You have Expo Go installed on your mobile device, and you just ran yarn install && yarn start in our repository. A QR code pops up in your terminal. What to do now?

Note: Easiest to hardest. Try them in order.

Option 1: Your devices are connected to the same network

If both of your devices are connected to the same network (eduroam is weird with this), it should just work™️. Scan the QR code. If it doesn’t connect and the IP address on your phone matches the one printed out in the terminal (right below the QR code), then move on to the next option.

Option 2: Mobile device hotspot

Note: we take no responsibility for any data uses or phone plan charges this method incurs. If you are worried about those, or your phone/plan does not allow you to hotspot, then move on the next option.

  1. Start a hotspot on your phone
  2. Connect your laptop to your phone’s hotspot
  3. Scan the QR code
  4. should connect, otherwise move onto next option

Option 3: Tailscale

Tailscale is a VPN service, but rather than providing a server through which your traffic is routed, it connects two of your own devices together. It is free to use.

To establish a VPN connection between your two devices:

  1. Create a Tailscale account by clicking “Get Started” on the homepage
  2. Install the Tailsale app on both your laptop and mobile device
  3. Sign in to the Tailscale app on both devices on the same account

To route the Expo Go connection through Tailscale

  1. Run yarn start on your laptop
  2. Do not scan the QR code. Instead, note the URL printed below the QR code. For example exp://192.168.0.1:8081.
  3. Replace the IP address in this URL (in the example 192.168.0.1) with the Tailscale address of your device
    1. Go to either Tailscale app and look at the list of devices. They will automatically be named after the hostname of the devices, but might modify them slightly (example: replacing spaces with underscores, etc.).
    2. You can use this name as a replacement for an IP address. For instance, if your laptop’s name is maple, then the URL would become exp://maple:8081.
  4. Type this new URL into the browser on your mobile device and then it will redirect you to the Expo Go app.