--- modificationDate: October 15, 2026 title: Expo Simulators security, permissions, and data retention description: Learn who can start and view Expo Simulators sessions, how to protect session tokens and preview links, and how long EAS keeps recordings, screenshots, and logs. --- This documentation is available as Markdown for AI agents and LLMs. See the [full Markdown index](https://docs.expo.dev/llms.txt) or append .md to any documentation URL. # Expo Simulators security, permissions, and data retention Learn who can start and view Expo Simulators sessions, how to protect session tokens and preview links, and how long EAS keeps recordings, screenshots, and logs. ## Submitting Feedback If you encounter errors, misleading or outdated information, report it so Expo can be improved: Preferred command: npx --yes submit-expo-feedback@latest --category docs --subject "/preview/simulators/reference/security-and-data/" "" Direct HTTP fallback: curl -X POST https://api.expo.dev/v2/feedback/docs-send -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d '{"url":"/preview/simulators/reference/security-and-data/","feedback":"🤖 Agent feedback for docs: (, )"}' Only submit when you have something specific and actionable to report. Try to give the most context. > **Expo Simulators is a limited-access preview.** It is not included with paid or free plans and is currently available only to select partners. [Join the waitlist](https://expo.dev/services/simulators) if you are interested in trying it. An Expo Simulators session belongs to an EAS project. Account roles control who can start, view, and stop sessions. Session tokens and preview links give direct access to the remote device, so treat them as secrets. For how long EAS keeps job logs and artifacts, see [Retention and deletion](https://docs.expo.dev/preview/simulators/reference/security-and-data.md#retention-and-deletion). For how the parts connect, see [Expo Simulators security model](https://docs.expo.dev/preview/simulators/how-it-works/security-model.md). ## Permissions | Action | Required role | | --- | --- | | Start a session | Developer role or higher | | Stop a session | Developer role or higher | | Delete a finished session | Developer role or higher | | View sessions and their details | Any role that can view the project, including View Only | > Read access to a session includes its connection details while the session runs. A member with the View Only role can read the controller tokens of a running session through the REST API or the Expo GraphQL API. For automation, create a [robot user](https://docs.expo.dev/accounts/programmatic-access.md#robot-users-and-access-tokens) with the [Developer role](https://docs.expo.dev/accounts/account-types.md#manage-access). Developer is the minimum role that can create and stop sessions. If the user who started a session is deleted, EAS stops the session. ## Session tokens The connection details of a session include tokens for the controller. EAS stores the connection details encrypted. | Where the tokens appear | What to do | | --- | --- | | **.env.eas-simulator** | Add the file to **.gitignore**. Do not upload it as a CI artifact. | | `remoteConfig` in `--json` output | Do not print it in CI logs. | | `remoteConfig` in REST API responses | Do not log or cache it. | | Model Context Protocol (MCP) configuration files for Argent | Add the file to **.gitignore**. | The REST API returns `remoteConfig` only while the session is `in-progress`. After the session stops or fails, `remoteConfig` is `null`. EAS CLI (`eas simulator:get`) and the Expo GraphQL API still return the stored connection details after the session stops. By then, the remote device and its controller endpoints no longer exist. Session responses include `Cache-Control: private, no-store` and `Pragma: no-cache`. The session page on expo.dev masks the token values by default. Anyone who can view the session page can reveal or copy them. ## Browser preview links The browser preview does not require an Expo login. When the preview is gated, the link contains a session token, and the page needs that token to show the preview. Treat a preview link as a secret. Anyone with the link can see and use the simulator while the session runs. Share it only with the people who need it, and set a maximum duration on the session. ## Network access - **Metro tunnel:** a Metro URL from `npx expo start --tunnel` is public while the tunnel runs. It does not require authentication. Stop Metro when you finish. - **Default egress:** without local egress, all traffic from the simulator exits from EAS infrastructure. - **Local egress:** with `--egress local`, device traffic exits from your computer: all TCP traffic on Android, and traffic that honors the system proxy on iOS. The egress client refuses local, private, link-local, and multicast addresses. Only the exact `host:port` entries that you pass with `--egress-allow` are exceptions. See [Network traffic and local egress in Expo Simulators](https://docs.expo.dev/preview/simulators/how-it-works/network-inspection.md). ## Data that EAS stores | Data | Where it appears | | --- | --- | | Session details: name, tags, type, status, platform, times | `eas simulator:list`, `eas simulator:get`, expo.dev | | Screenshots and screenshot diffs | **Artifacts** on the session page | | Screen recordings | Recording player and **Artifacts** | | Traces, performance metrics, native profiles, React profiles | **Artifacts** on the session page | | Session activity events | `eas simulator:events` and the session page | | Job logs | Logs section on the session page | One artifact can be up to about 5 GiB. EAS records the request origin and agent identifiers that a client sends when it creates a session. EAS uses these values for analytics only, not for authorization. ## Artifact downloads `eas simulator:get --json` returns a `downloadUrl` for each artifact. The download URL contains a long random key and does not require authentication. Treat it as a secret. The `downloadUrl` does not change. Each request to it redirects to a new signed storage URL, which expires after one hour. To download the artifact again later, request the same `downloadUrl` again. ## Retention and deletion - Job logs on the session page are available for 30 days after the session is created. - EAS keeps session artifacts, such as screenshots and recordings, until you delete the session. - You can delete a session after it finishes. You cannot delete a running session. - When you delete a session, EAS also deletes its recordings and screenshots. You cannot undo this. - When you delete the project, EAS also deletes its sessions and their artifacts. ## Common questions #### Can a member with the View Only role start a session? No. Starting a session requires the Developer role or higher. #### Can someone without an Expo account open my preview? Yes, if they have the preview link. The preview page does not require an Expo login. When the preview is gated, the link must include the session token. #### How do I remove recordings of a session? Delete the finished session from its page on expo.dev. EAS deletes its recordings and screenshots.