---
title: Getting started
description: Learn how to get started with EAS Update and use in your project.
---

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

Setting up EAS Update allows you to push critical bug fixes and improvements that your users need right away.

<Step label="1">
## Install the latest EAS CLI

EAS CLI is the command line app you will use to interact with EAS services from your terminal. To install it, run the command:

<Terminal cmd={['$ npm install --global eas-cli']} />

You can also use the above command to check if a new version of EAS CLI is available. We encourage you to always stay up to date with the latest version.

> We recommend using `npm` instead of `yarn` for global package installations. You may alternatively use `npx eas-cli`; remember to use that instead of `eas` whenever it's called for in the documentation.

</Step>

<Step label="2">
## Create a project

Create a project by running:

<Terminal cmd={['$ npx create-expo-app']} />
</Step>

<Step label="3">
## Configure your project

To configure your project, run the following commands in the order they are specified:

<Terminal
  cmd={[
    '# Install the latest `expo-updates` library',
    '$ npx expo install expo-updates',
    '',
    '# Initialize your project with EAS Update',
    '$ eas update:configure',
    '',
    '# Set up the configuration file for builds',
    '$ eas build:configure',
  ]}
  cmdCopy="expo install expo-updates && eas update:configure && eas build:configure"
/>

After running these commands, **eas.json** file will be created in the root directory of your project.

Inside the `preview` and `production` build profiles in **eas.json**, add a `channel` property for each:

```json eas.json
{
  "build": {
    "preview": {
      "channel": "preview"
      // ...
    },
    "production": {
      "channel": "production"
      // ...
    }
  }
}
```

The `channel` allows you to point updates at builds of that profile. For example, if we set up a GitHub Action to publish changes on merge, it will make it so that we can merge code into the "production" Git branch. Then, each commit will trigger a GitHub Action that will publish an update which will be available to builds with the channel "production".

> **Optional**: If your project is a bare React Native project, see [Updating bare app](/bare/updating-your-app) for any additional configuration.

</Step>

<Step label="4">
## Create a build for the project

You need to create a build for Android or iOS. We recommend creating a build with the `preview` build profile first. See [Creating your first build](/build/setup/) on how to get started and set up [Internal distribution](/build/internal-distribution/#setting-up-internal-distribution) for your device or simulator.

Once you have a build running on your device or a simulator, you are ready to send an update.

</Step>

<Step label="5">
## Make changes locally

After creating the build, you are ready to iterate on the project. Start a local development server with the following command:

<Terminal cmd={['$ npx expo start']} />

Then, make any desired changes to your project's JavaScript, styling, or image assets.

</Step>

<Step label="6">
## Publish an update

To publish an update to the build, run the following command:

<Terminal
  cmd={[
    '$ eas update --branch [branch] --message [message]',
    '',
    '# Example',
    '$ eas update --branch preview --message "Updating the app"',
  ]}
  cmdCopy={null}
/>

Once the update is built and uploaded to EAS and the command completes, force close and reopen your app up to two times to download and view the update.

</Step>

## Next steps

You can publish updates continuously with GitHub Actions. See [Using GitHub Actions with EAS Update](/eas-update/github-actions) for more information.