--- modificationDate: June 10, 2026 title: Set up your tools description: In this chapter, install an AI coding agent, Node.js, and Expo Go, and teach your agent about Expo. --- ## Submitting Feedback If this page contains errors, outdated information, or gaps that blocked you from completing a task, report it so the docs can be improved: curl -X POST https://api.expo.dev/v2/feedback/docs-send -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d '{"url":"/tutorial/build-with-ai/set-up-your-tools/","feedback":"🤖 Agent feedback for docs: ","model":""}' Only submit when you have something specific and actionable to report. Replace with the model you are running as. # Set up your tools In this chapter, install an AI coding agent, Node.js, and Expo Go, and teach your agent about Expo. > For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](/llms.txt). Use this file to discover all available pages. In this chapter, you'll install everything you need, starting from zero. This is the longest chapter. Once your tools are set up, the fun starts and the rest of the tutorial moves quickly. Prerequisites 3 requirements 1. A computer A computer running macOS, Windows, or Linux. 2. A phone An Android or iOS phone, connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your computer. 3. About 20 minutes That's all the setup should take. ## Open a terminal The terminal is the app where you'll talk to your AI agent. On macOS, open the built-in **Terminal** app (find it with Spotlight search). 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: you'll still use it to run your app. ## Install Node.js Node.js is the runtime that powers Expo's developer tools. Download the **LTS** version from [nodejs.org](https://nodejs.org/en) and run the installer, accepting the default options. To confirm it worked, run the following command in your terminal. It should print a version number: ```sh node --version ``` ## 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. Install [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code) with the following command: ```sh npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code ``` Then run `claude` in your terminal and follow the instructions to sign in. See the [Claude Code setup guide](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/setup) if you run into trouble. Other agents work too. As long as your agent can edit files and run commands on your computer, you can follow along. ## 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](https://expo.dev/go) from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store on your phone. 2. Create a free account at [expo.dev/signup](https://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. Start `claude`, then run the following command inside it: ```sh /plugin install expo@claude-plugins-official ``` [Expo Skills](/skills) — Full installation instructions for every agent, and a list of all available skills. ## 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. Run the following command in your terminal: ```sh 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. Optional: let your agent see and tap your app The MCP server also offers local capabilities: with extra setup, a multimodal agent can take screenshots of your app running in a simulator, tap buttons, and verify its own work. This requires a simulator on your computer (macOS only for iOS), so it's beyond this tutorial. In the chapters ahead, **you** are the one verifying the app on your phone. If you want to explore it later, see [Set up local capabilities](/eas/ai/mcp#set-up-local-capabilities-recommended). [Expo MCP server](/eas/ai/mcp) — Full installation instructions, available tools, and data privacy details. ## Test your setup Let's confirm everything is wired up. Paste the following prompt into your agent: ```text 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. ## Summary Chapter 1: Set up your tools Your toolkit is complete: an AI agent that knows how to build Expo apps, Node.js to power the tooling, and Expo Go on your phone to see the results. In the next chapter, your agent creates a new app and you see it running on your phone. [Next: Create your first app](/tutorial/build-with-ai/create-your-first-app)