About Expo and EAS
Vibely’s mobile apps are built on Expo. EAS (Expo Application Services) is the cloud build infrastructure — no Mac required for iOS builds. You connect your Expo account once; from there the wizard drives EAS for every build, upload, and submission. You don’t need to learn EAS or hand-writeeas.json. The agent set that up correctly when the project was created.
The 8-step iOS publish wizard
Open it from the project’s Ship menu. The wizard runs each step in order; you can jump back to earlier steps to tweak anything before submission.1
Build
Kick off an EAS build for the platform + profile you want. Vibely streams the build log live; iOS typically lands in 12–18 minutes. The build artifact is what every subsequent step refers to.
2
TestFlight
Upload the finished build to TestFlight in App Store Connect. Vibely handles the API call and surfaces processing status — you don’t need to open App Store Connect for this.
3
Testers
Invite internal testers (up to 100, instant access) and external testers (up to 10,000, first build of each version goes through Apple’s beta-app review). Emails go out from TestFlight; testers install via the TestFlight app.
4
Metadata
Fill in the App Store metadata form: app name, subtitle, description, keywords, support URL, marketing URL, age rating answers, categories. Vibely shows you exactly what App Store Connect requires and flags missing fields before you proceed.
5
Screenshots
Upload device screenshots for the required display sizes. The wizard lays out the slots Apple expects and tells you when a slot is missing.
6
Privacy
Walk the App Privacy questionnaire — what data your app collects, how it’s used, whether it’s linked to the user. Vibely maps each answer back into App Store Connect; you don’t fill the form twice.
7
Review
Submit the build for App Review. The wizard confirms everything Apple expects to be present (build picked, metadata complete, screenshots uploaded, privacy answered) and then files the submission.
8
Status
Track the App Review outcome — In Review, Pending Developer Release, Approved, Rejected. If Apple rejects, the reason lands here so you can jump back to the affected step and resubmit.
Cards rendered alongside the wizard
Four supporting cards sit next to the step list and stay visible while you work — they cover the long-lived configuration the steps depend on.Credentials
The credentials card shows the signing setup for your build: iOS distribution certificate, provisioning profile, and the team they belong to. EAS-managed credentials are the default — EAS generates, stores, rotates, and renews them so you don’t get blindsided by an expired certificate. If you need to bring your own (paste an existing certificate + key), this is the card to do it from.Push permissions
If your app uses push notifications, the push permissions card surfaces the capability state: is the APNs key uploaded, is the entitlement inapp.json, is the permission string set. Missing pieces are flagged with a one-click fix.
Release notes
Each submission carries a short “what’s new” note for testers and reviewers. The release notes card is where you write it. The wizard pulls from here when filing to TestFlight and App Review.Deep links
Universal links and custom URL schemes live in the deep links card — domains your app should claim, the AASA configuration Vibely will serve, and which routes resolve where inside the app. Edit here once; the wizard wires the rest.Pre-publish security scan
Before the wizard files anything to Apple, Vibely runs a security scan on your project. Findings appear inline; some block submission, others are warnings you can choose to ship anyway. See Mobile security for what’s checked and how findings are handled.Android
Android publishing follows the same shape — EAS build, upload to Play Console, Internal Testing for fast iteration, then a production submit. Internal builds skip Google review; production submits are typically faster than Apple’s review after the first one lands.OTA updates
For JavaScript or asset-only changes, Vibely ships via EAS Update — users get the new code on next app launch with no store review. The agent picks the right mode automatically:- OTA update — pure JS/asset changes. Live in minutes.
- Native update — anything that touches
app.json, permissions, plugins, or native modules. Requires a new build and a fresh submission.
Limits
- iOS and Android publishing require their respective developer accounts (25 one-time Google). Those are Apple’s and Google’s fees, not Vibely’s.
- Some Apple features (App Clips, widgets, non-Expo push providers) require a custom EAS development build — one-time setup.
- In-app purchases must use StoreKit / Play Billing or RevenueCat — web checkout for digital goods is against store policy. See Native → IAP.