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Exporting Code

You own 100% of the code generated by Natively. Export it anytime to work locally, hand off to developers, or host elsewhere.

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Export Options

GitHub Sync

Automatic sync to your repository

Download ZIP

Download complete source code

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Downloading as ZIP

1

Open Menu

Click More in the project header
2

Download

Click Download ZIP
3

Extract

Extract the ZIP file to your preferred location

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What’s Included

Your export contains a complete, runnable Expo project: 
my-app/
├── app/                 # Screen components
│   ├── index.tsx
│   ├── _layout.tsx
│   └── ...
├── components/          # Reusable components
├── utils/              # Helper functions
├── assets/             # Images, fonts
├── app.json            # Expo configuration
├── package.json        # Dependencies
├── tsconfig.json       # TypeScript config
├── babel.config.js     # Babel configuration
└── README.md           # Project documentation

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Running Locally

1

Install Node.js

Ensure you have Node.js 18+ installed
2

Install Dependencies

cd my-app
npm install
3

Start Expo

npx expo start
4

Run on Device

  • Scan QR code with Expo Go
  • Or press i for iOS Simulator
  • Or press a for Android Emulator

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Local Development Requirements

RequirementVersion
Node.js18 or higher
npm9 or higher
Expo CLILatest (via npx)

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For iOS Development (Mac only)

  • Xcode 15+
  • iOS Simulator

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For Android Development

  • Android Studio
  • Android Emulator or physical device

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Customizing Exported Code

The exported code is standard React Native/Expo. You can:
Install and configure native packages that require additional setup
Customize app.json, eas.json, and native configuration
Set up automated builds and deployments
Share with your development team for further work

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Backend Considerations

If your app uses Specular backend:
The backend runs on Natively’s infrastructure. To fully self-host, you’ll need to migrate the backend to your own infrastructure.

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Options for Backend

  1. Keep using Natively - Your Specular backend continues working
  2. Migrate to Supabase - Move data to your own Supabase project
  3. Build custom backend - Create your own API using the generated code as reference

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Building Without Natively

To build for app stores locally:

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Maintaining After Export

If you continue development outside Natively:

Keep Dependencies Updated

Regularly update Expo SDK and packages

Follow React Native Best Practices

Learn from the generated code patterns

Monitor for Issues

Set up error tracking (Sentry, etc.)

Test on Devices

Always test on real devices before releasing

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Re-importing to Natively

Currently, importing external changes back into Natively is supported via GitHub sync:
  1. Connect GitHub to your Natively project
  2. Push changes from your local development
  3. Changes sync to Natively on next project open
Major structural changes made outside Natively may affect how well the AI can assist with future changes.