expo-application-testing.md

Testing the App via TestFlight + Expo Tunnel

For Testers (Team Members)

Step 1 — Install TestFlight

Download TestFlight from the App Store on your iPhone or iPad.

Step 2 — Join the Beta

Open this link on your iOS device:

https://testflight.apple.com/join/GZJxxfUU

Tap Accept → Install. The Expo Go beta will be installed on your device.

Step 3 — Scan the QR Code

1. The developer will share a QR code or a tunnel URL (looks like exp://u.expo.dev/...).
2. Open the Camera app and scan the QR code — it will open in Expo Go automatically.
3. Or paste the URL directly into Expo Go's search bar.

Step 4 — Test

The app will load over the network. You can use it just like a normal app. If the developer pushes new changes, pull down to refresh or reopen the link.

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For the Developer (Running the Tunnel)

Start the dev server with tunnel

npx expo start --tunnel

This will:

• Start Metro bundler
• Create a public tunnel URL via ngrok
• Display a QR code in the terminal

Share with your team

• Screenshot the QR code from the terminal and send it to the team (Slack, WhatsApp, etc.)
• Or copy the tunnel URL and share it directly

Notes

• You must keep the terminal running while testers are using the app.
• If you restart the server, a new URL/QR code is generated — share the new one.
• --tunnel routes traffic through ngrok, so testers don't need to be on the same network.
• First load may take 10-30 seconds depending on network speed.

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Troubleshooting

Problem	Solution
QR code doesn't open the app	Make sure Expo Go (TestFlight version) is installed
"Something went wrong" error	Ask the developer to restart npx expo start --tunnel
App loads slowly	Normal for first load over tunnel; subsequent loads are faster
Changes not showing	Pull down to refresh, or close and reopen from the QR code
@expo/ngrok not found	Developer needs to run npx expo install @expo/ngrok