Skip to Content
Getting Started

Getting Started

Welcome to AppBoost! 👋

The complete Expo React Native starter template with everything you need to launch your mobile app faster. This template includes RevenueCat payments, push notifications, Appwrite database integration, and a library of pre-built components - all ready to customize for your app.

This guide will walk you through setting up and running the AppBoost starter template on your local machine.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed:

  • Node.js
  • npm or yarn
  • Git

Step 1: Clone the Repository

First, clone the starter template repository to your local machine:

git clone https://github.com/samuel-yost-org/AppBoost.git [project-name]
cd [project-name]

Step 2: Install Dependencies

Install all project dependencies using npm:

npm install

This will install all required packages including Expo, React Native, and other dependencies.

Step 3: Configure Services (Optional)

Environment Variables

Create a .env file in the root directory and add your RevenueCat keys and Expo project ID:

# RevenueCat (for payments)
EXPO_PUBLIC_RC_APPLE_KEY=your_revenuecat_apple_key
EXPO_PUBLIC_RC_GOOGLE_KEY=your_revenuecat_google_key
 
# Expo Project for push notifications
EXPO_PUBLIC_PROJECT_ID=your_expo_project_id

See the .env.example file for reference.

Appwrite Configuration

If you want to use Appwrite for backend features like push token storage, configure it in config/appwrite.js:

const config = {
  projectId: "your_project_id",
  endpoint: "https://cloud.appwrite.io/v1",
  db: "your_database_id",
  platform: {
    bundleId: "com.yourcompany.yourapp",
    packageName: "com.yourcompany.yourapp",
  },
  col: {
    expoPushTokens: "your_collection_id",
  },
}

See the Appwrite Configuration Guide for detailed setup instructions.

Step 4: Running the App

For the best development experience with native features, use EAS Build:

  1. Install EAS CLI globally:
npm install --global eas-cli
  1. Build a development version for your platform:
eas build --profile development --platform android

or for iOS:

eas build --profile development --platform ios

  1. Follow the prompts to:

    • Login to your Expo account
    • Configure the project (if first time)

  2. Once the build completes, install the APK/IPA on your device by scanning the QR code or downloading directly.

  3. Start the development server:

npx expo start

Option B: Expo Go (Limited Features)

For quick testing without native features:

npx expo start

Then scan the QR code with the Expo Go app on your device.

Note: Some features like RevenueCat payments may not work in Expo Go.

Option C: Build and Run Locally

Android

To run directly on Android:

npx expo run:android

iOS

To run directly on iOS (macOS only):

npx expo run:ios

Troubleshooting

”expo module not installed” error

Make sure you’ve run npm install in the project directory.

Android SDK not found

If you get Android SDK errors, you can install the Android SDK or use EAS Build instead of local builds:

eas build --profile development --platform android

Dependencies issues

Try clearing the cache and reinstalling:

rm -rf node_modules
npm cache clean --force
npm install

Development Commands

npm run start           # Start development server
npm run android         # Run on Android
npm run ios             # Run on iOS

Build Profiles

Available EAS build profiles:

  • development - Development build with dev client
  • preview - APK for testing
  • production - Production build for app stores
Database Backend