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Expo Quickstart

Before you start

Example repositories

There are three approaches for adding authentication to your Expo app.

ApproachAuth UIOAuthRequires dev buildBest for
JavaScriptBrowser-basedNo (works in Expo Go)Full control over UI
JS + Native sign-in + native OAuth buttonsNative (no browser)YesCustom UI with native Sign in with Google/Apple
Native componentsPre-built native componentsNative (no browser)YesFastest integration

Use the following tabs to choose your preferred approach:

This approach uses built with React Native components and works in Expo Go — no dev build required.

Enable Native API

In the Clerk Dashboard, navigate to the Native applications page and ensure that the Native API is enabled. This is required to integrate Clerk in your native application.

Create a new Expo app

If you don't already have an Expo app, run the following commands to create a new one.

terminal
npx create-expo-app@latest clerk-expo
cd clerk-expo
terminal
pnpm dlx create-expo-app@latest clerk-expo
cd clerk-expo
terminal
yarn dlx create-expo-app@latest clerk-expo
cd clerk-expo
terminal
bun x create-expo-app@latest clerk-expo
cd clerk-expo

Remove default template files

The default Expo template includes files that will conflict with the routes you'll create in this guide. Remove the conflicting files and unused components/ directory:

rm -rf "app/(tabs)" app/modal.tsx app/+not-found.tsx components/

The default template also includes react-native-reanimated, which can cause known Android build issues. Since it's not needed for this guide, remove it to avoid build errors:

npm uninstall react-native-reanimated react-native-worklets --legacy-peer-deps

Then, remove the reanimated import from app/_layout.tsx:

import 'react-native-reanimated';

Important

You can skip this step if you used npx create-expo-app@latest --template blank to create your app. However, the blank template doesn't include Expo Router or pre-styled UI components. You'll need to install expo-router and its dependencies to follow along with this guide.

Install dependencies

Install the required packages. Use npx expo install to ensure SDK-compatible versions.

  • The Clerk Expo SDKExpo Icon gives you access to prebuilt components, hooks, and helpers to make user authentication easier.
  • Clerk stores the active user's session token in memory by default. In Expo apps, the recommended way to store sensitive data, such as tokens, is by using expo-secure-store which encrypts the data before storing it.
npx expo install @clerk/expo expo-secure-store

Set your Clerk API keys

.env
EXPO_PUBLIC_CLERK_PUBLISHABLE_KEY=YOUR_PUBLISHABLE_KEY

Add <ClerkProvider> to your root layout

The <ClerkProvider> component provides session and user context to Clerk's hooks and components. It's recommended to wrap your entire app at the entry point with <ClerkProvider> to make authentication globally accessible. See the reference docs for other configuration options.

Add the component to your root layout and pass your and tokenCache from @clerk/expo/token-cache as props, as shown in the following example:

app/_layout.tsx
import { ClerkProvider } from '@clerk/expo'
import { tokenCache } from '@clerk/expo/token-cache'
import { Slot } from 'expo-router'

const publishableKey = process.env.EXPO_PUBLIC_CLERK_PUBLISHABLE_KEY!

if (!publishableKey) {
  throw new Error('Add your Clerk Publishable Key to the .env file')
}

export default function RootLayout() {
  return (
    <ClerkProvider publishableKey={publishableKey} tokenCache={tokenCache}>
      <Slot />
    </ClerkProvider>
  )
}

Add sign-up and sign-in pages

Clerk currently only supports control components for Expo native. UI components are only available for Expo web. Instead, you must build using Clerk's API. The following sections demonstrate how to build custom email/password sign-up and sign-in flows. If you want to use different authentication methods, such as passwordless or OAuth, see the dedicated custom flow guides.

Layout page

First, protect your sign-up and sign-in pages.

