#local Frontend Mobile

Purpose

Mobile app for #local.

Get started

Install dependencies

npm install

Setup Instructions

To run expo start on your local do expo login first.

npx expo login

Start the app

npx expo start

To use remotely, when not on same network:

npx expo start --tunnel

Run Backend

Create .env file. And insert this: EXPO_PUBLIC_API_BASE_URL=http://192.168.x.x:8080

Replace the IP with the output you get when you run npx expo start: Example: › Metro waiting on exp://192.168.1.6:8081

EXPO_PUBLIC_API_BASE_URL=http://192.168.1.6:8080

Re-start the app after you've made this change.

Config Setup

Add EXPO_PUBLIC_GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID to the .env file. Get it from a team member.

Map API Key

Can be accessed through these links https://console.cloud.google.com/google/maps-apis/api-list?project=ai-agent-boilerplate0

#local-app https://console.cloud.google.com/google/maps-apis/credentials?project=ai-agent-boilerplate0

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Builds

Uses EAS Build with three profiles:

Profile	Command	Output	Use for
development	eas build --profile development --platform android	APK	Local dev with dev client
preview	eas build --profile preview --platform android	APK	Internal QA, quick testing
production	eas build --profile production --platform android	AAB	Play Store submission

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OTA Updates (EAS Update)

Use this to ship JS fixes without going through the Play Store. After a fix, this is almost always the right command instead of a full rebuild.

What it is

Expo apps have two layers:

1. Native shell — the compiled Android/iOS binary. Changing this requires a full rebuild + store submission.
2. JavaScript bundle — all React components, screens, business logic, API calls. This can be updated independently.

EAS Update pushes a new JS bundle directly to installed apps. On the next app launch, users silently receive the update — no Play Store download, no review wait.

When to use OTA vs full rebuild

Use eas update (OTA) for:

• Any change in .ts / .tsx files — screens, components, utils, API clients
• Bug fixes, UI tweaks, logic changes, new JS-only packages

Do a full eas build when:

• You changed app.config.js (scheme, permissions, plugins, version)
• You added a package that includes native code (new Firebase module, new camera lib, etc.)
• You changed anything in android/ or ios/

How to push an update

# Push to production (Play Store users)
eas update --branch production --message "Fix: describe what changed"

# Push to preview channel (internal testers with preview APK)
eas update --branch preview --message "Test: describe what changed"

How users receive updates

• On app launch, the app checks for a new bundle in the background
• If found, it downloads silently
• Update applies on the next app restart (not the current session)
• If download fails (no internet), the app keeps running the previous bundle safely

Channels

EAS build profile	Update channel	Who gets it
production	production	Play Store users
preview	preview	Internal testers with preview APK

Typical workflow

Bug reported → fix code → eas update --branch production --message "Fix: <what>" → done

No rebuild. No Play Store submission. Users get it on next launch.