> For AI agents: the complete documentation index is available at /llms.txt, the full documentation bundle is available at /llms-full.txt.

# expo-updates (EAS Update) to Cresc migration guide

If your Expo app's monthly EAS Update bill is climbing with updated MAUs (`$0.005/MAU`) and edge bandwidth (`$0.10/GiB`), you can keep your Expo workflow (Expo SDK, Expo Router, `expo prebuild`, and even EAS Build if you want it) while switching OTA delivery to Cresc ([`react-native-update`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/react-native-update)).

This guide maps `expo-updates` configuration, JavaScript APIs, hooks, `runtimeVersion`, and `eas update` CLI commands directly to their Cresc equivalents for **Expo SDK 50 and later** (through SDK 57). For a side-by-side cost breakdown first, see [Expo pricing vs Cresc](/expo-pricing-vs-cresc.md).

## 1. Swap `expo-updates` for `react-native-update`

Do not leave `expo-updates` installed alongside `react-native-update` — both hook into native startup bundle resolution and will conflict.

```bash
# 1. Remove expo-updates
npx expo uninstall expo-updates

# 2. Install the Cresc SDK and global CLI
npm i react-native-update
npm i -g react-native-update-cli
```

Clean `app.json` / `app.config.ts` by removing the `"updates"` block (`url`, `checkAutomatically`, `fallbackToCacheTimeout`) and `"expo-updates"` plugin entry if present. You can also remove `"runtimeVersion"` if nothing else in your tooling reads it.

Then regenerate native projects:

```bash
npx expo prebuild
cd ios && pod install
```

On **Expo SDK 50+** with `react-native-update` >= 10.28.2, `expo prebuild` configures the native bundle URL on both iOS and Android automatically — you do not need to edit `AppDelegate`, `SceneDelegate`, or `MainApplication` by hand. (Using [New Architecture](/react-native-new-architecture-ota.md)? Prefer Expo SDK 51 or newer.)

Create your iOS and Android apps in Cresc so `update.json` is written in your project root:

```bash
cresc login
cresc createApp --platform ios
cresc createApp --platform android
```

## 2. Replace automatic update config (`app.json` → `Cresc` client)

`expo-updates` configured automatic check timing in `app.json`; Cresc configures it in JavaScript when constructing the client and wrapping your root layout (for example `app/_layout.tsx` in Expo Router or `App.tsx`):

```tsx
// app/_layout.tsx (Expo Router) or App.tsx
import { Platform } from "react-native";
import { Cresc, UpdateProvider } from "react-native-update";
import updateConfig from "../update.json";

const { appKey } = updateConfig[Platform.OS as "ios" | "android"];

const crescClient = new Cresc({
  appKey,
  checkStrategy: "both",          // "both" | "onAppStart" | "onAppResume" | null
  updateStrategy: "silentAndLater", // download in background, apply on next launch
});

export default function RootLayout() {
  return (
    <UpdateProvider client={crescClient}>
      {/* Existing Expo Router <Stack /> or root app tree */}
    </UpdateProvider>
  );
}
```

### Configuration mapping

| `expo-updates` (`app.json`)                | Cresc (`new Cresc({ ... })`)                                                                 |
| ------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `updates.url` + project ID                 | `appKey` per platform (from `update.json`)                                                   |
| `checkAutomatically: "ON_LOAD"` (default)  | `checkStrategy: "both"` (or `"onAppStart"`) + `updateStrategy: "silentAndLater"`             |
| `checkAutomatically: "NEVER"`              | `checkStrategy: null`, then call `checkUpdate()` manually                                    |
| `checkAutomatically: "ON_ERROR_RECOVERY"`  | Built-in native cold-start rollback & [Force Boot](/docs/publish.md#force-boot-brick-rescue) |
| Native prompt dialog (custom code in Expo) | `updateStrategy: "alwaysAlert"` or `"alertUpdateAndIgnoreError"` out of the box              |

