Building Mobile Apps with Claude Code

With React Native + Expo, you can build apps for both iOS and Android from a single codebase. Even without coding experience, you can build an app by conversing with Claude Code.

Why Expo?

One codebase for iOS and Android — No need to learn Swift or Kotlin separately
Instant preview with Expo Go — Just scan a QR code on your phone
No simulator required — No Xcode or Android Studio needed
Great with Claude Code — “Add a button that goes to the next screen” just works

Getting Started

1. Create a Project

Tell Claude Code:


"I want to build a [description] app with Expo. Set up the project."

2. Preview on Your Phone

Install Expo Go (iOS / Android )
Tell Claude Code “start the dev server”
Scan the QR code
The app runs on your device

3. Add Features Incrementally


"Add a login screen"
"Make the button navigate to a list screen"
"Add camera functionality to take and save photos"
"Make the design cleaner"

Build small, test often. Always verify Claude’s generated code on your device before moving to the next feature.

Example Prompts

Goal	Prompt
Navigation	”Create 3 screens (home, list, detail) with tab navigation”
Data storage	”Save input locally and restore on next launch”
API integration	”Fetch data from this API and display in a list”
Design	”Make it simpler and more modern”

Building with Swift / Xcode

For native iOS development:

Xcode — Install from Mac App Store (~15GB)
Apple ID — Personal Apple ID works (no developer enrollment needed)

Tell Claude Code “I want to build an iOS app with Swift” to get started.

Xcode 26.3 Agent Features

Xcode 26.3 (released February 2026) introduced built-in AI agent capabilities.

Anthropic’s Claude Agent and OpenAI’s Codex run directly within Xcode
Agents autonomously build, test, and capture previews
Can search Apple documentation and modify project settings
Open standard compliant — also works with Claude Code and other compatible tools

For Swift development, you now have two options: giving instructions through Claude Code, or using Xcode’s built-in agent features directly. See AI Coding Tools Comparison for details.