---
modificationDate: January 22, 2026
title: Application
description: A universal library that provides information about the native application's ID, app name, and build version at runtime.
sourceCodeUrl: 'https://github.com/expo/expo/tree/main/packages/expo-application'
packageName: 'expo-application'
platforms: ['android', 'ios', 'web', 'tvos', 'expo-go']
---
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# Expo Application
A universal library that provides information about the native application's ID, app name, and build version at runtime.
Android, iOS, tvOS, Web, Included in Expo Go
> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](/llms.txt). Use this file to discover all available pages.
`expo-application` provides useful information about the native application's ID, app name, and build version at runtime.
## Installation
```sh
npx expo install expo-application
```
If you are installing this in an [existing React Native app](/bare/overview), make sure to [install `expo`](/bare/installing-expo-modules) in your project.
## API
```js
import * as Application from 'expo-application';
```
## Constants
### `Application.applicationId`
Supported platforms: Android, iOS, tvOS, Web.
Type: `string | null`
The ID of the application. On Android, this is the application ID. On iOS, this is the bundle ID. On web, this is `null`.
Example
`"com.cocoacasts.scribbles"`, `"com.apple.Pages"`
### `Application.applicationName`
Supported platforms: Android, iOS, tvOS, Web.
Type: `string | null`
The human-readable name of the application that is displayed with the app's icon on the device's home screen or desktop. On Android and iOS, this value is a `string` unless the name could not be retrieved, in which case this value will be `null`. On web this value is `null`.
Example
`"Expo"`, `"Yelp"`, `"Instagram"`
### `Application.nativeApplicationVersion`
Supported platforms: Android, iOS, tvOS, Web.
Type: `string | null`
The human-readable version of the native application that may be displayed in the app store. At time when native app is built, on Android, this is the version name set by `version` in app config, and on iOS, the `Info.plist` value for `CFBundleShortVersionString`. On web, this value is `null`.
Example
`"2.11.0"`
### `Application.nativeBuildVersion`
Supported platforms: Android, iOS, tvOS, Web.
Type: `string | null`
The internal build version of the native application that the app stores may use to distinguish between different binaries. At the time when native app is built, On Android, this is the version code set by `android.versionCode` in app config, and on iOS, the `Info.plist` value for `CFBundleVersion` (set with `ios.buildNumber` value in app config in a standalone app). On web, this value is `null`. The return type on Android and iOS is `string`.
Example
`"114"`
## Methods
### `Application.getAndroidId()`
Supported platforms: Android.
Gets the value of [`Settings.Secure.ANDROID_ID`](https://developer.android.com/reference/android/provider/Settings.Secure.html#ANDROID_ID). This is a hexadecimal `string` unique to each combination of app-signing key, user, and device. The value may change if a factory reset is performed on the device or if an APK signing key changes. For more information about how the platform handles `ANDROID_ID` in Android 8.0 (API level 26) and higher, see [Android 8.0 Behavior Changes](https://developer.android.com/about/versions/oreo/android-8.0-changes.html#privacy-all). On iOS and web, this function is unavailable.
> In versions of the platform lower than Android 8.0 (API level 26), this value remains constant for the lifetime of the user's device. See the [ANDROID_ID](https://developer.android.com/reference/android/provider/Settings.Secure.html#ANDROID_ID) official docs for more information.
Returns: `string`
Example
```ts
Application.getAndroidId();
// "dd96dec43fb81c97"
```
### `Application.getInstallationTimeAsync()`
Supported platforms: Android, iOS, tvOS, Web.
Gets the time the app was installed onto the device, not counting subsequent updates. If the app is uninstalled and reinstalled, this method returns the time the app was reinstalled.
- On Android, this method uses [`PackageInfo.firstInstallTime`](https://developer.android.com/reference/android/content/pm/PackageInfo.html#firstInstallTime).
- On iOS, this method uses the [`NSFileCreationDate`](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/foundation/nsfilecreationdate?language=objc) of the app's document root directory.
- On web, this method returns `null`.
Returns: `Promise`
A `Promise` that fulfills with a `Date` object that specifies the time the app was installed on the device.
Example
```ts
await Application.getInstallationTimeAsync();
// 2019-07-18T18:08:26.121Z
```
### `Application.getInstallReferrerAsync()`
Supported platforms: Android.
Gets the referrer URL of the installed app with the [`Install Referrer API`](https://developer.android.com/google/play/installreferrer) from the Google Play Store. In practice, the referrer URL may not be a complete, absolute URL.
Returns: `Promise`
A `Promise` that fulfills with a `string` of the referrer URL of the installed app.