  1. Create an (auth) route group. This will group your sign-up and sign-in pages.
  2. In the (auth) group, create a _layout.tsx file with the following code. The useAuth() hook is used to access the user's authentication state. If the user is already signed in, they will be redirected to the home page.
app/(auth)/_layout.tsx
import { useAuth } from '@clerk/expo'
import { Redirect, Stack } from 'expo-router'

export default function AuthRoutesLayout() {
  const { isSignedIn, isLoaded } = useAuth()

  if (!isLoaded) {
    return null
  }

  if (isSignedIn) {
    return <Redirect href={'/'} />
  }

  return <Stack />
}

Sign-up page

In the (auth) group, create a sign-up.tsx file with the following code. The useSignUp() hook is used to create a sign-up flow. The user can sign up using their email and password and will receive an email verification code to confirm their email.

app/(auth)/sign-up.tsx
import { ThemedText } from '@/components/themed-text'
import { ThemedView } from '@/components/themed-view'
import { useAuth, useSignUp } from '@clerk/expo'
import { type Href, Link, useRouter } from 'expo-router'
import React from 'react'
import { Pressable, StyleSheet, TextInput, View } from 'react-native'

export default function Page() {
  const { signUp, errors, fetchStatus } = useSignUp()
  const { isSignedIn } = useAuth()
  const router = useRouter()

  const [emailAddress, setEmailAddress] = React.useState('')
  const [password, setPassword] = React.useState('')
  const [code, setCode] = React.useState('')

  const handleSubmit = async () => {
    const { error } = await signUp.password({
      emailAddress,
      password,
    })
    if (error) {
      console.error(JSON.stringify(error, null, 2))
      return
    }

    if (!error) await signUp.verifications.sendEmailCode()
  }

  const handleVerify = async () => {
    await signUp.verifications.verifyEmailCode({
      code,
    })
    if (signUp.status === 'complete') {
      await signUp.finalize({
        // Redirect the user to the home page after signing up
        navigate: ({ session, decorateUrl }) => {
          // Handle session tasks
          // See https://clerk.com/docs/guides/development/custom-flows/authentication/session-tasks
          if (session?.currentTask) {
            console.log(session?.currentTask)
            return
          }

          // If no session tasks, navigate the signed-in user to the home page
          const url = decorateUrl('/')
          if (url.startsWith('http')) {
            window.location.href = url
          } else {
            router.push(url as Href)
          }
        },
      })
    } else {
      // Check why the sign-up is not complete
      console.error('Sign-up attempt not complete:', signUp)
    }
  }

  if (signUp.status === 'complete' || isSignedIn) {
    return null
  }

  if (
    signUp.status === 'missing_requirements' &&
    signUp.unverifiedFields.includes('email_address') &&
    signUp.missingFields.length === 0
  ) {
    return (
      <ThemedView style={styles.container}>
        <ThemedText type="title" style={styles.title}>
          Verify your account
        </ThemedText>
        <TextInput
          style={styles.input}
          value={code}
          placeholder="Enter your verification code"
          placeholderTextColor="#666666"
          onChangeText={(code) => setCode(code)}
          keyboardType="numeric"
        />
        {errors.fields.code && (
          <ThemedText style={styles.error}>{errors.fields.code.message}</ThemedText>
        )}
        <Pressable
          style={({ pressed }) => [
            styles.button,
            fetchStatus === 'fetching' && styles.buttonDisabled,
            pressed && styles.buttonPressed,
          ]}
          onPress={handleVerify}
          disabled={fetchStatus === 'fetching'}
        >
          <ThemedText style={styles.buttonText}>Verify</ThemedText>
        </Pressable>
        <Pressable
          style={({ pressed }) => [styles.secondaryButton, pressed && styles.buttonPressed]}
          onPress={() => signUp.verifications.sendEmailCode()}
        >
          <ThemedText style={styles.secondaryButtonText}>I need a new code</ThemedText>
        </Pressable>
      </ThemedView>
    )
  }

  return (
    <ThemedView style={styles.container}>
      <ThemedText type="title" style={styles.title}>
        Sign up
      </ThemedText>

