Set up your tools

Open a terminal

The terminal is the app where you'll talk to your AI agent.

• On macOS, open the built-in Terminal app. You can find it by opening Spotlight Search (Cmd ⌘ + Space) and typing "Terminal".
• On Windows, open PowerShell from the Start menu. You'll type a handful of commands into it during this chapter. Each one is provided for you to copy and paste.

If you plan to use Cursor, you'll work inside its visual editor instead of a terminal for most of this tutorial, but keep a terminal handy since you'll still use it to run your app.

Install an AI agent

If you already use an AI coding agent, skip to the next step. Otherwise, pick one below. This tutorial works the same with any of them.

Other agents work too. As long as your agent can edit files and run commands on your computer, you can follow along.

Install Node.js

Let's run your first prompt and install Node.js.

Node.js is the runtime that powers Expo's developer tools. Run the following prompt that will instruct your agent to download the Long-Term Support (LTS) version from nodejs.org.

I'm following the Expo "Build with AI" tutorial on a brand-new setup and I have no programming experience. Please install the latest LTS version of Node.js on my computer.

- First, tell me in one or two plain sentences what you're about to do.
- Detect my operating system and use the most reliable method for it.
- When you're done, verify it worked by showing me the output of `node --version` and `npm --version`, and tell me if I need to reopen anything for it to take effect.

To confirm it worked, run the following command by opening a new terminal window. It should print Node.js version number currently installed:

Install Expo Go and create an Expo account

Expo Go is a free app that lets you test your project on your phone while you build it, with no app store publishing required. Every time your agent changes the code, the app on your phone updates within seconds.

1. Install Expo Go from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store on your phone.
2. Create a free account at expo.dev/signup on your computer.
3. Open Expo Go on your phone and sign in with the same account.

Teach your agent about Expo

Expo Skills are instruction files that teach AI agents how to build Expo apps well: which libraries to use, how to structure screens, and how to avoid common mistakes. Installing them is the single biggest thing you can do to get good results from your agent.

Connect the Expo MCP server

The Expo MCP server gives your agent direct access to Expo's tools: it can read the latest Expo documentation, install the right packages, and inspect your project.

Claude Code

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Run the following command in your terminal:

Terminal

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- claude mcp add --transport http expo https://mcp.expo.dev/mcp

Then start claude and run /mcp inside it to sign in with the Expo account you created in the previous step.

Test your setup

Let's confirm everything is wired up. Paste the following prompt into your agent:

Use the Expo MCP server to search the Expo documentation for "expo-image-picker" and tell me in one sentence what it does.

What you should see: The agent calls an Expo documentation tool and replies with a sentence about picking images from the device's photo library. If it reports a connection or authentication error instead, repeat the sign-in part of the previous step.