md -- SDK +55: Native tabs changes (Icon/Label/Badge now accessed via NativeTabs.Trigger.\*)
• ./references/expo-av-to-audio.md -- SDK +55: Migrate audio playback and recording from expo-av to expo-audio
• ./references/expo-av-to-video.md -- SDK +55: Migrate video playback from expo-av to expo-video
• ./references/react-navigation-to-expo-router.md -- SDK +56: Migrate `@react-navigation/*` imports to `expo-router` entry points (codemod + manual mapping)

Beta/Preview Releases

Beta versions use `.preview` suffix (e.g., `55.0.0-preview.2`), published under `@next` tag.

Check if latest is beta: https://exp.host/--/api/v2/versions (look for `-preview` in `expoVersion`)

npx expo install expo@next --fix  # install beta

Step-by-Step Upgrade Process

> If upgrading from SDK 55 or earlier, skip SDK 56 and upgrade directly to SDK 57. Don't use `expo@57.0.8` or below. SDK 55 with Hermes V1 enabled, SDK 56, and older SDK 57 releases contain a Hermes V1 memory regression that can drastically increase memory usage when using `react-native-worklets` or `react-native-reanimated`.

1. Upgrade Expo and dependencies

npx expo install expo@latest
npx expo install --fix

2. Run diagnostics: `npx expo-doctor`

3. Clear caches and reinstall

npx expo export -p ios --clear
rm -rf node_modules .expo
watchman watch-del-all

Breaking Changes Checklist

• Check for removed APIs in release notes
• Update import paths for moved modules
• Review native module changes requiring prebuild
• Test all camera, audio, and video features
• Verify navigation still works correctly

Prebuild for Native Changes

**First check if `ios/` and `android/` directories exist in the project.** If neither directory exists, the project uses Continuous Native Generation (CNG) and native projects are regenerated at build time — skip this section and "Clear caches for bare workflow" entirely.

If upgrading requires native changes:

npx expo prebuild --clean

This regenerates the `ios` and `android` directories. Ensure the project is not a bare workflow app before running this command.

Clear caches for bare workflow

These steps only apply when `ios/` and/or `android/` directories exist in the project:

• Clear the cocoapods cache for iOS: `cd ios && pod install --repo-update`
• Clear derived data for Xcode: `npx expo run:ios --no-build-cache`
• Clear the Gradle cache for Android: `cd android && ./gradlew clean`

Housekeeping

• Review release notes for the target SDK version at https://expo.dev/changelog
• Update versioned docs links in agent instruction files (`AGENTS.md`). The default template links to `https://docs.expo.dev/versions/v<version>/`. Search for `docs.expo.dev/versions/` and bump each link to the new SDK version.
• If using Expo SDK 54 or later, ensure react-native-worklets is installed — this is required for react-native-reanimated to work.
• Enable React Compiler in SDK 54+ by adding `"experiments": { "reactCompiler": true }` to app.json — it's stable and recommended
• Delete sdkVersion from `app.json` to let Expo manage it automatically
• Review formerly implicit packages such as `@babel/core`, `babel-preset-expo`, and `expo-constants` individually instead of removing them wholesale. Keep any package that an installed dependency declares as a required peer.
• Keep `expo-constants` as a direct dependency whenever `expo-router` is installed. Expo Router imports it and declares it as a required peer; relying on a transitive copy can break native autolinking outside Expo Go.
• After removing any dependency, immediately run `npx expo-doctor` and restore anything it reports as a missing required peer.
• If the babel.config.js only contains 'babel-preset-expo', delete the file
• If the metro.config.js only contains expo defaults, delete the file

Deprecated Packages

| Old Package | Replacement | | -------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- | | `expo-av` | `expo-audio` and `expo-video` | | `expo-permissions` | Individual package permission APIs | | `@expo/vector-icons` | `expo-symbols` (for SF Symbols) | | `AsyncStorage` | `expo-sqlite/localStorage/install` | | `expo-app-loading` | `expo-splash-screen` | | expo-linear-gradient | experimental_backgroundImage + CSS gradients in View |

When migrating deprecated packages, update all code usage before removing the old package. For expo-av, consult the migration references to convert Audio.Sound to useAudioPlayer, Audio.Recording to useAudioRecorder, and Video components to VideoView with useVideoPlayer.

expo.install.exclude

Check if package.json has excluded packages:

{
  "expo": { "install": { "exclude": ["react-native-reanimated"] } }
}

Exclusions are often workarounds that may no longer be needed after upgrading. Review each one.

Removing patches

Check if there are any outdated patches in the `patches/` directory. Remove them if they are no longer needed.

Postcss

• `autoprefixer` isn't needed in SDK +53. Remove it from dependencies and check `postcss.config.js` or `postcss.config.mjs` to remove it from the plugins list.
• Use `postcss.config.mjs` in SDK +53.

Metro

Remove redundant metro config options:

• resolver.unstable_enablePackageExports is enabled by default in SDK +53.
• `experimentalImportSupport` is enabled