Expo 56

Expo SDK 56

> Verified against the Expo monorepo source (expo/expo) and the SDK 56 changelog as of 2026-07-06 — SDK 56 is now stable (released 2026-06-01, current patch 56.0.5). Bundled native-dep versions below are the frozen SDK 56 pins from the versioned schema (docs/public/static/schemas/v56.0.0/native-modules.json) — re-verify against npx expo install --fix output after any SDK patch/minor bump, since these references are a point-in-time snapshot. > > Verification status (source audit 2026-07-06): Re-confirmed against the pinned v56.0.0 schema and package sources — RN 0.85.3, React 19.2.3, react-native-reanimated 4.3.1 (+ separate react-native-worklets 0.8.3), gesture-handler ~2.31.1, screens 4.25.2, safe-area-context ~5.7.0, svg 15.15.4; Hermes v1; Node ≥20.19.4. expo-type-information is confirmed real — package v0.0.5 at packages/expo-type-information, CLI binary expo-type-information, with the exact commands module-interface / inline-modules-interface / short-module-interface (docs: modules/type-generation-reference.mdx, modules/inline-modules-reference.mdx). Note: the unversioned main branch is already tracking SDK 57 (RN 0.86, screens nightly, Node 22.13) — ignore those; the values here are the frozen SDK 56 pins.

This skill covers both building new SDK 56 apps with correct, current APIs and migrating existing apps from SDK 55. SDK 56 shipped many breaking changes and new defaults that postdate model training — treat the bundled references/ files as ground truth and consult them before writing non-trivial code. Don't rely on memory for Expo APIs; verify against the relevant reference.

Why this matters

Several SDK 56 APIs are new or breaking versus what most React Native knowledge assumes:

• expo/fetch is now the default globalThis.fetch.
• expo-file-system copy()/move() are now async; the whole module moved to an object-oriented File/Directory/Paths API.
• expo-router no longer depends on React Navigation.
• expo-av is removed — use expo-video + expo-audio.
• Calendar / Contacts / MediaLibrary were redesigned (old APIs deprecated, importable only from /legacy).
• @expo/vector-icons is deprecated in favor of scoped @react-native-vector-icons/*.

If you write code from memory for any of these, it will likely be wrong. Check the reference.

Quick facts (SDK 56)

| Thing | Value | |-------|-------| | React Native | 0.85 | | React | 19.2 (index pins 19.2.3) | | JS engine | Hermes v1 (default; opt out useHermesV1: false in expo-build-properties) | | New Architecture | Mandatory — no opt-out | | Node.js | ≥ 20.19.4 | | Xcode | ≥ 26.4 | | iOS / tvOS min | 16.4 (macOS 13.4) | | TypeScript | 6.0.3 | | New project | npx create-expo-app@latest --template default@sdk-56 | | Upgrade | npx expo install expo@^56.0.0 --fix then npx expo-doctor@latest | | Expo Go | Not on App Store / Play Store for SDK 56 — install via CLI / TestFlight beta / eas go (see references/19) |

Key bundled native dep versions: reanimated 4.3.1 (needs react-native-worklets 0.8.3), gesture-handler ~2.31.1 (use the Gesture.Pan() builder API), screens 4.25.2, safe-area-context ~5.7.0, svg 15.15.4. Details in references/17.

How to use this skill

1. Identify the topic of the user's task.
2. Open the matching reference file(s) from the routing table below — read the relevant section, not the whole file. Most files use numbered H2 sections (## 1., ## 2., …); a few (07, 12, 17, 20) use descriptive un-numbered H2 headings instead. Either way, grep the file's ^## headings first and jump to the one you need rather than reading top-to-bottom — several references run 700–1050 lines.
3. For migrations, also read the Migration checklist section below and the per-topic "what changed in SDK 56" / "Migration" sections inside each reference.
4. Write code using the verbatim signatures and import paths from the reference. When a reference flags a discrepancy (see "Known discrepancies" below), prefer the reference's note and verify against the live docs if it's load-bearing.

Routing table

Read the file whose domain matches the task, then jump to the relevant H2 section (see step 2 above on how sections are organized) rather than reading the whole file.

