Expo Go and React Native Web support for V6 and future

[BuildingFiles]

Is this related to a new or existing framework?

React Native, Web Components

Is this related to a new or existing API?

Both if by api you mean amplify-js as a whole

Is this related to another service?

Not outside of amplify

Describe the feature you'd like to request

I was told that this feature request had been created already by aws support. But I could not locate it. So I made one of my own.

According to recent conversations with support and the dev team in other tickets. Support for expo go, react-native web and expo web while it always has been and still is being maintained in Version 5. Will no longer be supported in Version 6 and newer.

Our production application runs primarily as a web app. We've spent many years developing and to it using react-native and expo on Amplify. We love using Amplify for this.

But I have been told that the reason support is being dropped for web is because it is "a lot of work". With no regard to how much work time and money it's going to cost us loyal customers of Amplify. Making us have to completely throw out the last 5 years of development for an entirely new web framework that you currently still support.

I respectfully request that you re include support for expo and react-native web and continue to include them as full stack options for Amplifys newest and future versions.

Describe the solution you'd like

Continued support for web in expo and react-native after version 5

Describe alternatives you've considered

I'm open to suggestion that don't require a complete rewrite of our application in another farmwork, so we can continue to offer our clients our web app.

Additional context

No response

Is this something that you'd be interested in working on?

• 👋 I may be able to implement this feature request
• ⚠️ This feature might incur a breaking change

[haverchuck]

@BuildingFiles We are reviewing this with the team. If needed, would you be available to meet with us?

[rayelward]

We have been holding back on updating from v5 amplify because of the lack of support in this area.

[BuildingFiles]

@BuildingFiles We are reviewing this with the team. If needed, would you be available to meet with us?

I am available if you need. I just got off a call with AWS support and some members of the development team as well.

[BuildingFiles]

We have been holding back on updating from v5 amplify because of the lack of support in this area.

( Had to edit this, thought you were a member of Amplifys dev team when I first read your post :) )

Its a good call it seems like at the moment upgrading to v6 will require a lot of editing for any existing application, and even after that's all said and done it may not work due to the web support issues on their end.

[Seano180]

Waiting for a defined clear path to implementing Gen 2 AWS Auth for React Native - current documentation is extremely poor and confusing and mixes between Gen 1 which makes it difficult to work out.

[HuiSF]

Hi @Seano180 are you planning to use React Native Web?

Regarding Gen1 vs Gen2 documentation - Amplify JS library works the same between Gen1 and Gen2, the setup and category APIs have the same specifications. Please feel free to open an issue at https://github.com/aws-amplify/docs for any documentation improvement suggestions.

[Seano180]

Hi @Seano180 are you planning to use React Native Web?

Regarding Gen1 vs Gen2 documentation - Amplify JS library works the same between Gen1 and Gen2, the setup and category APIs have the same specifications. Please feel free to open an issue at https://github.com/aws-amplify/docs for any documentation improvement suggestions.

We have followed the Gen2 Auth documentation and still getting errors - Console error highlighting that it cannot find our backend environment when using "amplify pull"

[HuiSF]

Hi @Seano180 Sorry about the confusion.

amplify pull is Amplify CLI - not the library

The original Amplify CLI and the new Gen2 experience are focusing on the steps of setting up your backend resources. The JS library works with both original Amplify CLI and the new Gen 2 experience, but you cannot mix-use Amplify CLI and Gen2.

For react-native - you can follow the Gen2 documentation to set up your backend resource. Then regarding how to use the library APIs to implement your react-native App you can follow the Gen1 doc.

In addition, if you are not planning to develop with React Native Web or Expo Web, please feel free to open a new issue if you need further assistance. Thanks!

[Seano180]

Hi @Seano180 Sorry about the confusion.

amplify pull is Amplify CLI - not the library

The original Amplify CLI and the new Gen2 experience are focusing on the steps of setting up your backend resources. The JS library works with both original Amplify CLI and the new Gen 2 experience, but you cannot mix-use Amplify CLI and Gen2.

For react-native - you can follow the Gen2 documentation to set up your backend resource. Then regarding how to use the library APIs to implement your react-native App you can follow the Gen1 doc.

In addition, if you are not planning to develop with React Native Web or Expo Web, please feel free to open a new issue if you need further assistance. Thanks!

I managed to connect my back-end successfully and wrote a blog post on how to do it for those who might have similar issues.

I highlight some parts that aren't on the AWS documentation. Feel free to take a look.

Link: https://sean-sheridan.gitbook.io/blog/react-native/react-native-aws-auth

Thanks
Sean

[steinybot]

Is there any update on this? I'm looking to start a new project, and I was hoping to use React Native for Web with Expo and Amplify. What is the recommended approach to have a multi-platform React app until this done?

[AllanZhengYP]

Hi @steinybot

We do not have update yet. Please refer this comment: #13918 (comment) for our support policy for React Native web. Don't hesitate to thumb up this feature request, it will help us prioritize the feature requests.

[Seano180]

Hi @steinybot

We do not have update yet. Please refer this comment: #13918 (comment) for our support policy for React Native web. Don't hesitate to thumb up this feature request, it will help us prioritize the feature requests.

It needs to be rectified ASAP because Amplify Gen 2 for React Native is basically unusable.

[BuildingFiles]

Hi @steinybot
We do not have update yet. Please refer this comment: #13918 (comment) for our support policy for React Native web. Don't hesitate to thumb up this feature request, it will help us prioritize the feature requests.

It needs to be rectified ASAP because Amplify Gen 2 for React Native is basically unusable.

Per my last conference call with Amplifies dev team. They assured me that they will be officially supporting react native - web with Gen 2 including all future versions and will maintain support for Gen 1. But no official time frame on when Gen 2 functionality will be added yet. Though they did assure me it would be, by the time Gen 1 support ends.

Currently they claim they support React-Native and Expo as Amplify always has. But for gen 2 you can't deploy to web using either, and if you want to deploy mobile apps you can't use expo go to do that now either. I'm sure there's other things not working as well. So they shadow dropped pretty much all support for expo, and more than half of react-natives functionality without so much as considering their paying users.

I strongly hope whoever was in charge of making these decisions has been transferred to the pet foods, or paper towels departments. Someplace far far away from anything programming related. They cut massive corners in development by flat out dropping support for the main usage of these libraries. Web + Native hardware!

[josefaidt]

Hey @BuildingFiles and folks in the thread 👋 we're actively investigating issues related to feature parity between v5 and v6 of the library, which indirectly includes identifying and closing gaps with Expo Go support. Please use this issue to continue to document specific areas of trouble with Expo Go and Amplify.

We appreciate the detailed feedback on this issue. While we're working to address the concerns, I'd like to kindly remind everyone to review our community guidelines. This helps us maintain constructive discussions that lead us to resolve issues effectively.