Start A SDK 54 React Native Project

These are the instructions to start a React Native project. 

Step 1: Android Studio

Download Android Studio.

Install it.

Open it.

Go to “More Actions”. Click “Virtual Device Manager”.

Add “Pixel 6” for the virtual device and select “API 34”.

Android Studio should be installed before creating the project in VS Code if you want to use Android Studio to test your app. Note, in 2026 I used Android Studio Quail 1 Patch 2.

Step 2: Node js

Make sure that Node.js is installed on your computer. Download and install Node.js (LTS).

Step 3: Get VS Code

Download and Install VS Code

Step 4: Create the Project 

In VS Code, browse and find the project folder where you want to create the app project. Make sure the project is in common letters.

Then open the terminal window with Ctrl + `. 

Create a new project with the following code

npx create-expo-app@latest --template blank ./

Note, the ./ tells react native to make the project in this current folder, do not create a sub folder.

r

Choose SDK 54 when asked which SDK to use.

Then type ‘a’ to open it in Android Studio. Type w to open it in an internet browser. Scan the QR code if you want to open it on your phone. Note, Expo Go must already be installed on your Android phone if you want to use it. 

For the Android Studio option, if it has old messages still being displayed in Android Studio ( is used Pixel 6), in the terminal window in VS Code press ‘r’ to reload.

Note, the Expo Go for Android Studio must be installed. It must install the correct Expo Go for the SDK version. If the wrong one is installed, you will be given a prompt to uninstall the current version and to install the correct one.

Also note, when the app is working, all you need to do is make changes and press Ctrl + S and save and the app will automatically update.

Step 5: Project Files

When you create a new project you get a gitignore file for version control on github, and index.js file which has the default loading file for the blank template.

The app.js file and the package.json files can be used to change the version number.

The index.js file would be the current entry point for the application. You will also have a app.js file which would be the root component of the app.

Step 6: Set up Expo Router

We need to install expo-router because expo-router knows to look in the app folder for the index page. Expo router is used to set up routes to link to different pages within an application. Install Expo router with the following code

npx expo install expo-router react-native-safe-area-context react-native-screens expo-linking expo-constants expo-status-bar

Then you need to add the scheme command in the app.json file.

"scheme": "yourappname",

The package.json file has the entry point for the application. It was

"main": "index.js",

But it needs to be changed to

"main": "expo-router/entry",

Then, we would need to get rid of the index.js and the app.js javascript files. Delete the index.js and app.js files. 

Step 7: Step up the new Folders and files

After you delete the app.js and index.js files, create a new folder in the root directory called app. In that folder create a file called index.jsx. The index.jsx file should have the following code:

import { StyleSheet, Text, View } from 'react-native';

const Home = () => {

  return (

<View>

      <Text>Index</Text>

</View>

  );

};

export default Home;

const styles = StyleSheet.create({});

Step 8: Start the app with the new files

To start the app go to the terminal and type

npx expo start

or you can use

npx expo start --clear

Note the package.json file and the app.json file will have the app version number. However, the package.json file will list all the dependencies. 

These steps worked on Sunday 12 July, 2026.

🚀 Quick Commands Reference

Command Purpose

npx expo start  Start the app

npx expo start --clear Start with cleared cache

Press a Open on Android

Press r Reload the app

Press Ctrl+` Open the terminal window

Ctrl+S Save and auto-update

 Creating the Android App Bundle File

Publishing a React Native app to the Google Play Store using Expo’s Expo Application Services (EAS) Build involves several structured steps that streamline the build and submission process. This can be done through several steps.

Step 1 download and install Git

Installed Git on your pc. Download it from https://git-scm.com/download/win.  

Step 2

The next step is to install the EAS CLI globally using the command seen in Figure 9.01.

Figure 9.01: Command to Install EAS CLI

npm install -g eas-cli

Step 3

Next, the developer needs to log in to their Expo account. If an account does not exist, the developer must create one on the Expo website. Then, in the terminal window, the command displayed in Figure 9.02 should be executed.

Figure 9.02: Command to Install EAS Login

eas login

Then, from the terminal, the developer will be prompted to enter their Expo username and password.

Note, if you are logged in from your internet browser, when you put in your username and email it will connect. VS Code will not ask for a password.

To verify if you are logged in type

eas whoami

Step 4

This step is to configure the application for the build. Go to the terminal window and type the command

eas build:configure

Then, select Android to test the APK on the Android device.

Step 5 (this can be skipped if you don't want to preview)

Use the command in the terminal window to build an APK file.

eas build -p android --profile preview

The APK file allows you to preview the app on your Android device. 

During this process, the developers will be prompted to create or upload a keystore, which is required for signing your app and ensuring its integrity and identity on the Play Store. Typing ‘y’ confirms the intent to have the EAS CLI to manage this keystore, which involves securely storing it on Expo’s servers.

Step 6

To build the app for production, go to the terminal window in VS Code and type the following command

eas build

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