---
title: Overview
hideTOC: true
description: An overview of bare React Native app with Expo tools.
---

import { BoxLink } from '~/ui/components/BoxLink';
import { Terminal } from '~/ui/components/Snippet';

A bare React Native app is a project where developers make direct changes to their native **android** and **ios** project directories rather than continuously generating them on demand using the [app config (**app.json**) and prebuild](/workflow/prebuild). All tools and services offered by Expo including [EAS](/eas), Expo CLI, and the libraries in the Expo SDK, are built around bare React Native apps.

Before you get started with a React Native app, make sure you set up your environment for [React Native CLI](https://reactnative.dev/docs/environment-setup).

To bootstrap a new React Native project, you can use `create-expo-app`. If you have an existing project or want to bootstrap with `npx react-native init`, then you will need to [install the `expo` package](/bare/installing-expo-modules) manually.

<Terminal
  cmd={['# Create a new native project', '$ npx create-expo-app --template bare-minimum']}
  cmdCopy="npx create-expo-app --template bare-minimum"
/>

Navigate into your project directory, then build the apps locally:

<Terminal
  cmd={[
    '# Build your native Android project',
    '$ npx expo run:android',
    '',
    '# Build your native iOS project',
    '$ npx expo run:ios',
  ]}
/>

> Learn more about [compiling native apps](/more/expo-cli#compiling).

## Next

<BoxLink
  title="Install Expo modules"
  description="If you have already initialized a React Native app without `create-expo-app`, learn how to install the Expo module library."
  href="/bare/installing-expo-modules"
/>
<BoxLink
  title="Installing libraries"
  description="Learn how to install and configure native libraries."
  href="/workflow/using-libraries#installing-a-third-party-library"
/>
<BoxLink
  title="Using the Expo SDK"
  description="Start adding features to your app."
  href="/versions/"
/>
<BoxLink
  title="Adopting Prebuild"
  description="Automate your native directories using the app.json."
  href="/guides/adopting-prebuild"
/>
<BoxLink
  title="Distributing your app"
  description="Build and submit your app to the app store with a single command!"
  href="/distribution/introduction"
/>