Reuse local EAS builds for nightly E2E

.github/actions/eas-local-build/action.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+---
+name: Local EAS Build
+description: Build an Expo app locally with a selected EAS profile.
+
+inputs:
+  platform:
+    description: EAS platform to build (ios or android)
+    required: true
+  profile:
+    description: EAS build profile
+    required: true
+  output:
+    description: Output path for the local build artifact
+    required: true
+  log-path:
+    description: Optional path to tee build output into
+    required: false
+    default: ""
+  bump-build-number:
+    description: Run the build through use-build-number-with-bump
+    required: false
+    default: "false"
+  sentry-auth-token:
+    description: Optional Sentry authentication token
+    required: false
+    default: ""
+  sentry-release:
+    description: Optional Sentry release
+    required: false
+    default: ""
+  sentry-dist:
+    description: Optional Sentry distribution
+    required: false
+    default: ""
+
+runs:
+  using: composite
+  steps:
+    - name: Build locally with EAS
+      shell: bash
+      env:
+        PLATFORM: ${{ inputs.platform }}
+        PROFILE: ${{ inputs.profile }}
+        OUTPUT: ${{ inputs.output }}
+        LOG_PATH: ${{ inputs.log-path }}
+        BUMP_BUILD_NUMBER: ${{ inputs.bump-build-number }}
+        SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN: ${{ inputs.sentry-auth-token }}
+        SENTRY_RELEASE: ${{ inputs.sentry-release }}
+        SENTRY_DIST: ${{ inputs.sentry-dist }}
+      run: |
+        set -o pipefail
+        build_command=(
+          pnpm eas build
+          --platform "$PLATFORM"
+          --profile "$PROFILE"
+          --local
+          --output "$OUTPUT"
+          --non-interactive
+        )
+
+        if [ -n "$LOG_PATH" ]; then
+          mkdir -p "$(dirname "$LOG_PATH")"
+          if [ "$BUMP_BUILD_NUMBER" = "true" ]; then
+            pnpm use-build-number-with-bump "${build_command[@]}" 2>&1 | tee "$LOG_PATH"
+          else
+            "${build_command[@]}" 2>&1 | tee "$LOG_PATH"
+          fi
+        elif [ "$BUMP_BUILD_NUMBER" = "true" ]; then
+          pnpm use-build-number-with-bump "${build_command[@]}"
+        else
+          "${build_command[@]}"
+        fi

.github/scripts/run-nightly-e2e.sh

@@ -142,32 +142,6 @@ if [[ "$platform" == "android" ]]; then
   adb -s "$device_id" reverse tcp:8081 tcp:8081
 fi
 
-phase "Building and installing the development client"
-if [[ "$platform" == "ios" ]]; then
-  # Passing --device makes this Expo version merge simulator and devicectl
-  # results. On Xcode 26.4, devicectl can misclassify the simulator as a
-  # physical device and incorrectly require signing. Exactly one simulator is
-  # booted above, so Expo's default simulator-only resolver selects it.
-  echo "Building for already booted iOS simulator $device_id"
-  EXPO_PUBLIC_ENV=e2e \
-    NODE_ENV=test \
-    RN_SRC_EXT=e2e.ts,e2e.tsx \
-    pnpm exec expo run:ios --no-bundler \
-    2>&1 | tee "$artifact_dir/build.log"
-else
-  expo_device_name="$(adb -s "$device_id" emu avd name | sed -n '1p' | tr -d '\r')"
-  if [[ -z "$expo_device_name" ]]; then
-    echo "Could not resolve the AVD name for $device_id" >&2
-    exit 1
-  fi
-  echo "Building for Android AVD $expo_device_name ($device_id)"
-  EXPO_PUBLIC_ENV=e2e \
-    NODE_ENV=test \
-    RN_SRC_EXT=e2e.ts,e2e.tsx \
-    pnpm exec expo run:android --device "$expo_device_name" --no-bundler \
-    2>&1 | tee "$artifact_dir/build.log"
-fi
-
 phase "Running Maestro flows"
 set +e
 maestro test \

.github/workflows/build-submit-android.yml

@@ -108,16 +108,15 @@ jobs:
           google-services-token: ${{ secrets.GOOGLE_SERVICES_TOKEN }}
 
       - name: 🏗️ EAS Build
-        env:
-          PROFILE: ${{ inputs.profile || 'testflight-android' }}
-        run: >
-          SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN=${{ secrets.SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN }}
-          SENTRY_RELEASE=${{ steps.env.outputs.release-version }}
-          SENTRY_DIST=${{ steps.env.outputs.bundle-identifier }}
-          pnpm use-build-number-with-bump
-          pnpm eas build -p android
-          --profile $PROFILE
-          --local --output build.aab --non-interactive
+        uses: ./.github/actions/eas-local-build
+        with:
+          platform: android
+          profile: ${{ inputs.profile || 'testflight-android' }}
+          output: build.aab
+          bump-build-number: "true"
+          sentry-auth-token: ${{ secrets.SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN }}
+          sentry-release: ${{ steps.env.outputs.release-version }}
+          sentry-dist: ${{ steps.env.outputs.bundle-identifier }}
 
       - name: 📚 Get version from package.json
         id: get-build-info

.github/workflows/build-submit-ios.yml

@@ -129,16 +129,15 @@ jobs:
           google-services-token: ${{ secrets.GOOGLE_SERVICES_TOKEN }}
 
