Over The Air (OTA) Updates
OTA updates let you push JavaScript bundle changes directly to users without going through the app stores. This is great for urgent bug fixes or small tweaks.
CodePush has been around longer and works with any RN app (you install the react-native-code-push SDK) but now the SDK is deprecated.
EAS Update is newer and integrates with the Expo ecosystem, offering features like rollout percentages and rollbacks
To use EAS Update, install expo-updates and run eas update:configure.
Publish an update with:
eas update --branch production
In emergencies, an OTA release can fix a critical bug within minutes, bypassing store review delays.
Use OTA only for JS/asset changes. Do not attempt to change native code that way. Keep in mind the App Store terms: updating UI/business logic via OTA is allowed (React Native’s license specifically permits JS updates), but adding entirely new native features requires an app store release.
Use version checks so that OTA updates are only applied to compatible app binary versions.