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A reliable Expo App Store pre-flight check covers more than whether the app builds: inspect project health, test real screens and core flows, verify privacy and store information, and install the release candidate you intend to submit. A successful upload is only one step—Apple still needs the required App Store Connect information and the app must go through review.
What an Expo pre-flight check can—and cannot—tell you
Pre-flight checks reduce avoidable problems; they cannot guarantee App Review approval. Expo notes that its rules change frequently, enforcement can be inconsistent, and acceptance is not guaranteed. Treat diagnostics as signals to investigate, not as a certification that an app is ready.
There is also an important distinction between general guidance and findings from a repository scan. Without dated notes identifying the 23 repositories, the method, and the recorded results, no particular defect—or claim that a defect was caught across those apps—can be substantiated. The checks below are a practical workflow, not reported results from that scan.
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Run Expo Doctor to analyze project configuration, dependencies, configuration files, and overall project health. It can surface issues and provide advice while they are still easier to fix.
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A clean diagnostic result is not a substitute for running the app. Doctor evaluates project health; it does not prove that every screen works, that store information is complete, or that Apple will approve the release.
2. Exercise the app on different screens and devices
Expo recommends checking a small and a large screen, as well as tablets. Its guidance names the iPhone SE as an example of a small-screen device. The point is coverage, not a requirement to own that specific model.
Rank #2
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- ALL-DAY BATTERY LIFE — MacBook Pro delivers the same exceptional performance whether it’s running on battery or plugged in.*
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- Verify that text fields remain visible and usable when the keyboard opens.
- Check that buttons, navigation, and other controls are reachable and not obscured.
- Confirm that text and layouts adapt to narrower and wider screens instead of clipping or leaving essential content inaccessible.
- Test on an iPad. An app may still render at phone resolution on an iPad even when
ios.supportsTablet: falseis set.
These checks are about observed behavior on the app’s actual screens; configuration flags alone do not establish how the interface will feel to a user.
3. Review privacy disclosures and store-facing details
Expo’s App Store submission guidance covers preparing a privacy policy and completing App Store Connect privacy-practice details. The answers may depend on the libraries in the project: Expo gives expo-updates as an example of a library that can affect what needs to be disclosed. Review the app’s dependencies and data practices rather than relying only on what the app’s own screens appear to collect.
Rank #3
- FAST RUNS IN THE FAMILY — The 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 Pro or M5 Max chip brings next-generation speed and powerful on-device AI to personal, professional, and creative tasks. With all-day battery life, double the starting storage,* and a breathtaking Liquid Retina XDR display, it’s pro in every way.*
- BUCKLE UP — Along with a next-generation CPU, faster unified memory, and up to 2x faster SSD storage,* M5 Pro and M5 Max feature a more powerful GPU with a Neural Accelerator built into each core, delivering faster AI performance and on-device training capabilities. So you can blaze through demanding workloads at mind-bending speeds.
- BUILT FOR AI — Apple silicon, and every major component that powers it, is designed to run demanding on-device AI workloads like LLM inference and training. And Apple Intelligence helps you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly with groundbreaking privacy protections at every step.*
- ALL-DAY BATTERY LIFE — MacBook Pro delivers the same exceptional performance whether it’s running on battery or plugged in.*
- MACOS RUNS APPS FAST — All your go-to apps run lightning fast in macOS, including built-in apps like FaceTime and Messages. Plus, built-in virus protection and free software updates help keep your Mac running smoothly and securely.
Check the current Apple guidance for the applicable requirements before submission. Apple’s common review issues include broken links and identify support and privacy-policy links among the details reviewers may expect to work. Open each store-facing link and verify its destination; a URL that merely appears in metadata is not useful if it fails.
4. Test the release candidate—not just a development build
Apple advises submitting only items that are complete and ready to publish: “Submit items for review only when they’re complete and ready to be published.” Its review guidance identifies crashes, bugs, placeholder content, incomplete information, and broken links as common problems. Test the candidate build on devices running the latest software, exercise the app’s essential flows, and resolve defects before submission.
Rank #4
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- HAPPILY EVER FASTER — Along with its faster CPU and unified memory, M5 features a more powerful GPU with a Neural Accelerator built into each core, delivering faster AI performance. So you can blaze through demanding workloads at mind-bending speeds.
- BUILT FOR APPLE INTELLIGENCE — Apple Intelligence is the personal intelligence system that helps you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly. With groundbreaking privacy protections, it gives you peace of mind that no one else can access your data — not even Apple.*
- ALL-DAY BATTERY LIFE — MacBook Pro delivers the same exceptional performance whether it’s running on battery or plugged in.
- APPS FLY WITH APPLE SILICON — All your favorites, including Microsoft 365 and Adobe Creative Cloud, run lightning fast in macOS.*
Pay attention to what a reviewer or first-time user encounters: unfinished screens, sample text that should not ship, flows that stop unexpectedly, and links that lead nowhere. A successful development session does not demonstrate that the release candidate is complete.
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EAS Submit uploads a signed iOS .ipa to App Store Connect. After processing, the build becomes available in TestFlight; that does not automatically publish it on the App Store.
Best Value
- SUPERCHARGED BY M5 — The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 brings next-generation speed and powerful on-device AI to personal, professional, and creative tasks. Featuring all-day battery life and a breathtaking Liquid Retina XDR display with up to 1600 nits peak brightness, it’s pro in every way.*
- HAPPILY EVER FASTER — Along with its faster CPU and unified memory, M5 features a more powerful GPU with a Neural Accelerator built into each core, delivering faster AI performance. So you can blaze through demanding workloads at mind-bending speeds.
- BUILT FOR APPLE INTELLIGENCE — Apple Intelligence is the personal intelligence system that helps you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly. With groundbreaking privacy protections, it gives you peace of mind that no one else can access your data — not even Apple.*
- ALL-DAY BATTERY LIFE — MacBook Pro delivers the same exceptional performance whether it’s running on battery or plugged in.
- APPS FLY WITH APPLE SILICON — All your favorites, including Microsoft 365 and Adobe Creative Cloud, run lightning fast in macOS.*
| Stage | What happens | What remains |
|---|---|---|
| Upload | EAS Submit sends the signed iOS binary to App Store Connect. | Processing and subsequent release preparation. |
| TestFlight availability | The processed build can be used in TestFlight. | TestFlight availability alone does not release the app publicly. |
| App Store submission | You complete the App Store Connect information, add screenshots, select the build, and submit it for App Review. | Apple reviews the submission; approval and release are not guaranteed. |
Keep the stages separate in your checklist: a binary can upload successfully while required metadata, screenshots, review submission, or release decisions are still outstanding.
Quick Recap
A practical final pass
- Run Expo Doctor and investigate any reported configuration or dependency issues.
- Test representative small and large screens, including tablet behavior, and verify that fields and controls remain usable.
- Review privacy practices against the app’s code and libraries; complete the applicable App Store Connect privacy details.
- Open support, privacy-policy, and other store-facing links; confirm that screenshots and metadata are complete and accurate.
- Install and exercise the release candidate on current software; fix crashes, broken flows, unfinished content, and other defects.
- Upload the signed build, then complete App Store Connect setup and submit the selected build for App Review.
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