Expo is a platform and framework that allows you to write cross-platform code using React Native, taking advantage of the APIs native to each platform. This makes it extremely simple to develop and deploy apps to a variety of platforms. Additionally, it allows the apps to make use of the native components of whatever platform they are deployed to.

This post first reviews the different features of Expo and how they can be used to rapidly develop and deploy software. Then, we’ll talk through the steps you’ll need to take to get up and running with the tool.