Build fast, no matter what: how Expo is optimizing for speed (and how you can, too)

Expo is expanding its fleet of M4 Pro and Max Mac Minis and deploying several build optimizations including compiler-level caching (up to 30% faster fastlane/gradlew steps), Gradle caching, prebuilt binaries for popular packages like react-native-reanimated and react-native-screens, and prebuilt XCFrameworks for iOS in SDK 56. Beyond infrastructure improvements, the post explains how to reduce build frequency using fingerprint-based EAS Workflows that automatically decide whether to run a full build or just push an OTA JavaScript update. It also covers local builds with Expo CLI for development, testing, and signed production builds using EAS credentials.