      <ThemedText style={styles.label}>Email address</ThemedText>
      <TextInput
        style={styles.input}
        autoCapitalize="none"
        value={emailAddress}
        placeholder="Enter email"
        placeholderTextColor="#666666"
        onChangeText={(emailAddress) => setEmailAddress(emailAddress)}
        keyboardType="email-address"
      />
      {errors.fields.emailAddress && (
        <ThemedText style={styles.error}>{errors.fields.emailAddress.message}</ThemedText>
      )}
      <ThemedText style={styles.label}>Password</ThemedText>
      <TextInput
        style={styles.input}
        value={password}
        placeholder="Enter password"
        placeholderTextColor="#666666"
        secureTextEntry={true}
        onChangeText={(password) => setPassword(password)}
      />
      {errors.fields.password && (
        <ThemedText style={styles.error}>{errors.fields.password.message}</ThemedText>
      )}
      <Pressable
        style={({ pressed }) => [
          styles.button,
          (!emailAddress || !password || fetchStatus === 'fetching') && styles.buttonDisabled,
          pressed && styles.buttonPressed,
        ]}
        onPress={handleSubmit}
        disabled={!emailAddress || !password || fetchStatus === 'fetching'}
      >
        <ThemedText style={styles.buttonText}>Sign up</ThemedText>
      </Pressable>
      {/* For your debugging purposes. You can just console.log errors, but we put them in the UI for convenience */}
      {errors && <ThemedText style={styles.debug}>{JSON.stringify(errors, null, 2)}</ThemedText>}

      <View style={styles.linkContainer}>
        <ThemedText>Already have an account? </ThemedText>
        <Link href="/sign-in">
          <ThemedText type="link">Sign in</ThemedText>
        </Link>
      </View>

      {/* Required for sign-up flows. Clerk's bot sign-up protection is enabled by default */}
      <View nativeID="clerk-captcha" />
    </ThemedView>
  )
}

const styles = StyleSheet.create({
  container: {
    flex: 1,
    padding: 20,
    gap: 12,
  },
  title: {
    marginBottom: 8,
  },
  label: {
    fontWeight: '600',
    fontSize: 14,
  },
  input: {
    borderWidth: 1,
    borderColor: '#ccc',
    borderRadius: 8,
    padding: 12,
    fontSize: 16,
    backgroundColor: '#fff',
  },
  button: {
    backgroundColor: '#0a7ea4',
    paddingVertical: 12,
    paddingHorizontal: 24,
    borderRadius: 8,
    alignItems: 'center',
    marginTop: 8,
  },
  buttonPressed: {
    opacity: 0.7,
  },
  buttonDisabled: {
    opacity: 0.5,
  },
  buttonText: {
    color: '#fff',
    fontWeight: '600',
  },
  secondaryButton: {
    paddingVertical: 12,
    paddingHorizontal: 24,
    borderRadius: 8,
    alignItems: 'center',
    marginTop: 8,
  },
  secondaryButtonText: {
    color: '#0a7ea4',
    fontWeight: '600',
  },
  linkContainer: {
    flexDirection: 'row',
    gap: 4,
    marginTop: 12,
    alignItems: 'center',
  },
  error: {
    color: '#d32f2f',
    fontSize: 12,
    marginTop: -8,
  },
  debug: {
    fontSize: 10,
    opacity: 0.5,
    marginTop: 8,
  },
})

Sign-in page

In the (auth) group, create a sign-in.tsx file with the following code. The useSignIn() hook is used to create a sign-in flow. The user can sign in using email address and password, or navigate to the sign-up page.

app/(auth)/sign-in.tsx
import { ThemedText } from '@/components/themed-text'
import { ThemedView } from '@/components/themed-view'
import { useSignIn } from '@clerk/expo'
import { type Href, Link, useRouter } from 'expo-router'
import React from 'react'
import { Pressable, StyleSheet, TextInput, View } from 'react-native'

export default function Page() {
  const { signIn, errors, fetchStatus } = useSignIn()
  const router = useRouter()

  const [emailAddress, setEmailAddress] = React.useState('')
  const [password, setPassword] = React.useState('')
  const [code, setCode] = React.useState('')

  const handleSubmit = async () => {
    const { error } = await signIn.password({
      emailAddress,
      password,
    })
    if (error) {
      console.error(JSON.stringify(error, null, 2))
      return
    }

    if (signIn.status === 'complete') {
      await signIn.finalize({
        navigate: ({ session, decorateUrl }) => {
          // Handle session tasks
          // See https://clerk.com/docs/guides/development/custom-flows/authentication/session-tasks
          if (session?.currentTask) {
            console.log(session?.currentTask)
            return
          }

