Starting your journey in mobile app development? My first advice would be React Native with Expo. Whether you're coming from a web development background or diving into coding for the first time, Expo provides a smooth and beginner-friendly experience to get your first mobile app up and running quickly.

In this blog, I’ll guide you through the exact steps to create your first React Native app using Expo — from installation to running your app on a real device or emulator.

What You’ll Need:

Node.js installed on your computer
A code editor (I recommend VS Code)
A smartphone or an emulator
Internet connection

Step 1: Install Expo CLI

Open your terminal and run:

npm install -g expo-cli

This installs the Expo Command Line Interface globally so you can use it anywhere in your system.

Step 2: Create Your Project

Next, let’s create your first Expo project. In the terminal, run:

expo init my-first-expo-app

This initializes expo in your system and also you should note that you can name your expo app whatever you like.

You’ll be prompted to choose a template. For beginners, select:

Then move into your new project:

cd my-first-expo-app

Step 3: Run Your App

Now, start the development server:

npx expo start

This will open a browser window with the Expo Developer Tools. You can scan the QR code with the Expo Go app on your phone (available on iOS and Android) to view your app live.

Download the expo app on either your iPhone or Andriod then scan the QR code

Macbook/iPhone

Download Xcode on the app store and use it to run the simulator for all ios devices.

Andriod

Download andriod studios on either your Macbook or any other laptop to run expo on andriod.

✏️ Step 4: Edit Your App

Open the project in your editor, and navigate to App.js. Try editing the welcome text:

<Text>Welcome to your first Expo app 🎉</Text>

Save the file and see your changes instantly thanks to hot reloading!

Conclusion

And just like that, you’ve built and run your first React Native Expo app. Expo makes it easy to dive into mobile development without worrying about native build tools right away.

Stay tuned for more advanced tips like navigation, fetching APIs, and styling with Tailwind or styled-components!

Create Your First React Native App with Expo: A Beginner-Friendly Guide