Does Expo Go have an MCP?
Short answer: Expo Go itself, no. Expo the company, yes — there's an official Expo MCP server, and it's genuinely useful. But it connects your agent to Expo's project services, not to a phone it can run your app on. Those are different tools for different jobs, and this page separates them honestly — including the part where the answer is "use theirs."
Try it with a live device
PreviewAPK is in private beta. Get early access to test your own builds.
What Expo's MCP server actually does
Per Expo's own MCP documentation, the official server:
- Teaches: fetches current Expo SDK documentation into your agent's context on demand.
- Manages the project: installs recommended, version-matched packages (
npx expo install) and configures the app. - Runs the pipeline: triggers and monitors EAS builds and workflows, and pulls TestFlight crash reports and feedback.
- Verifies locally: with the
expo-mcppackage added to your project, a multimodal agent can screenshot and interact with your running app — in a simulator, on your machine, against your local dev server.
If you build with Expo, install it — the docs and build tooling alone are worth it, and it's free (with monthly MCP usage limits on the free plan). Nothing below argues otherwise.
What it doesn't give your agent
A phone of its own
The testing loop runs through your computer: your dev server, your simulator, your laptop staying awake. Close the lid and the agent is blind again. There's no cloud device the agent owns, no session that exists independently of your machine.
Any app that isn't an Expo project
The whole stack assumes Expo: the SDK, Metro, EAS. A Flutter APK, a native build, a development build someone hands you as a file — none of it fits.
A human handoff
When the agent finishes on your simulator, there's nothing for you to open. No live session in a portal, no "take the wheel," no link a teammate or client can watch. The verification evaporates.
PreviewAPK's MCP: a phone, not a project tool
PreviewAPK's MCP server does one job: it hands your agent a cloud phone. Twenty-seven tools cover the whole loop — list and select a device, push an APK, start the session, tap and swipe and type, read screenshots, read the UI hierarchy, read the app's logs, hand the session to the human, stop. The device runs any APK, stays available when your laptop is closed, and the same session opens in your portal when the agent says "tested it — take a look."
| Expo MCP server | PreviewAPK MCP | |
|---|---|---|
| Connects the agent to | Expo docs, project, and EAS | A cloud Android phone |
| App interaction | Your local simulator + dev server | Cloud device sessions |
| Works with | Expo projects | Any APK, any framework |
| Needs your computer on | Yes, for testing | No |
| Human can watch / take over | No | Yes — same session, in the portal |
They also compose: plenty of Expo teams will run Expo's MCP for the build side and PreviewAPK for the device side. The agent testing page shows the full loop, and the MCP docs list every tool. And if your real question was whether your agent can have what Expo Go gives you — that page is Expo Go for agents.
FAQ
Does Expo Go have an MCP server?
No. Expo Go is the app that runs on your phone; it has no MCP surface. Expo the company does publish an official MCP server — it gives AI tools access to Expo documentation, dependency management, EAS builds and workflows, and TestFlight crash data. Those are project services, not a device.
Can Expo's MCP server run my app so an agent can test it?
Locally, in part: with the expo-mcp package added to your project, your dev server running, and a simulator on your own machine, an agent can screenshot and tap through the app. The loop lives and dies with your computer — and it only covers Expo projects.
How can an agent test an Expo app without my computer?
Build the APK (EAS or local, development builds included) and push it to PreviewAPK. The agent gets a cloud phone with an MCP server of its own: 27 tools to select the device, push, start, drive, screenshot, read the UI hierarchy and the logs, and hand the session to you.
Does PreviewAPK's MCP work with Claude Code and Cursor?
Yes. It's a standard stdio MCP server — one file, configured the same way as other local MCP servers. The full tool list and setup are in the MCP documentation at /docs/mcp/.