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Meridian-Mobile uses Expo EAS Update with expo-updates. One publish can target both Android and iOS; you do not run separate OTA pipelines per platform unless you choose a single platform on purpose. Configuration lives in the Meridian-Mobile app:
  • app.config.js: updates.url, expo.extra.eas.projectId, runtimeVersion (see below), and the expo-updates plugin.
  • eas.json: each build profile sets a channel (for example production, testflight, preview). Installed binaries only receive updates published to their channel.

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Runtime version and expo.version

runtimeVersion uses the appVersion policy: the runtime is tied to the version field under expo in app.config.js at publish time, and it must match the runtime baked into the binary when that build was produced.
  • For JS/asset-only fixes aimed at existing App Store / Play installs: do not bump expo.version in app.config.js unless you also ship new native builds with that version. If you bump version and only run eas update, devices on the old native build will not match the new runtime and will not apply the update.
  • When you do ship a new native release, align version (and native versioning as needed), then future OTAs target that runtime.

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Prerequisites

  1. EAS CLI available (for example npx eas-cli).
  2. Logged into the correct Expo account: npx eas-cli login.
  3. Working directory: Meridian-Mobile (repository root for the mobile app).

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Match the channel to the installed binary

Publish updates to the same channel as the EAS build profile used to produce the installed app. Examples from eas.json:
Typical useChannel (profile)
Production store buildsproduction
TestFlighttestflight
Internal / previewpreview, preview-android, apk, ad-hoc, development, etc.
If the channel does not match, installed apps will not receive the OTA payload.

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Publish an update

From Meridian-Mobile: 
npx eas-cli update --channel production --message "Short description of the change"
  • Both platforms (default): omit --platform or pass --platform all.
  • One platform only: --platform android or --platform ios (unusual; use when intentional).
Other useful patterns: 
# Non-interactive (e.g. CI)
npx eas-cli update --channel production --message "Fix checkout flow" --non-interactive

# Use current git branch + commit message for EAS branch/message
npx eas-cli update --auto

# Clear Metro bundler cache before publishing
npx eas-cli update --channel production --message "…" --clear-cache
Branch-based workflows: you can publish with --branch <name> when your Expo project maps channels to branches in the Expo dashboard. See EAS Update for branch vs channel behavior.

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Verify

  • CLI: npx eas-cli update:list (and related eas update:* commands).
  • On device: use a release build (not the dev client / not __DEV__). In the app, Settings includes app info such as channel, runtime, and update id when OTA is active.

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What OTA cannot replace

These still require a new EAS build and store submission (or internal distribution):
  • Native code or dependency changes
  • New permissions or entitlements
  • Changes that require editing native projects or config plugins in a way that is not JS-only

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Quick reference

GoalCommand
Production OTA (Android + iOS)npx eas-cli update --channel production -m "…"
TestFlight channelnpx eas-cli update --channel testflight -m "…"
List recent updatesnpx eas-cli update:list
Full store builds are documented separately (see package.json scripts such as build:ios:production and build:android:production in Meridian-Mobile).

Mobile development builds

EAS dev-client installs and native debugging before you ship OTAs.

Mobile analytics

Client event taxonomy and how mobile telemetry aligns with the platform pipeline.

Getting started

Local setup when you work across the Meridian and Meridian-Mobile clones (sibling folders on disk).

EAS Update (Expo docs)

Official overview of EAS Update channels and runtime behavior.

Runtime versions (Expo)

How Expo matches updates to native binaries.

Publishing an update (Expo)

Step-by-step publishing flow from Expo’s guide.