          // If no session tasks, navigate the signed-in user to the home page
          const url = decorateUrl('/')
          if (url.startsWith('http')) {
            window.location.href = url
          } else {
            router.push(url as Href)
          }
        },
      })
    } else if (signIn.status === 'needs_second_factor') {
      // See https://clerk.com/docs/guides/development/custom-flows/authentication/multi-factor-authentication
    } else if (signIn.status === 'needs_client_trust') {
      // For other second factor strategies,
      // see https://clerk.com/docs/guides/development/custom-flows/authentication/client-trust
      const emailCodeFactor = signIn.supportedSecondFactors.find(
        (factor) => factor.strategy === 'email_code',
      )

      if (emailCodeFactor) {
        await signIn.mfa.sendEmailCode()
      }
    } else {
      // Check why the sign-in is not complete
      console.error('Sign-in attempt not complete:', signIn)
    }
  }

  const handleVerify = async () => {
    await signIn.mfa.verifyEmailCode({ code })

    if (signIn.status === 'complete') {
      await signIn.finalize({
        navigate: ({ session, decorateUrl }) => {
          // Handle session tasks
          // See https://clerk.com/docs/guides/development/custom-flows/authentication/session-tasks
          if (session?.currentTask) {
            console.log(session?.currentTask)
            return
          }

          // If no session tasks, navigate the signed-in user to the home page
          const url = decorateUrl('/')
          if (url.startsWith('http')) {
            window.location.href = url
          } else {
            router.push(url as Href)
          }
        },
      })
    } else {
      // Check why the sign-in is not complete
      console.error('Sign-in attempt not complete:', signIn)
    }
  }

  if (signIn.status === 'needs_client_trust') {
    return (
      <ThemedView style={styles.container}>
        <ThemedText type="title" style={[styles.title, { fontSize: 24, fontWeight: 'bold' }]}>
          Verify your account
        </ThemedText>
        <TextInput
          style={styles.input}
          value={code}
          placeholder="Enter your verification code"
          placeholderTextColor="#666666"
          onChangeText={(code) => setCode(code)}
          keyboardType="numeric"
        />
        {errors.fields.code && (
          <ThemedText style={styles.error}>{errors.fields.code.message}</ThemedText>
        )}
        <Pressable
          style={({ pressed }) => [
            styles.button,
            fetchStatus === 'fetching' && styles.buttonDisabled,
            pressed && styles.buttonPressed,
          ]}
          onPress={handleVerify}
          disabled={fetchStatus === 'fetching'}
        >
          <ThemedText style={styles.buttonText}>Verify</ThemedText>
        </Pressable>
        <Pressable
          style={({ pressed }) => [styles.secondaryButton, pressed && styles.buttonPressed]}
          onPress={() => signIn.mfa.sendEmailCode()}
        >
          <ThemedText style={styles.secondaryButtonText}>I need a new code</ThemedText>
        </Pressable>
        <Pressable
          style={({ pressed }) => [styles.secondaryButton, pressed && styles.buttonPressed]}
          onPress={() => signIn.reset()}
        >
          <ThemedText style={styles.secondaryButtonText}>Start over</ThemedText>
        </Pressable>
      </ThemedView>
    )
  }

  return (
    <ThemedView style={styles.container}>
      <ThemedText type="title" style={styles.title}>
        Sign in
      </ThemedText>

