Introduction

Start building with the TurboStarter mobile kit. Expo, React Native, auth, billing, and shared API patterns for iOS and Android apps.

Welcome to the TurboStarter mobile documentation. This guide covers the Expo + React Native app - native auth, in-app purchases, push notifications, store publishing, and everything else that lives on the device.

The mobile app talks to the same API and database as web. Shared product features (organizations, plan entitlements, analytics) are documented here with mobile-specific setup; deep backend details live in the web docs when they apply to every platform.

Looking to bootstrap quickly? Check out the TurboStarter CLI guide.

Demo apps

Try the live iOS and Android demos (web and extension demos are available too):

VisitWebsite

Philosophy

As simple as possible - easy to understand, easy to use, no overengineering.
As few dependencies as possible - stay in control of every part of the project.
As performant as possible - fast and light without unnecessary overhead.

Features

Mobile-first capabilities below. For AI chatbots and agents on native, see TurboStarter AI and the mobile AI guide.

Native authentication

Better Auth powers sign-in on mobile, with deep links and native SSO that store reviewers expect.

Auth overview

Password, magic link, OTP, anonymous, and OAuth - shared with your web app.

Auth flow & screens

Ready-made sign-in, sign-up, recovery, and verification screens.

Sign in with Apple

Native Apple Authentication on iOS with Better Auth verification.

Sign in with Google

Native Google sign-in on Android with identity token verification.

Deep linking

App scheme callbacks for magic links, OAuth, and invite acceptance.

Two-factor authentication

TOTP and recovery flows adapted for native UX.

In-app purchases & billing

Store-compliant billing is the mobile default - RevenueCat and Superwall on top of App Store / Play products, synced with your shared entitlements API.

Billing overview

How mobile billing connects stores, RevenueCat, and your backend.

Store configuration

Create products in App Store Connect and Google Play Console.

RevenueCat

Default IAP provider - entitlements, paywalls, and webhooks.

Superwall

Remote paywalls and experiments without shipping a new binary.

Billing webhooks

Keep server-side plan state in sync with purchase events.

Feature-based access

Gate screens and quotas by plan on the client and API.

Push notifications

Requires a Firebase project for Android FCM (and optionally Google Analytics).

Permissions & push tokens

Request permission, create Android channels, and obtain a device token.

Foreground & tap handling

Show banners while the app is open and react when users tap a notification.

Local & remote testing

Send a local test from settings, or paste the token into the push tool.

FCM & APNs credentials

Wire Android FCM and iOS APNs through EAS for production delivery.

Firebase project

Required for FCM on Android and optional Google Analytics.

Onboarding

First-run flow

Welcome → auth → setup steps → optional paywall → dashboard.

Soft & hard paywalls

Skippable paywall by default, or require a purchase before the product.

Marketing & ASO

Store listing tips, review readiness, and acquisition basics.

Publishing & updates

Publishing checklist

Everything to verify before you submit to Apple and Google.

iOS (App Store)

Certificates, profiles, TestFlight, and App Store submission.

Android (Play Store)

Signing, tracks, and Play Console submission.

Over-the-air updates

Push JS-only fixes instantly via EAS Update without a store review.

Multiple environments

Dev, staging, and production configs for Expo and EAS.

Organizations & API client

Shared multi-tenancy and a typed client - same contracts as web, wired for Expo.

Organizations

Multi-tenant orgs, membership, and active organization on mobile.

Invitations

Accept invites and join teams from the mobile app.

Roles & permissions

RBAC scoped to each organization.

API overview

How the mobile app talks to the shared serverless API.

Typesafe client

Fully typed API client for queries and mutations.

Database

Shared schema via the API - the client never talks to the DB directly.

AI

AI on mobile

Streaming chat and AI SDK patterns wired for Expo.

AI-assisted development

Rules and skills so AI editors follow Expo and monorepo conventions.

Customization & i18n

Styling & themes

Uniwind / Tailwind-on-RN, themes, and dark mode for the mobile UI.

Components

Shared and mobile-specific UI components (RN Reusables).

Internationalization

Device locale, RTL, language switching, and translated screens.

Add a package or app

Extend the monorepo with new packages or Expo apps.

Analytics & monitoring

Analytics overview

Session and event tracking on iOS and Android.

App Tracking Transparency

ATT permissions required before collecting analytics on iOS.

Event tracking

Custom events and user identification.

Monitoring

Crash reporting and performance with Sentry and PostHog.

Source maps

Upload Expo source maps for readable production stack traces.

Security, tests & recipes

Security overview

SecureStore sessions, secrets, billing trust, and API boundaries.

Security checklist

Ship-ready checks before you go to production.

Unit tests

Fast unit tests for hooks, utils, and components.

E2E tests (Maestro)

Device and simulator flows for critical mobile paths.

Build a feature

End-to-end pattern for shipping a new mobile feature.

Use like LEGO blocks

Keep the native pieces you need - push, IAP, onboarding - and drop the rest. The mobile app stays thin; the API and web kit remain the source of truth for accounts, orgs, and entitlements.

Scope of this documentation

Focus here is the Expo app: installation, native auth, store billing, push, publishing, and mobile UX. Shared backend topics (schema design, webhook providers, admin) are covered in depth in the web docs when they apply across platforms.

Enjoy!

Questions? Reach out at hello@turbostarter.dev.

Ship to the stores, iterate with OTA, and have fun! 🚀

Tech Stack

Explore the mobile stack behind TurboStarter: Expo, React Native, shared API client, auth, billing, and monorepo packages.

CLI

Create a new TurboStarter monorepo from the CLI with your preferred apps preconfigured. Fastest path from install to running Expo.

Extras

Launch resources beyond code: Discord, changelog, marketing tips, and workflows that help you ship your mobile SaaS faster.

FAQ

Answers to common TurboStarter mobile questions about Expo setup, auth, billing, publishing, and local development.