Expo SDK 56 cuts iOS compile time by 65%

Expo SDK 56 ships precompiled XCFramework binaries for more than 70 iOS packages, eliminating the need to recompile them on every clean build [Dev.to]. This update bundles React Native core, all Expo modules, and a curated set of third-party libraries as XCFrameworks distributed through npm [Expo Blog].

The update reduces compilation steps by 44% for React Native core, 10% for Expo modules, and 30% for selected third-party libraries, reaching a 65% overall reduction for larger projects. No manual migration is required; setting EXPO_USE_PRECOMPILED_MODULES=1 activates the new flow automatically.

This change matters because it speeds up local debugging and continuous-integration pipelines by reducing clean-build times from minutes to under a minute on typical Expo apps. It also forces the React Native community to migrate away from CocoaPods, which will become read-only in December 2026, toward Swift Package Manager compliance. Additionally, binary distribution removes variability caused by local header paths and compiler flags, reducing flaky builds and simplifying cache strategies [Dev.to].

The shift to Swift Package Manager aligns iOS native development with Apple’s preferred package system, making future platform features immediately accessible to Expo users [Expo Blog].