      <ThemedText style={styles.label}>Email address</ThemedText>
      <TextInput
        style={styles.input}
        autoCapitalize="none"
        value={emailAddress}
        placeholder="Enter email"
        placeholderTextColor="#666666"
        onChangeText={(emailAddress) => setEmailAddress(emailAddress)}
        keyboardType="email-address"
      />
      {errors.fields.identifier && (
        <ThemedText style={styles.error}>{errors.fields.identifier.message}</ThemedText>
      )}
      <ThemedText style={styles.label}>Password</ThemedText>
      <TextInput
        style={styles.input}
        value={password}
        placeholder="Enter password"
        placeholderTextColor="#666666"
        secureTextEntry={true}
        onChangeText={(password) => setPassword(password)}
      />
      {errors.fields.password && (
        <ThemedText style={styles.error}>{errors.fields.password.message}</ThemedText>
      )}
      <Pressable
        style={({ pressed }) => [
          styles.button,
          (!emailAddress || !password || fetchStatus === 'fetching') && styles.buttonDisabled,
          pressed && styles.buttonPressed,
        ]}
        onPress={handleSubmit}
        disabled={!emailAddress || !password || fetchStatus === 'fetching'}
      >
        <ThemedText style={styles.buttonText}>Continue</ThemedText>
      </Pressable>
      {/* For your debugging purposes. You can just console.log errors, but we put them in the UI for convenience */}
      {errors && <ThemedText style={styles.debug}>{JSON.stringify(errors, null, 2)}</ThemedText>}

      <View style={styles.linkContainer}>
        <ThemedText>Don't have an account? </ThemedText>
        <Link href="/sign-up">
          <ThemedText type="link">Sign up</ThemedText>
        </Link>
      </View>
    </ThemedView>
  )
}

const styles = StyleSheet.create({
  container: {
    flex: 1,
    padding: 20,
    gap: 12,
  },
  title: {
    marginBottom: 8,
  },
  label: {
    fontWeight: '600',
    fontSize: 14,
  },
  input: {
    borderWidth: 1,
    borderColor: '#ccc',
    borderRadius: 8,
    padding: 12,
    fontSize: 16,
    backgroundColor: '#fff',
  },
  button: {
    backgroundColor: '#0a7ea4',
    paddingVertical: 12,
    paddingHorizontal: 24,
    borderRadius: 8,
    alignItems: 'center',
    marginTop: 8,
  },
  buttonPressed: {
    opacity: 0.7,
  },
  buttonDisabled: {
    opacity: 0.5,
  },
  buttonText: {
    color: '#fff',
    fontWeight: '600',
  },
  secondaryButton: {
    paddingVertical: 12,
    paddingHorizontal: 24,
    borderRadius: 8,
    alignItems: 'center',
    marginTop: 8,
  },
  secondaryButtonText: {
    color: '#0a7ea4',
    fontWeight: '600',
  },
  linkContainer: {
    flexDirection: 'row',
    gap: 4,
    marginTop: 12,
    alignItems: 'center',
  },
  error: {
    color: '#d32f2f',
    fontSize: 12,
    marginTop: -8,
  },
  debug: {
    fontSize: 10,
    opacity: 0.5,
    marginTop: 8,
  },
})

For more information about building these , including guided comments in the code examples, see the Build a custom email/password authentication flow guide.

Add a home screen

You can control which content signed-in and signed-out users can see with Clerk's prebuilt control components. For this guide, you'll use:

  1. Create a (home) route group.
  2. In the (home) group, create a _layout.tsx file with the following code.
app/(home)/_layout.tsx
import { useAuth } from '@clerk/expo'
import { Redirect, Stack } from 'expo-router'

export default function Layout() {
  const { isSignedIn, isLoaded } = useAuth()

  if (!isLoaded) {
    return null
  }

  if (!isSignedIn) {
    return <Redirect href="/(auth)/sign-in" />
  }

  return <Stack />
}

Then, in the same folder, create an index.tsx file. If the user is signed in, it displays their email and a sign-out button. If they're not signed in, it displays sign-in and sign-up links.