## 3. Map `Updates.*` methods and `useUpdates()`

If your app builds a custom "Check for updates" screen or update banner using `import * as Updates from "expo-updates"`, set `updateStrategy: null` on `new Cresc(...)` and use `useUpdate()`:

| `expo-updates` API                                      | Cresc (`useUpdate()`)                                              |
| ------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| `await Updates.checkForUpdateAsync()`                   | `await checkUpdate()`, then read `updateInfo?.update`              |
| `update.isAvailable` / `useUpdates().isUpdateAvailable` | `Boolean(updateInfo?.update)`                                      |
| `await Updates.fetchUpdateAsync()`                      | `await downloadUpdate()` (resolves `true` when ready)              |
| `useUpdates().downloadProgress`                         | `progress` (`{ received, total }`) or `useUpdateProgress()`        |
| `await Updates.reloadAsync()`                           | `await switchVersion()` (reloads immediately)                      |
| (wait for next cold launch after fetch)                 | `switchVersionLater()`                                             |
| `Updates.currentlyRunning` / `Updates.updateId`         | `currentVersionInfo` and `currentHash`                             |
| `Updates.isEmbeddedLaunch`                              | `!currentHash` (empty when running the embedded store bundle)      |
| `manifest.extra` / custom metadata                      | `updateInfo?.description` and `updateInfo?.metaInfo` (JSON string) |

### Before and after: manual check & reload button

```tsx
// Before: expo-updates
import * as Updates from "expo-updates";

async function onCheckUpdate() {
  const update = await Updates.checkForUpdateAsync();
  if (update.isAvailable) {
    await Updates.fetchUpdateAsync();
    await Updates.reloadAsync();
  }
}
```

```tsx
// After: react-native-update (inside <UpdateProvider>)
import { useUpdate } from "react-native-update";

function UpdateButton() {
  const { checkUpdate, downloadUpdate, switchVersion, updateInfo } = useUpdate();

  return (
    <Button
      title={updateInfo?.update ? `Install ${updateInfo.name}` : "Check for updates"}
      onPress={async () => {
        if (!updateInfo?.update) {
          await checkUpdate();
          return;
        }
        if (await downloadUpdate()) {
          await switchVersion();
        }
      }}
    />
  );
}
```

Full hook and client options are documented in the [JavaScript API Reference](/docs/api.md).

## 4. Replace `runtimeVersion` with native baseline uploads

In EAS Update, `runtimeVersion` is a string contract ensuring JS updates only land on compatible native binaries. Cresc goes one step further: you upload each compiled store binary (`.ipa`, `.apk`, or `.aab`), and Cresc records **both** its native version (`CFBundleShortVersionString` / `versionName`) and its exact embedded Hermes bundle so every OTA version bound to it ships as a [3.4 KB–98 KB binary diff](/react-native-hermes-ota.md) — including the first hotfix right after a store release.

```bash
# Upload your native release build (from local build or EAS Build artifact)
cresc uploadIpa build/app.ipa
cresc uploadAab app-release.aab
```

Yes — **you can keep using EAS Build** (`eas build --platform ios`) if you like! Just download the finished `.ipa` / `.aab` artifact in CI (or build locally / on GitHub Actions) and pass it to `cresc uploadIpa` / `cresc uploadAab` before submitting to the stores.

## 5. Map `eas update` CLI and Expo Router entry point

:::info Expo Router projects without `index.js`
Modern Expo Router projects set `"main": "expo-router/entry"` in `package.json` without a root `index.js` file. Create a one-line `index.js` at the project root so `cresc bundle` always resolves the entry cleanly:

```js
import "expo-router/entry";
```

:::

### CLI command mapping

| EAS CLI                                           | Cresc CLI                                                                                          |
| ------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `eas login` / `EXPO_TOKEN`                        | `cresc login` / `CRESC_API_TOKEN` ([API Key](/docs/api-token.md))                                  |
| (managed via `runtimeVersion`)                    | `cresc uploadIpa <ipa>` / `cresc uploadApk <apk>` / `cresc uploadAab <aab>`                        |
| `eas update --channel production --message "Fix"` | `cresc bundle --platform <ios\|android> --name "1.2.1" --description "Fix" --packageVersion 1.2.0` |
| Target multiple compatible native versions        | `--packageVersionRange ">=1.2.0 <1.3.0"`                                                           |
| `eas update` rollout percentage                   | `--rollout 10` (then raise with `cresc update --versionId <id> --rollout 100`)                     |
| `eas update:rollback`                             | Pause or re-bind in the console, or `cresc update` to a healthy `versionId`                        |
| Preview channel builds for QA                     | Dashboard **test QR codes** ([Testing & Rollbacks](/docs/bestpractice.md#testing-and-rollbacks))   |

In GitHub Actions, publishing to both platforms looks like:

```yaml
- name: Publish OTA update to Cresc
  env:
    CRESC_API_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.CRESC_API_TOKEN }}
  run: |
    cresc bundle --platform ios --name "${GITHUB_SHA::7}" \
      --description "OTA ${GITHUB_SHA::7}" --packageVersionRange ">=1.2.0 <1.3.0" --rollout 20
    cresc bundle --platform android --name "${GITHUB_SHA::7}" \
      --description "OTA ${GITHUB_SHA::7}" --packageVersionRange ">=1.2.0 <1.3.0" --rollout 20
```

See [CLI Tools](/docs/cli.md) and [Publishing Hot Updates](/docs/publish.md) for every flag.