| If the task involves… | Read | |---|---| | Versions, environment/tooling requirements, New Architecture, creating a project, upgrading to 56, the top-level breaking-change & codemod list | references/01-core-setup-upgrade.md | | Routing, navigation, `//, layouts, typed routes, API routes, **React Navigation removal + codemod**, native stack v5, streaming SSR, data loaders, SuspenseFallback | references/02-expo-router.md | | @expo/ui (SwiftUI / Jetpack Compose), universal components, native components, datetimepicker/bottom-sheet drop-in replacements | references/03-expo-ui.md | | Authoring native modules, the Module DSL, inline modules, expo-type-information, create-expo-module, type-safe config plugins | references/04-expo-modules-api.md | | Expo CLI flags, Metro config, on-demand filesystem, Node watcher vs Watchman, tree-shaking, env vars, TypeScript 6/7, import.meta | references/05-cli-metro-bundling.md | | expo-file-system (File/Directory/Paths, upload/download tasks, async copy/move) and expo/fetch networking | references/06-filesystem-networking.md | | **Redesigned** expo-calendar, expo-contacts, expo-media-library; expo-audio useAudioStream; expo-haptics; expo-asset GLB | references/07-media-device-apis.md | | expo-sqlite (blobs, changesets), expo-updates / EAS Update + Hermes bytecode diffing, Convex integration | references/08-sqlite-updates-convex.md | | , , iOS Widgets (expo-widgets), expo-dev-client updates, vector-icons migration | references/09-system-ui-components.md | | iOS/Android build performance, EAS Build precompiled artifacts, brownfield/native integration (multipleFrameworks), AGENTS.md/CLAUDE.md scaffolding | references/10-eas-build-brownfield.md | | expo-camera, expo-image, expo-image-picker, expo-image-manipulator, expo-gl, expo-video-thumbnails | references/11-camera-visual-media.md | | expo-video, expo-audio (playback/recording), **expo-av removal/migration**, expo-screen-capture | references/12-video-audio-playback.md | | expo-auth-session, expo-secure-store, expo-local-authentication, expo-crypto, expo-apple-authentication, expo-web-browser, **Router auth pattern (Stack.Protected)** | references/13-auth-security.md | | expo-notifications, push setup, FCM/APNs credentials, expo-task-manager, expo-background-task, expo-device, expo-application | references/14-notifications-background.md | | expo-location, expo-sensors, expo-screen-orientation, expo-brightness, expo-battery, expo-cellular, expo-network | references/15-location-sensors.md | | app.json/app.config.[js,ts] schema, config plugins, app icons & splash, expo-build-properties, expo-constants, expo-system-ui, expo-splash-screen, expo-font, expo-linking, expo-localization | references/16-app-config-foundational.md | | react-native-reanimated, react-native-gesture-handler, react-native-screens, react-native-safe-area-context, react-native-svg + bundled versions | references/17-animation-gesture-deps.md | | eas.json, EAS Build profiles, internal distribution, credentials, EAS Submit, EAS Update channels/branches, EAS Workflows, EAS Metadata, EAS env vars | references/18-eas-full-workflow.md | | Development builds, debugging tools, unit testing (jest-expo), E2E (Maestro), Expo Go SDK 56 install path | references/19-dev-workflow-testing.md | | expo-maps, web support / output modes (single/static/server), expo-clipboard/sharing/print/mail-composer/sms/store-review/tracking-transparency/blur/linear-gradient | references/20-maps-web-utilities.md` |

If a task spans multiple domains (e.g. "build a screen that records audio and uploads it"), read each relevant file.

Migration checklist (SDK 55 → 56)

When upgrading an existing app, work through this. Full detail in references/01 §7 and the per-topic "Migration" sections.

1. Bump & fix deps: npx expo install expo@^56.0.0 --fix, then npx expo-doctor@latest. Confirm tooling minimums (Node ≥20.19.4, Xcode ≥26.4, iOS ≥16.4).
2. Expo Router → no React Navigation: run npx expo-codemod sdk-56-expo-router-react-navigation-replace src. Maps @react-navigation/* imports to expo-router/*. See references/02 §1.
3. Vector icons: run npx @react-native-vector-icons/codemod; migrate @expo/vector-icons → scoped @react-native-vector-icons/*. The expo package no longer pulls in @expo/vector-icons. See references/09 §4.
4. expo/fetch is now default fetch: audit code relying on RN fetch quirks; opt out with EXPO_PUBLIC_USE_RN_FETCH=1 if needed. See references/06 §6.
5. expo-file-system: copy()/move() are now async (use copySync()/moveSync() for old behavior); migrate to the new File/Directory/Paths API. See references/06 §1 & §7.
6. expo-av removed: migrate Video → expo-video, Audio → expo-audio. See references/12.
7. Calendar / Contacts / MediaLibrary: old APIs deprecated and only importable from /legacy (throw at runtime otherwise); adopt the redesigned object-oriented APIs. See references/07.
8. Notifications: foreground handler now uses shouldShowBanner/shouldShowList (not shouldShowAlert); expo-background-fetch → expo-background-task. See references/14.
9. DOM WebView: @expo/dom-webview is the default (no longer needs react-native-webview).
10. Hermes v1: default engine; opt out via useHermesV1: false in expo-build-properties only if you hit issues.
11. Reanimated 4: now requires the separate react-native-worklets package. See references/17.

Known discrepancies (read before trusting a single source)

The three previously-open items below were resolved by auditing the SDK 56 package sources (2026-07-06); kept here with their outcomes because they still catch out anyone reading only the rendered docs:

• android.usePrecompiledHeaders: confirmed real — it is defined in the expo-build-properties plugin config type (pluginConfig.ts) and implemented in android.ts, it's just absent from the auto-generated docs page. Use it. (Note usePrecompiledModules is the separate iOS key.) (references/16 §5, references/10 §2)
• gesture-handler API: SDK 56 pins 2.31.x whose canonical API is the Gesture.Pan() builder (confirmed by the v56 docs and monorepo examples). Ignore any newer usePanGesture() hook shown on the unversioned docs. Use the builder API. (references/17)
• expo-type-information / typegen CLI: confirmed real — package v0.0.5 (packages/expo-type-information), CLI binary expo-type-information, with commands module-interface / inline-modules-interface / short-module-interface (inline-modules-interface takes --app-json). Docs: modules/type-generation-reference.mdx + modules/inline-modules-reference.mdx. (references/04)
• Some changelog-only items (EAS per-step timing, "EAS Observe coming soon") have no dedicated docs page yet. (references/10, references/18)

Conventions when generating code

• Use TypeScript and file-based routing (expo-router) unless the user's project clearly does otherwise.
• Install packages with npx expo install (not bare npm install) so versions match the SDK.
• Use permission hooks where a package offers them (e.g. useCameraPermissions, useAudioPermissions) rather than imperative permission calls, and wire required permission strings/config-plugin props in app.json.
• Prefer the SDK 56 API surface (e.g. expo-video's useVideoPlayer, file-system's File/Paths) over deprecated/legacy equivalents, and tell the user when you're avoiding a deprecated path.

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: mahdi-salmanzade
• Source: mahdi-salmanzade/expo56-skill
• License: MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.