app/(home)/index.tsx
import { Show, useUser } from '@clerk/expo'
import { useClerk } from '@clerk/expo'
import { Link } from 'expo-router'
import { Text, View, Pressable, StyleSheet } from 'react-native'

export default function Page() {
  const { user } = useUser()
  const { signOut } = useClerk()

  return (
    <View style={styles.container}>
      <Text style={styles.title}>Welcome!</Text>
      <Show when="signed-out">
        <Link href="/(auth)/sign-in">
          <Text>Sign in</Text>
        </Link>
        <Link href="/(auth)/sign-up">
          <Text>Sign up</Text>
        </Link>
      </Show>
      <Show when="signed-in">
        <Text>Hello {user?.id}</Text>
        <Pressable style={styles.button} onPress={() => signOut()}>
          <Text style={styles.buttonText}>Sign out</Text>
        </Pressable>
      </Show>
    </View>
  )
}

const styles = StyleSheet.create({
  container: {
    flex: 1,
    padding: 20,
    paddingTop: 60,
    gap: 16,
  },
  title: {
    fontSize: 24,
    fontWeight: 'bold',
  },
  button: {
    backgroundColor: '#0a7ea4',
    paddingVertical: 12,
    paddingHorizontal: 24,
    borderRadius: 8,
    alignItems: 'center',
  },
  buttonText: {
    color: '#fff',
    fontWeight: '600',
  },
})

Run your project

Run your project with the following command:

npx expo start

Then use the terminal shortcuts to run the app on your preferred platform:

  • Press i to open the iOS simulator.
  • Press a to open the Android emulator.
  • Scan the QR code with Expo Go to run the app on a physical device.

Create your first user

Once the app opens on your device or simulator:

  • Navigate to the Sign up screen.
  • Enter your details and complete the authentication flow.
  • After signing up, your first user will be created and you'll be signed in.

Native sign-in with Google and Apple (optional)

If you want to add native Sign in with Google and Sign in with Apple buttons that authenticate without opening a browser, you'll need to install expo-crypto:

npx expo install expo-crypto

Then, refer to the Sign in with Google and Sign in with Apple guides for full setup instructions, including any additional dependencies specific to each provider. This approach requires a development build because it uses native modules. It cannot run in Expo Go.

Warning

Expo native components are currently in beta. If you run into any issues, please reach out to our support team.

This approach uses Clerk's pre-built native componentsExpo Icon that render using SwiftUI on iOS and Jetpack Compose on Android. This requires the least code and a development build.

Enable Native API

In the Clerk Dashboard, navigate to the Native applications page and ensure that the Native API is enabled. This is required to integrate Clerk in your native application.

Create a new Expo app

If you don't already have an Expo app, run the following commands to create a new one.

terminal
npx create-expo-app@latest clerk-expo
cd clerk-expo
terminal
pnpm dlx create-expo-app@latest clerk-expo
cd clerk-expo
terminal
yarn dlx create-expo-app@latest clerk-expo
cd clerk-expo
terminal
bun x create-expo-app@latest clerk-expo
cd clerk-expo

Remove default template files

The default Expo template includes files that will conflict with the routes you'll create in this guide. Remove the conflicting files and unused components/ directory:

rm -rf "app/(tabs)" app/modal.tsx app/+not-found.tsx components/

The default template also includes react-native-reanimated, which can cause known Android build issues. Since it's not needed for this guide, remove it to avoid build errors:

npm uninstall react-native-reanimated react-native-worklets --legacy-peer-deps

Then, remove the reanimated import from app/_layout.tsx:

import 'react-native-reanimated';

Important

You can skip this step if you used npx create-expo-app@latest --template blank to create your app. However, the blank template doesn't include Expo Router or pre-styled UI components. You'll need to install expo-router and its dependencies to follow along with this guide.

Install dependencies

Install the required packages. Use npx expo install to ensure SDK-compatible versions.