## FAQ

### Can I use Cresc in an Expo app without ejecting?

Yes, with **Continuous Native Generation (`npx expo prebuild`)** or development builds (`npx expo run:ios` / `npx expo run:android`) on Expo SDK 50 and later. You keep `app.json`, config plugins, and Expo SDK packages. Only **Expo Go** is unsupported, because custom native modules cannot run inside the generic Expo Go sandbox.

### Can I keep EAS Build and EAS Submit while switching OTA updates to Cresc?

Yes. Cresc only replaces `expo-updates` (EAS Update). Many teams continue building signed binaries on EAS Build (using the build credit included in their plan or free/CI runners), upload the resulting `.ipa` and `.aab` artifacts to Cresc as baselines, and run all OTA traffic through Cresc's flat-rate CDN tiers.

### Why must I uninstall `expo-updates` before building?

Both `expo-updates` and `react-native-update` register native hooks to supply the JavaScript bundle URL at app launch. Leaving both installed causes startup conflicts where updates download but never activate.

### How much smaller and cheaper are updates after switching from EAS Update?

Cresc's Pro plan is **$99/month flat** for 1,000,000 daily update checks with global CDN delivery included and zero MAU or bandwidth overage fees (compared with $449+/month at 100,000 updated MAUs on Expo Production). On payload size, Cresc's [Hermes-aware diff](/react-native-hermes-ota.md) ships a one-line fix in **3.4 KB** versus **93.7 KB** with plain `bsdiff`.

## Related pages

- [Expo pricing (EAS Update) vs Cresc](/expo-pricing-vs-cresc.md)
- [Expo Updates vs Cresc comparison](/expo-updates-vs-cresc.md)
- [Self-hosted Expo Updates server vs Cresc](/expo-updates-self-hosted-vs-cresc.md)
- [CodePush & Expo Updates migration checklist](/codepush-migration-checklist.md)
- [Installation & Config](/docs/getting-started.md)
- [Pricing](/pricing.md)


### Contact Us

- [Email hi@cresc.dev](mailto:hi@cresc.dev)
- [GitHub Discussions](https://github.com/reactnativecn/react-native-update/discussions)

### Terms & Policies

- [User Agreement](https://cresc.dev/policy/)
- [Privacy Policy](https://cresc.dev/policy/#privacy)

### Help & Support

- [FAQ](/docs/faq)
- [CodePush & Expo Updates Alternative](/codepush-alternative)
- [CodePush & Expo Migration](/codepush-migration-checklist)
- [CodePush API Migration](/codepush-api-migration)
- [Expo Updates Migration](/expo-updates-migration)
- [App Center Retirement Guide](/app-center-codepush-retirement)
- [GitHub Issues](https://github.com/reactnativecn/react-native-update/issues)

### Compare

- [Expo Updates vs Cresc](/expo-updates-vs-cresc)
- [Expo Pricing vs Cresc](/expo-pricing-vs-cresc)
- [Self-Hosted Expo Updates vs Cresc](/expo-updates-self-hosted-vs-cresc)
- [hot-updater vs Cresc](/hot-updater-vs-cresc)
- [Revopush vs Cresc](/revopush-vs-cresc)
- [Stallion vs Cresc](/stallion-vs-cresc)

### Links

- [React Native OTA Guide](/react-native-ota-updates)
- [Hermes Bytecode Diffs](/react-native-hermes-ota)
- [Publish Hot Updates](/docs/publish)
- [CLI Reference](/docs/cli)
- [Release Analytics](/docs/analytics)
- [Brownfield Integration](/docs/brownfield)
- [New Architecture OTA Guide](/react-native-new-architecture-ota)
- [HarmonyOS OTA Guide](/docs/harmony)
- [Changelog](/docs/changelog)
- [llms.txt](/llms.txt)
- [llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt)
- [React Native](https://reactnative.dev/)
- [ReactJS](https://react.dev/)

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