Test your project in Expo Go on a remote simulator

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Install Expo Go on an Expo Simulators session, connect it to Metro through a tunnel, and test a project that has no custom native code without creating a build.

Expo Go on Expo Simulators lets you test your project without a build. Pass --expo-go to eas simulator:start. EAS CLI selects the Expo Go version that matches the Expo SDK of your project, and Expo Simulators installs it. Then Expo Go opens your project from Metro through a tunnel.

Expo Go works only for projects that have no custom native code. For other projects, use a development build. See Use Fast Refresh with Metro on a remote simulator.

Connect Expo Go to Metro

Start Metro with a tunnel

The remote device must reach Metro over the internet. Start Metro first, because Expo Simulators opens the Metro URL while the session starts:

Terminal

- EXPO_UNSTABLE_TUNNEL_V2=1 npx expo start --tunnel

EXPO_UNSTABLE_TUNNEL_V2=1 selects a tunnel that is signed for your Expo account. From SDK 58, npx expo start --tunnel uses this tunnel by default and ignores the variable.

Start the session with Expo Go

Terminal

- eas simulator:start --platform ios --type agent-device --expo-go \

--open-url "exp://<metro-host>" \ --name "Expo Go live preview" --non-interactive

Replace <metro-host> with the host of the tunnel URL, without a port. Use an exp:// URL.

On iOS, Expo Simulators starts Expo Go with launch arguments that skip the developer menu onboarding screen and hide the floating developer menu button. You do not need to pass them.

Check the result

Open the browser preview URL (webPreviewUrl) in a desktop browser, or take a screenshot through the controller. Edit a source file to see the change with Fast Refresh.

Select an Expo Go version

EAS CLI reads the Expo SDK version from the project. To use a different version, pass --sdk-version together with --expo-go:

Terminal

-

eas simulator:start --platform ios --type agent-device --expo-go --sdk-version <version> --name "Expo Go SDK check" --non-interactive

--sdk-version works only with --expo-go.

Start Expo Go from a link

A create session link can also start Expo Go. Set these parameters:

expoGo=true
platform=android or platform=ios.
sdkVersion: the Expo SDK version of your project, such as 58
openUrl: the Metro URL

https://expo.dev/accounts/<account>/projects/<project>/simulator-sessions/create?expoGo=true&platform=ios&sdkVersion=<version>&openUrl=exp%3A%2F%2F<metro-host>

A link does not read the SDK version from your project. Without sdkVersion, the session installs the current Expo Go release.

See Start a session from a link.

Common questions

Expo Go cannot find the SDK version. What do I do?

Run the command from an Expo project with a valid app config, or pass --sdk-version <version> with --expo-go.

Why does my project not load?

The usual causes are that Metro was not running when the session started, or that the --open-url value does not use the exp:// scheme. Start Metro first, and pass an exp:// URL. Do not pass the webPreviewUrl to --open-url. See Troubleshoot Expo Simulators.