  • The Clerk Expo SDKExpo Icon gives you access to prebuilt components, hooks, and helpers to make user authentication easier.
  • Clerk stores the active user's session token in memory by default. In Expo apps, the recommended way to store sensitive data, such as tokens, is by using expo-secure-store which encrypts the data before storing it.
  • expo-auth-session handles authentication redirects and OAuth flows in Expo apps.
  • expo-web-browser opens the system browser during authentication and returns the user to the app once the flow is complete.
  • expo-dev-client allows you to build and run your app in development mode.
npx expo install @clerk/expo expo-secure-store expo-auth-session expo-web-browser expo-dev-client

Set your Clerk API keys

.env
EXPO_PUBLIC_CLERK_PUBLISHABLE_KEY=YOUR_PUBLISHABLE_KEY

Verify app.json plugins

Run npx expo install to automatically add the required config plugins to your app.json file. Then verify that @clerk/expo and expo-secure-store appear in the plugins array:

app.json
{
  "expo": {
    "plugins": ["expo-secure-store", "@clerk/expo"]
  }
}

Add <ClerkProvider> to your root layout

The <ClerkProvider> component provides session and user context to Clerk's hooks and components. It's recommended to wrap your entire app at the entry point with <ClerkProvider> to make authentication globally accessible. See the reference docs for other configuration options.

Add the component to your root layout and pass your and tokenCache from @clerk/expo/token-cache as props, as shown in the following example:

app/_layout.tsx
import { ClerkProvider } from '@clerk/expo'
import { tokenCache } from '@clerk/expo/token-cache'
import { Slot } from 'expo-router'

const publishableKey = process.env.EXPO_PUBLIC_CLERK_PUBLISHABLE_KEY!

if (!publishableKey) {
  throw new Error('Add your Clerk Publishable Key to the .env file')
}

export default function RootLayout() {
  return (
    <ClerkProvider publishableKey={publishableKey} tokenCache={tokenCache}>
      <Slot />
    </ClerkProvider>
  )
}

Add authentication and home screen

With native componentsExpo Icon, you can build a complete app in a single file. The <AuthView />Expo Icon component handles all sign-in and sign-up flows, <UserButton />Expo Icon provides a profile avatar that opens the native profile modal, and the useUserProfileModal()Expo Icon hook lets you open the profile modal from any button.

Create an index.tsx file in your app folder with the following code. If the user is signed in, it displays their email, a profile button, and a sign-out button. If they're not signed in, it displays the <AuthView /> component which handles both sign-in and sign-up.

Important

When using native components, pass { treatPendingAsSignedOut: false } to useAuth() to keep auth state in sync with the native SDK and avoid issues with pending .

app/index.tsx
import { useAuth, useUser, useClerk, useUserProfileModal } from '@clerk/expo'
import { AuthView, UserButton } from '@clerk/expo/native'
import { Text, View, StyleSheet, Image, TouchableOpacity, ActivityIndicator } from 'react-native'

export default function MainScreen() {
  const { isSignedIn, isLoaded } = useAuth({ treatPendingAsSignedOut: false })
  const { user } = useUser()
  const { signOut } = useClerk()
  const { presentUserProfile } = useUserProfileModal()

  if (!isLoaded) {
    return (
      <View style={styles.centered}>
        <ActivityIndicator size="large" />
      </View>
    )
  }

  if (!isSignedIn) {
    return <AuthView mode="signInOrUp" />
  }

  return (
    <View style={styles.container}>
      <View style={styles.header}>
        <Text style={styles.title}>Welcome</Text>
        <View style={{ width: 44, height: 44, borderRadius: 22, overflow: 'hidden' }}>
          <UserButton />
        </View>
      </View>
      <View style={styles.profileCard}>
        {user?.imageUrl && <Image source={{ uri: user.imageUrl }} style={styles.avatar} />}
        <View>
          <Text>Hello {user?.id}</Text>
        </View>
      </View>
      <TouchableOpacity style={styles.linkButton} onPress={presentUserProfile}>
        <Text style={styles.linkButtonText}>Manage Profile</Text>
      </TouchableOpacity>
      <TouchableOpacity
        style={[styles.linkButton, { backgroundColor: '#666' }]}
        onPress={() => signOut()}
      >
        <Text style={styles.linkButtonText}>Sign Out</Text>
      </TouchableOpacity>
    </View>
  )
}

