Sauci/docs/releasing.md

Releasing Sauci Mobile App

This guide covers local release builds for Android and iOS.

OTA update or full store release?

Decide the delivery mechanism first — they are different pipelines:

• OTA update (Mobile over-the-air updates) ships only the JavaScript bundle and assets to already-installed builds. No store review, live in minutes, rolled back by repointing the XPREM channel. Valid only for changes that leave the native binary untouched (no native code, native dependencies, ios//android/ project changes, permissions, entitlements, Expo SDK, or expo.version bump). OTA reaches only installs of the current expo.version, because the runtime version is synchronized with the app version.
• Full store release (this document) builds a new signed binary and ships it through App Store Connect and Google Play, including store review. It is required for anything OTA cannot carry. Rollback is coarser: halt a Play staged rollout, pause an iOS phased release, or supersede with the next version (an OTA update can often patch a bad JS-level regression in a live store build immediately).

Prefer OTA when the change qualifies, and always report which mechanism was used.

Prerequisites

• Java JDK 17 - Required for Android Gradle builds
• Android Studio - For SDK and build tools (including Android SDK/NDK)
• Xcode - For iOS builds (macOS only)
• EAS CLI - npm install -g eas-cli
• Expo account - Run eas login to authenticate

---

EAS Build Local (Recommended)

The --local flag runs the EAS build process on your machine instead of Expo's cloud servers. This automatically handles signing credentials and produces the same output as cloud builds.

Quick Start

cd apps/mobile

# Android - produces .aab file (for Play Store)
npm run release:android

# iOS - produces .ipa file (for App Store)
npm run release:ios

Output files are placed in the current directory by default.

These scripts create signed artifacts only. An explicit request for a mobile release authorizes the complete pipeline for the stated platforms: build, verification, store upload, review submission, and rollout — including full production rollout. Rollout is recoverable (staged-rollout halt, phased-release pause, OTA supersession, or the next version), so agents should execute the whole requested pipeline and report, rather than pausing for re-confirmation. A request that explicitly narrows scope ("upload only", "TestFlight only", a named track) still bounds the work.

Ship a verified artifact

Credentials are never committed: production submission credentials are managed by EAS, and the Fastlane iOS lanes read an App Store Connect API key from the environment (ASC_KEY_ID, ASC_ISSUER_ID, ASC_KEY_PATH). Never add .p8 files, Google service-account JSON files, or local credential paths to the repository or eas.json.

Ship only an independently verified artifact by its exact absolute path. Before upload, verify and report the platform, exact path, bundle/package identifier, version, build number, signing identity, SHA-256 digest, and destination — then proceed through upload, review submission, and rollout without asking for a second confirmation.

Full release (upload + review submission + rollout)

cd apps/mobile

# Android: commits the release on the production track. Play review runs
# automatically and rollout proceeds on approval.
bundle exec fastlane android release aab:/absolute/path/to/sauci.aab
# Optional: track:beta, rollout:0.1 (10% staged rollout)

# iOS: uploads, creates the App Store version, submits for App Review, and
# releases automatically on approval.
bundle exec fastlane ios release ipa:/absolute/path/to/sauci.ipa release_notes:"What's new..."
# Optional: phased_release:true (7-day phased release), automatic_release:false

Upload only (when the request stops short of review)

cd apps/mobile

# Android internal-track draft; does not roll out the release.
eas submit --platform android --profile production --path /absolute/path/to/sauci.aab --wait

# App Store Connect/TestFlight; does not submit for App Review.
eas submit --platform ios --profile production --path /absolute/path/to/sauci.ipa --wait

Do not use --latest; always pass the exact verified path. After upload or submission, read back the resulting state from Google Play Console or App Store Connect (track/rollout status, App Store version state) and report it. If a command returns an ambiguous result, inspect EAS and the store first; do not retry blind.

Source integrity

Sauci commits its native ios/ and android/ projects. Start a release from a clean worktree whose HEAD matches its fetched upstream, and do not run expo prebuild before a routine release build. EAS detects the native projects and packages the checked-in sources directly.

After the build, inspect git diff. Only the expected local EAS version fields may change: app.json, the platform native version file, and the iOS widget Info.plist for an iOS build. Any widget implementation, resource, or Xcode project rewrite means the source was regenerated and the artifact must be rebuilt from the clean tracked sources.

Android media permission policy

Sauci uses the Android system photo picker for user-selected images and videos. Android release manifests must not contain READ_MEDIA_IMAGES or READ_MEDIA_VIDEO. Gallery save flows request add-only access and must not add broad read access. After any Expo, media-library, image-picker, or native Android change, run :app:processReleaseMainManifest and inspect the merged release manifest before building an artifact for Google Play.

Building an APK (for Testing)

The production profile creates an AAB (Android App Bundle), which can't be directly installed on devices. To build an APK for testing:

# Use the preview profile (configured for APK output)
eas build --platform android --profile preview --local

Or add a custom profile to eas.json:

{
  "build": {
    "local-apk": {
      "android": {
        "buildType": "apk"
      }
    }
  }
}

Then run:

eas build --platform android --profile local-apk --local

Installing the APK

# Via ADB (device connected via USB)
adb install ./build-*.apk

# Or drag-and-drop onto Android Emulator

Build Profiles

Profile	Output	Use Case
production	.aab	Play Store / App Store submission
preview	.apk	Internal testing, device installation
development	.apk	Dev client with hot reload

Environment Variables

Useful for debugging build issues:

Variable	Purpose
EAS_LOCAL_BUILD_SKIP_CLEANUP=1	Keep build directory after completion
EAS_LOCAL_BUILD_WORKINGDIR=/path	Custom build directory (default: /tmp)
EAS_LOCAL_BUILD_ARTIFACTS_DIR=/path	Output directory for build artifacts

