OTA - mind the runtime version

OTA - mind the runtime version

  • expo
  • eas
published 2023-01-30

I'm writing this post to shed some light on an important aspect of doing over the air updates with Expo EAS.

Although Expo makes it pretty clear what the implications are should you output an update that missmatches the current runtime version, I feel it's worth lifting up.

Mind the runtime version

The issue we're trying to avoid is getting ourselves in a situation where we have a bunch of users who suddenly gets an over the air update that is not compatible with their runtime version and their app crashes. Although Expo has got you covered if the native update you're introducing is due to an SDK update, you could still mess things up if you install a new native module without thinking of what is outlined in this diagram:

Diagram model of how I think before pushing out an over-the-air update.

What the diagram is saying is pretty obvious, remember to ask yourselves the following question before doing an update you'll be fine:

"Are we sure we're not referencing new native stuff that weren't there last time we uploaded the app to the stores?"