const styles = StyleSheet.create({
  centered: {
    flex: 1,
    justifyContent: 'center',
    alignItems: 'center',
    backgroundColor: '#fff',
    padding: 40,
  },
  container: {
    flex: 1,
    backgroundColor: '#fff',
    padding: 20,
    paddingTop: 60,
    gap: 16,
  },
  header: {
    flexDirection: 'row',
    alignItems: 'center',
    justifyContent: 'space-between',
  },
  title: {
    fontSize: 28,
    fontWeight: 'bold',
  },
  profileCard: {
    flexDirection: 'row',
    alignItems: 'center',
    padding: 16,
    backgroundColor: '#f5f5f5',
    borderRadius: 12,
    gap: 12,
  },
  avatar: {
    width: 48,
    height: 48,
    borderRadius: 24,
  },
  name: {
    fontSize: 18,
    fontWeight: '600',
  },
  email: {
    fontSize: 14,
    color: '#666',
  },
  linkButton: {
    backgroundColor: '#007AFF',
    padding: 16,
    borderRadius: 12,
    alignItems: 'center',
  },
  linkButtonText: {
    color: '#fff',
    fontSize: 16,
    fontWeight: '600',
  },
})

Build and run

This approach requires a development build because it uses native modules. It cannot run in Expo Go.

terminal
# Using Expo CLI
npx expo run:ios
npx expo run:android

# Using EAS Build
eas build --platform ios
eas build --platform android

# Or using local prebuild
npx expo prebuild && npx expo run:ios --device
npx expo prebuild && npx expo run:android --device

Then use the terminal shortcuts to run the app on your preferred platform:

  • Press i to open the iOS simulator.
  • Press a to open the Android emulator.
  • Scan the QR code with Expo Go to run the app on a physical device.

Create your first user

Once the app opens on your device or simulator:

  • Navigate to the Sign up screen.
  • Enter your details and complete the authentication flow.
  • After signing up, your first user will be created and you'll be signed in.

Configure social connections (optional)

<AuthView /> automatically shows sign-in buttons for any social connections enabled in your Clerk Dashboard. However, native OAuth requires additional credential setup — without it, the buttons will appear but fail with an error when tapped.

Sign in with Google

Follow the steps in the Sign in with Google guide to complete the following:

  1. Enable Google as a social connection with Use custom credentials toggled on.
  2. Create OAuth 2.0 credentials in the Google Cloud Console — you'll need an iOS Client ID, Android Client ID, and Web Client ID.
  3. Set the Web Client ID and Client Secret in the Clerk Dashboard.
  4. Add your iOS application to the Native Applications page in the Clerk Dashboard (Team ID + Bundle ID).
  5. Add your Android application to the Native Applications page in the Clerk Dashboard (package name).
  6. Add the Google Client IDs as environment variables in your .env file. Follow the .env.example in the Sign in with Google guide.
  7. Configure the @clerk/expo plugin with the iOS URL scheme in your app.json.

Important

You do not need to install expo-crypto or use the useSignInWithGoogle() hook — <AuthView /> handles the sign-in flow automatically.

Sign in with Apple

Follow the steps in the Sign in with Apple guide to complete the following:

  1. Add your iOS application to the Native Applications page in the Clerk Dashboard (Team ID + Bundle ID).
  2. Enable Apple as a social connection in the Clerk Dashboard.

Important

You do not need to install expo-apple-authentication, expo-crypto, or use the useSignInWithApple() hook — <AuthView /> handles the sign-in flow automatically.

Enable OTA updates

Though not required, it is recommended to implement over-the-air (OTA) updates in your Expo app. This enables you to easily roll out Clerk's feature updates and security patches as they're released without having to resubmit your app to mobile marketplaces.

See the expo-updates library to learn how to get started.

Next steps

Learn more about Clerk prebuilt components, custom flows for your native apps, and how to deploy an Expo app to production using the following guides.

Prebuilt native componentsBeta

Learn how to quickly add authentication to your app using Clerk's pre-built native UI for iOS and Android.

Custom flows

Use custom flows in place of prebuilt components.

Protect content and read user data

Learn how to use Clerk's hooks and helpers to protect content and read user data in your Expo app.

Deploy an Expo app to production

Learn how to deploy your Expo app to production.

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