       - name: 🏗️ EAS Build
-        env:
-          PROFILE: ${{ inputs.profile || 'testflight' }}
-        run: >
-          SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN=${{ secrets.SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN }}
-          SENTRY_RELEASE=${{ steps.env.outputs.release-version }}
-          SENTRY_DIST=${{ steps.env.outputs.bundle-identifier }}
-          pnpm use-build-number-with-bump
-          pnpm eas build -p ios
-          --profile $PROFILE
-          --local --output build.tar.gz --non-interactive
+        uses: ./.github/actions/eas-local-build
+        with:
+          platform: ios
+          profile: ${{ inputs.profile || 'testflight' }}
+          output: build.tar.gz
+          bump-build-number: "true"
+          sentry-auth-token: ${{ secrets.SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN }}
+          sentry-release: ${{ steps.env.outputs.release-version }}
+          sentry-dist: ${{ steps.env.outputs.bundle-identifier }}
 
       - name: 📂 Extract build artifact
         run: |

.github/workflows/nightly-e2e.yml

@@ -117,6 +117,29 @@ jobs:
           xcrun simctl bootstatus "$udid" -b
           echo "Using $device_name on $runtime_name ($udid)"
 
+      - name: Mark iOS development client build phase
+        run: echo "Building the iOS development client" > artifacts/ios/phase.txt
+
+      - name: Build iOS development client
+        uses: ./.github/actions/eas-local-build
+        with:
+          platform: ios
+          profile: e2e
+          output: ${{ runner.temp }}/nightly-e2e-ios.tar.gz
+          log-path: artifacts/ios/build.log
+
+      - name: Install iOS development client
+        run: |
+          build_contents="$RUNNER_TEMP/nightly-e2e-ios-build"
+          mkdir -p "$build_contents"
+          tar -xzf "$RUNNER_TEMP/nightly-e2e-ios.tar.gz" -C "$build_contents"
+          app_path=$(find "$build_contents" -type d -name '*.app' -print -quit)
+          if [ -z "$app_path" ]; then
+            echo "The local EAS build did not contain an iOS simulator app" >&2
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          xcrun simctl install "$IOS_UDID" "$app_path" 2>&1 | tee -a artifacts/ios/build.log
+
       - name: Run iOS Maestro suite
         run: .github/scripts/run-nightly-e2e.sh ios "$IOS_UDID"
 
@@ -252,6 +275,22 @@ jobs:
           adb -s emulator-5554 shell settings put global transition_animation_scale 0
           adb -s emulator-5554 shell settings put global animator_duration_scale 0
 
+      - name: Mark Android development client build phase
+        run: echo "Building the Android development client" > artifacts/android/phase.txt
+
+      - name: Build Android development client
+        uses: ./.github/actions/eas-local-build
+        with:
+          platform: android
+          profile: e2e
+          output: ${{ runner.temp }}/nightly-e2e-android.apk
+          log-path: artifacts/android/build.log
+
+      - name: Install Android development client
+        run: |
+          adb -s emulator-5554 install -r "$RUNNER_TEMP/nightly-e2e-android.apk" \
+            2>&1 | tee -a artifacts/android/build.log
+
       - name: Run Android Maestro suite
         run: .github/scripts/run-nightly-e2e.sh android emulator-5554
 

__e2e__/setupApp.yml

@@ -19,13 +19,17 @@ appId: xyz.blueskyweb.app
     when:
       platform: Android
     commands:
-      - tapOn: 'http://localhost:8081'
+      - openLink: "exp+bluesky://expo-development-client/?url=http%3A%2F%2Flocalhost%3A8081"
       - runFlow:
           label: "Dismiss Expo dev menu"
           when:
             visible: "Continue"
           commands:
             - back
+- extendedWaitUntil:
+    visible:
+      id: e2eProxyHeaderInput
+    timeout: 60000
 - tapOn:
     id: e2eProxyHeaderInput
 - inputText: ${output.result}

docs/testing.md

@@ -42,6 +42,9 @@ used. iOS runs on `macos-26-xlarge` with Xcode 26.4. Android runs on
 `Linux-x64-32core`. Both use Java 17 and the Node and pnpm versions declared in
 `package.json`. The iOS job selects an iPhone 17 simulator running iOS 26.5;
 Android uses a Pixel 6 AVD with the API 35 Google APIs x86_64 image.
+Both development clients use the `e2e` EAS profile and the same reusable local
+EAS build action as the release build workflows; the resulting simulator app
+and APK are installed directly on the selected devices.
 
 The mock-server manager listens on host port 1986 and creates test services on
 port 3000. Metro listens on 8081. Android reverses ports 3000 and 8081 into the

eas.json

@@ -21,6 +21,17 @@
         "EXPO_PUBLIC_ENV": "production"
       }
     },
+    "e2e": {
+      "extends": "development",
+      "android": {
+        "buildType": "apk"
+      },
+      "env": {
+        "EXPO_PUBLIC_ENV": "e2e",
+        "NODE_ENV": "test",
+        "RN_SRC_EXT": "e2e.ts,e2e.tsx"
+      }
+    },
     "preview": {
       "extends": "base",
       "distribution": "internal",