Expo Testing

Build, install, and test Expo/React Native apps on iOS simulators and physical devices.

Detect Project Config

Before doing anything, read the project's config to determine:

1. Bundle ID — from app.config.js, app.config.ts, or app.json → expo.ios.bundleIdentifier
2. EAS profiles — from eas.json → available build profiles (development, preview, production)
3. Detox config — from .detoxrc.js or detox.config.js → test runner, build commands, device configs
4. Deep link scheme — from app.config.js → expo.scheme
5. Package manager — bun.lockb → bun, pnpm-lock.yaml → pnpm, yarn.lock → yarn, else npm

Two Paths

Path 1: Simulator (default)

Use for automated testing, TDD loops, and AFK runs.

1. Prebuild (if native code changed)
   npx expo prebuild --platform ios --clean

2. Build for simulator
   xcodebuild -workspace ios/<AppName>.xcworkspace \
     -scheme <AppName> \
     -configuration Debug \
     -sdk iphonesimulator \
     -derivedDataPath ios/build

3. Install on booted simulator
   xcrun simctl install booted ios/build/Build/Products/Debug-iphonesimulator/<AppName>.app

4. Launch
   xcrun simctl launch booted <bundleId>

Auto-rebuild detection: Check if any of these changed since last build:

• ios/ directory contents (native modules)
• package.json or lock file (new native dependencies)
• app.config.js / app.json (config changes)
• Any file matching *.podspec or Podfile

If none changed, skip prebuild and xcodebuild — just reinstall and launch.

Path 2: Physical Device

Use for manual testing, sharing with others, or testing hardware-specific features.

Local (tethered via USB):

npx expo run:ios --device

Lists connected devices and installs directly.

EAS cloud build (shareable):

1. Build
   eas build --profile preview --platform ios

2. Download and install
   # EAS provides a QR code / install link
   # Or download .ipa and install via Finder/Apple Configurator

Device registration (first time only):

eas device:create
# Follow the URL to register the device's UDID

Running Detox Tests

After build + install on simulator:

# Full suite
npx detox test --configuration ios.sim.debug

# Specific test file
npx detox test --configuration ios.sim.debug e2e/<testFile>.e2e.ts

# With screenshots on failure (default Detox behavior)
# Artifacts saved to artifacts/ directory

Before running Detox, check if the Detox binary needs rebuilding:

npx detox build --configuration ios.sim.debug --if-missing

This skips the build if the binary already exists and is up to date.

Best Practices for E2E

• Use testID props on interactive elements for reliable selectors
• Disable Detox synchronization for screens with animations or timers:

  await device.disableSynchronization();
  // interact with animated screen
  await device.enableSynchronization();
  

• Deep links for test entry points: If the app has a URL scheme configured (expo.scheme in app config), you can launch directly to a screen:

  await device.openURL({ url: '<scheme>://e2e' });
  

  If no scheme exists and you need E2E entry points, consider adding one — it lets tests skip onboarding and jump to the screen under test.

Screenshot Capture

For dogfooding and bug discovery, capture screenshots:

// In Detox tests
await device.takeScreenshot('descriptive-name');

Screenshots are saved to the Detox artifacts directory (configurable in .detoxrc.js). Ensure the artifacts directory is in .gitignore.

For manual screenshot capture on simulator:

xcrun simctl io booted screenshot screenshots/<name>.png

Store dogfooding artifacts in .dogfooding/ (gitignored):

.dogfooding/
  screenshots/
  findings.md
  logs/

Failure Artifacts

When tests fail, preserve everything useful for debugging:

• Screenshots — Detox captures automatically on failure
• Device logs — xcrun simctl spawn booted log stream --level error
• Console output — from the test runner
• Sentry — check for crash reports if Sentry is configured

Parallel Simulator Isolation

When running multiple swarms/agents overnight that both need simulators, each must use its own:

# Create a named simulator for this agent
xcrun simctl create "Swarm-1" "iPhone 16"
# Returns a UDID like: 4A2B3C4D-5E6F-7890-ABCD-EF1234567890

# Boot it
xcrun simctl boot <UDID>

# Build and install targeting that specific simulator
xcrun simctl install <UDID> ios/build/Build/Products/Debug-iphonesimulator/<AppName>.app
xcrun simctl launch <UDID> <bundleId>

For Detox, target a specific device by name in .detoxrc.js:

devices: {
  simulator: {
    type: 'ios.simulator',
    device: { type: 'iPhone 16', name: 'Swarm-1' }
  }
}

Cleanup after the run:

xcrun simctl delete <UDID>

Troubleshooting

Problem	Fix
No bundle URL present	Run npx expo start in another terminal first
Build fails after adding package	npx expo prebuild --platform ios --clean then rebuild
Simulator not found	xcrun simctl list devices available to find booted device
Detox timeout	Increase timeout in .detoxrc.js, check for missing testID
EAS build queue slow	Use local builds for simulator testing, EAS for device sharing
xcrun simctl install fails	Check the .app path — Debug vs Release, simulator vs device

Gotchas

• Detox needs a dev build, NOT Expo Go. Expo Go doesn't support native modules or custom dev client configurations that Detox requires. Always use npx expo prebuild + xcodebuild for Detox testing.
• iPad vs iPhone simulator sizing matters. Detox tests that pass on iPhone may fail on iPad due to different layout (split view, larger screens). Always test with the same simulator type you'll target in production.
• EAS builds are slow — trigger early. Cloud builds can take 10-20 minutes. Trigger the EAS build in parallel with other work, don't wait for CI to complete first.
• QR codes from EAS expire. If you share a preview build QR code on a PR, it expires after the build artifact is cleaned up. Post fresh QR codes if the build is more than a few days old.
• npx expo run:ios --device requires a tethered device. The device must be physically connected via USB and trusted. Wireless debugging is not reliable for initial installs.
• Detox tests that "pass" without a running simulator didn't actually test anything. Always verify the simulator is booted and the app is installed before trusting Detox results. Check for "No simulators found" in logs.
• Audio/media features don't work in simulators. Microphone, speaker, and some media APIs behave differently or don't work at all in simulators. Test these on physical devices.
• Parallel swarms need isolated simulators. Two agents using booted will fight over the same simulator. Create named simulators per agent (see Parallel Simulator Isolation section above).
• Local builds vs EAS builds have different signing. A local build installed via xcrun simctl install uses simulator signing. An EAS preview build uses ad-hoc signing with your provisioning profile. Don't confuse the two — they have different device requirements.