Example with debugging enabled:

EAS_LOCAL_BUILD_SKIP_CLEANUP=1 \
EAS_LOCAL_BUILD_WORKINGDIR=~/eas-builds \
eas build --platform android --profile production --local

Limitations of Local Builds

• Single platform only - Can't use --platform all
• Software versions ignored - node, yarn, ndk, image fields in eas.json are ignored
• No caching - Each build starts fresh
• Secret env vars not available - Set them in your local environment instead
• macOS/Linux only - Windows requires WSL (unsupported)

Troubleshooting Local Builds

Java version mismatch:

# Check Java version (should be 17)
java -version

# On macOS, switch Java version
export JAVA_HOME=$(/usr/libexec/java_home -v 17)

Gradle daemon issues:

cd android && ./gradlew --stop && cd ..

Native regeneration after dependency changes:

Treat expo prebuild as a source change, not a release step. Run it separately only when native dependencies intentionally changed, review the full native diff, verify it, and commit it before starting the release from a clean worktree.

Out of memory:

# Increase Gradle memory
echo "org.gradle.jvmargs=-Xmx4g" >> android/gradle.properties

---

Manual Android Release Build

Step 1: Get the Production Keystore

The production keystore is stored in EAS. Download it:

cd apps/mobile
eas credentials --platform android

Select:

1. production
2. Keystore
3. Download Keystore

Save the keystore file and note the password and alias shown.

Step 2: Configure Signing

Ensure android/gradle.properties has the keystore configuration:

MYAPP_UPLOAD_STORE_FILE=sauci-release.keystore
MYAPP_UPLOAD_KEY_ALIAS=<alias from EAS>
MYAPP_UPLOAD_STORE_PASSWORD=<password from EAS>
MYAPP_UPLOAD_KEY_PASSWORD=<password from EAS>

Important: Never commit these credentials to git.

Step 3: Confirm tracked native sources

The committed android/ project is the release source. If native dependencies changed, regenerate and review that project as a separate change before release.

Step 4: Build the Release Bundle

cd android
./gradlew bundleRelease

The AAB file will be at:

android/app/build/outputs/bundle/release/app-release.aab

Step 5: Upload to Play Store

Apply the artifact-verification policy above before opening or changing the release. Prefer the Fastlane android release lane; when using the console:

1. Go to Google Play Console
2. Select Sauci app
3. Go to the track named in the request (Production for a release request)
4. Create new release
5. Upload the .aab file
6. Add release notes and roll out the release — Play review runs automatically and the rollout proceeds on approval
7. Read back the track and rollout state

A release request includes review submission and rollout; a bad rollout is halted from the same release page or superseded by the next version.

Verifying Keystore Fingerprint

To verify you're using the correct keystore:

keytool -list -v -keystore android/sauci-release.keystore -storepass <password>

Expected EAS production upload-key SHA1: F0:60:26:C7:54:B0:46:F2:80:FE:AC:43:8A:69:10:BD:9A:62:B4:59

---

iOS Release Build

Step 1: Confirm tracked native sources

The committed ios/ project is the release source. If native dependencies changed, regenerate and review that project as a separate change before release.

Step 2: Install Pods

cd ios
pod install
cd ..

Step 3: Build Archive in Xcode

1. Open ios/Sauci.xcworkspace in Xcode
2. Select Any iOS Device (arm64) as the build target
3. Go to Product → Archive
4. Wait for the build to complete

Step 4: Upload to App Store

Apply the artifact-verification policy above before using Xcode Organizer.

1. In Xcode Organizer (Window → Organizer), select the archive
2. Click Distribute App
3. Select App Store Connect → Upload
4. Follow the prompts to upload

Step 5: Submit in App Store Connect

A release request includes App Review submission and release on approval. Prefer the Fastlane ios release lane, which does all of this in one step; manually:

1. Go to App Store Connect
2. Select Sauci
3. Create a new version or select the uploaded build
4. Fill in release notes and submit for review, with automatic release on approval unless the request says otherwise
5. Read back the version state and report it

---

Version Management

Version is managed locally by EAS with appVersionSource: "local" in apps/mobile/eas.json. Production builds auto-increment the platform build number and synchronize the tracked native version file. For a public-version bump, use the release version script rather than editing individual sources: it updates and verifies app.json, the explicit Expo runtime string, and the checked-in iOS and Android public/runtime values together.

node .codex/skills/generate-release/scripts/set_version.mjs --version 1.0.7
node .codex/skills/generate-release/scripts/set_version.mjs --check

To inspect or deliberately set versions:

# Check current version
eas build:version:get

# Set version manually
eas build:version:set --platform android --version 1.0.1
eas build:version:set --platform ios --version 1.0.1

The user-facing version remains in app.json:

{
  "expo": {
    "version": "1.0.1"
  }
}

And for Android, update android/app/build.gradle:

versionCode 2
versionName "1.0.1"

---

Troubleshooting

Wrong Keystore Error

If Play Store rejects with "signed with wrong key":

1. Run eas credentials --platform android
2. Download the correct keystore
3. Verify fingerprint matches expected SHA1
4. Replace your local keystore file

Build Failures After Dependency Changes

# Clean the existing tracked Android project and rebuild it
cd android && ./gradlew clean && cd ..
cd android && ./gradlew bundleRelease

If native regeneration is genuinely required, do it as a separate reviewed and committed source change before running the release build.

iOS Signing Issues

Ensure your Apple Developer certificates and provisioning profiles are up to date in Xcode:

• Xcode → Settings → Accounts → Download Manual Profiles