1---
2title: Getting started
3description: Learn how to get started with EAS Update and use in your project.
4---
5
6import { Terminal } from '~/ui/components/Snippet';
7import { Step } from '~/ui/components/Step';
8
9Setting up EAS Update allows you to push critical bug fixes and improvements that your users need right away.
10
11## Prerequisites
12
13EAS Update requires the following versions or greater:
14
15- EAS CLI >= 0.50.0
16- Expo SDK >= 45.0.0
17- expo-updates >= 0.13.0
18
19<Step label="1">
20## Install the latest EAS CLI
21
22EAS CLI is the command-line app that you will use to interact with EAS services from your terminal. To install it, run the command:
23
24<Terminal cmd={['$ npm install --global eas-cli']} />
25
26You 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.
27
28> We recommend using `npm` instead of `yarn` for global package installations. You may alternatively use `npx eas-cli`, just remember to use that instead of `eas` whenever it's called for in the documentation.
29
30</Step>
31
32<Step label="2">
33## Create a project
34
35Create a project by running:
36
37<Terminal cmd={['$ npx create-expo-app']} />
38</Step>
39
40<Step label="3">
41## Configure your project
42
43To configure your project, run the following commands in the order they are specified:
44
45<Terminal
46  cmd={[
47    '# Install the latest `expo-updates` library',
48    '$ npx expo install expo-updates',
49    '',
50    '# Initialize your project with EAS Update',
51    '$ eas update:configure',
52    '',
53    '# Set up the configuration file for builds',
54    '$ eas build:configure',
55  ]}
56  cmdCopy="expo install expo-updates && eas update:configure && eas build:configure"
57/>
58
59After running these commands, **eas.json** file will be created in the root directory of your project.
60
61Inside the `preview` and `production` build profiles in **eas.json**, add a `channel` property for each:
62
63```json eas.json
64{
65  "build": {
66    "preview": {
67      "channel": "preview"
68      // ...
69    },
70    "production": {
71      "channel": "production"
72      // ...
73    }
74  }
75}
76```
77
78The `channel` allows you to point updates at builds. 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 that will be available to builds with the channel "production".
79
80> **Optional**: If your project is a bare React Native project, see [Updating bare app](/bare/updating-your-app) for any additional configuration.
81
82</Step>
83
84<Step label="4">
85## Create a build for the project
86
87Next, we'll need to create a build for Android or iOS. [Learn more](/build/setup).
88
89We recommend creating a build with the `preview` build profile first. [Learn more](/build/internal-distribution) about setting up your devices for internal distribution.
90
91Once you have a build running on your device or in a simulator, we'll be ready to send it an update.
92
93</Step>
94
95<Step label="5">
96## Make changes locally
97
98Once we've created a build, we're ready to iterate on our project. Start a local development server with:
99
100<Terminal cmd={['$ npx expo start']} />
101
102Then, make any desired changes to your project's JavaScript, styling, or image assets.
103
104</Step>
105
106<Step label="6">
107## Publish an update
108
109Now we're ready to publish an update to the build created in the previous step.
110
111Then publish an update with the following command:
112
113<Terminal
114  cmd={[
115    '$ eas update --branch [branch] --message [message]',
116    '',
117    '# Example',
118    '$ eas update --branch preview --message "Updating the app"',
119  ]}
120  cmdCopy={null}
121/>
122
123Once 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.
124
125</Step>
126
127## Next steps
128
129You can publish updates continuously with GitHub Actions. Learn more: [Using GitHub Actions with EAS Update](/eas-update/github-actions)
130