Fixing expo-updates Error: checkForUpdateAsync() Not Supported in Development

When working with expo-updates, you may encounter the following error:

checkForUpdateAsync() is not supported in development builds.

This happens because expo-updates only allows update checks in production builds (EAS Update or a standalone app). If you try to run checkForUpdateAsync() in a development environment, it will fail.

In this guide, we’ll walk through the solution and explain how to prevent this error from occurring in your Expo project.

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✅ Solution: Wrap the Update Check in a Production Check

To avoid calling checkForUpdateAsync() in development, modify your function to check if the app is running in a production environment before executing the update logic.

Updated Code:

import * as Updates from 'expo-updates';

async function onFetchUpdateAsync() {
  if (!Updates.isEmbeddedLaunch) {
    console.log('Skipping update check in development mode.');
    return;
  }
  try {
    const update = await Updates.checkForUpdateAsync();
    if (update.isAvailable) {
      await Updates.fetchUpdateAsync();
      await Updates.reloadAsync();
    }
  } catch (error) {
    console.log('debug: ', error);
  }
}

How This Works:

• Updates.isEmbeddedLaunch returns false in development, so we prevent checkForUpdateAsync() from running unless the app is in production.
• This avoids unnecessary API calls and errors when running in dev mode.

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🔄 Alternative Solution: Use __DEV__

Another way to handle this issue is by using the __DEV__ flag, which is a built-in Expo variable that checks if the app is running in development mode.

Alternative Code:

if (__DEV__) {
  console.log('Skipping update check in development mode.');
  return;
}

Which Method Should You Use?

• Updates.isEmbeddedLaunch is Expo-specific and more accurate for determining if updates should run.
• __DEV__ is a general development flag that works across all JavaScript environments.
• If you only want to restrict updates in Expo’s development mode, use Updates.isEmbeddedLaunch.
• If you want a broader check (including debug mode in standalone apps), use __DEV__.

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🚀 Next Steps: Testing Updates in a Production-Like Environment

To test updates in an environment closer to production, follow these steps:

1️⃣ Run Expo with Production Flags

Instead of running expo start, use the following command to mimic a production environment:

expo start --no-dev --minify

2️⃣ Deploy an Update with EAS Update

If you’re using EAS Update, deploy a new update by running:

eas update

This will push an update to your production users.

3️⃣ Ensure Updates Work in a Standalone Build

For standalone apps, Expo automatically checks for updates in production. You don’t need to manually trigger an update unless you want to force an update on demand.

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🛠️ Troubleshooting Tips

If you’re still facing issues:

• Double-check that you’re in the correct environment by logging Updates.isEmbeddedLaunch and __DEV__ values.
• Ensure that your app is correctly configured for EAS Update by running:

expo diagnostics

• Verify that your Expo project is using the latest expo-updates version:

npm list expo-updates

• Check if your app.json is properly set up for updates:

"updates": {   "enabled": true,   "checkAutomatically": "ON_LOAD" }

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🎯 Final Thoughts

By wrapping your checkForUpdateAsync() function with a production check, you can prevent unnecessary errors while developing with Expo. Whether you use Updates.isEmbeddedLaunch or __DEV__, ensuring that update logic only runs in production will keep your development workflow smooth.

Have you encountered similar issues with Expo? Let me know in the comments! 🚀