Set up your tools
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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. 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.
3 requirements
3 requirements
1.
2.
An Android or iOS phone, connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your computer.
3.
1
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.
2
Install Node.js
Node.js is the runtime that powers Expo's developer tools. Download the LTS version from nodejs.org 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:
- node --version3
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 with the following command:
- npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-codeThen run claude in your terminal and follow the instructions to sign in. See the Claude Code setup guide if you run into trouble.
Install Codex with the following command:
- npm install -g @openai/codexThen run codex in your terminal and follow the instructions to sign in with your ChatGPT account.
Download Cursor and install it like any other app. Cursor is a visual code editor with a built-in AI agent: you'll type prompts into its agent panel instead of a terminal.
Other agents work too. As long as your agent can edit files and run commands on your computer, you can follow along.
4
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.
- Install Expo Go from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store on your phone.
- Create a free account at expo.dev/signup on your computer.
- Open Expo Go on your phone and sign in with the same account.
5
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:
- /plugin install expo@claude-plugins-officialRun the following command in your terminal:
- codex plugin add expo@openai-curatedRun the following command in your terminal:
- npx skills add expo/skillsThen reopen Cursor and verify the skills appear under Settings > Rules, Skills, Subagents > Skills.
Full installation instructions for every agent, and a list of all available skills.
6
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:
- claude mcp add --transport http expo https://mcp.expo.dev/mcpThen start claude and run /mcp inside it to sign in with the Expo account you created in the previous step.
Run the following command in your terminal, and sign in with the Expo account you created in the previous step when prompted:
- codex mcp add expo --url https://mcp.expo.dev/mcpClick the following link to install the MCP server for Cursor, then 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.
Full installation instructions, available tools, and data privacy details.
7
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.
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.