Example
```ts
await Application.getInstallReferrerAsync();
// "utm_source=google-play&utm_medium=organic"
```
### `Application.getIosApplicationReleaseTypeAsync()`
Supported platforms: iOS.
Gets the iOS application release type.
Returns: `Promise`
A `Promise` which fulfills with an [`ApplicationReleaseType`](#applicationreleasetype).
### `Application.getIosIdForVendorAsync()`
Supported platforms: iOS.
Gets the iOS "identifier for vendor" ([IDFV](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/uikit/uidevice/1620059-identifierforvendor)) value, a string ID that uniquely identifies a device to the app’s vendor. This method may sometimes return `nil`, in which case wait and call the method again later. This might happen when the device has been restarted before the user has unlocked the device.
The OS will change the vendor identifier if all apps from the current app's vendor have been uninstalled.
Returns: `Promise`
A `Promise` that fulfills with a `string` specifying the app's vendor ID. Apps from the same vendor will return the same ID. See Apple's documentation for more information about the vendor ID's semantics.
Example
```ts
await Application.getIosIdForVendorAsync();
// "68753A44-4D6F-1226-9C60-0050E4C00067"
```
### `Application.getIosPushNotificationServiceEnvironmentAsync()`
Supported platforms: iOS.
Gets the current [Apple Push Notification (APN)](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/bundleresources/entitlements/aps-environment?language=objc) service environment.
Returns: `Promise`
A `Promise` that fulfills with the string, either `'development'` or `'production'`, based on the current APN environment, or `null` on the simulator as it does not support registering with APNs.
### `Application.getLastUpdateTimeAsync()`
Supported platforms: Android.
Gets the last time the app was updated from the Google Play Store.
Returns: `Promise`
A `Promise` that fulfills with a `Date` object that specifies the last time the app was updated via the Google Play Store.
Example
```ts
await Application.getLastUpdateTimeAsync();
// 2019-07-18T21:20:16.887Z
```
## Types
### `PushNotificationServiceEnvironment`
Supported platforms: iOS.
Literal Type: `union`
Maps to the [`aps-environment`](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/bundleresources/entitlements/aps-environment) key in the native target's registered entitlements.
Acceptable values are: `'development'` | `'production'` | `null`
## Enums
### `ApplicationReleaseType`
Supported platforms: iOS.
#### `UNKNOWN`
`ApplicationReleaseType.UNKNOWN = 0`
#### `SIMULATOR`
`ApplicationReleaseType.SIMULATOR = 1`
#### `ENTERPRISE`
`ApplicationReleaseType.ENTERPRISE = 2`
#### `DEVELOPMENT`
`ApplicationReleaseType.DEVELOPMENT = 3`
#### `AD_HOC`
`ApplicationReleaseType.AD_HOC = 4`
#### `APP_STORE`
`ApplicationReleaseType.APP_STORE = 5`
## Error codes
| Code | Description |
| --- | --- |
| `ERR_APPLICATION_PACKAGE_NAME_NOT_FOUND` | Error code thrown by `getInstallationTimeAsync` and `getLastUpdateTimeAsync`. This may be thrown if the package information or package name could not be retrieved. |
| `ERR_APPLICATION_INSTALL_REFERRER_UNAVAILABLE` | The current Play Store app doesn't provide the installation referrer API, or the Play Store may not be installed. This error code may come up when testing on an AVD that doesn't come with the Play Store pre-installed, such as the Google Pixel 3 and Nexus 6. |
| `ERR_APPLICATION_INSTALL_REFERRER_CONNECTION` | A connection could not be established to the Google Play Store. |
| `ERR_APPLICATION_INSTALL_REFERRER_REMOTE_EXCEPTION` | A `RemoteException` was thrown after a connection was established to the Play Store. This may happen if the process hosting the remote object is no longer available, which usually means the process crashed. See [this StackOverflow answer on `RemoteException`](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/3156389/android-remoteexceptions-and-services) for more information. |
| `ERR_APPLICATION_INSTALL_REFERRER` | General default case error code for the `getInstallReferrerAsync` method. This error code will be thrown if an exception occurred when getting the install referrer, but the exception was none of the more precise errors. The [`responseCode`](https://developer.android.com/reference/com/android/installreferrer/api/InstallReferrerClient.InstallReferrerResponse.html) is provided along with the error. |
| `ERR_APPLICATION_INSTALL_REFERRER_SERVICE_DISCONNECTED` | Connection to the install referrer service was lost. This error is thrown when an attempt was made to connect and set up the install referrer service, but the connection was lost. See the [Android documentation](https://developer.android.com/reference/com/android/installreferrer/api/InstallReferrerStateListener) for more information. |