Installation

Install @hotcodepush/react-native-code-push in one of three ways: let an AI agent do it, run npx hotcodepush init, or follow the steps by hand. You need a React Native app on the New Architecture, 0.82 or later (Supported versions), Node to build it and an app in the console.

AI-assisted setup (recommended)Copy Anchor Link

Install the HotCodePush skills:

npx skills add hotcodepush-team/skills

Then paste the prompt into your coding agent:

Set up HotCodePush in this project: install the skills with `npx skills add hotcodepush-team/skills`, then run the hotcodepush-init skill and the hotcodepush-release skill, following https://hotcodepush.com/docs/ai.

The agent installs the SDK, creates the app and ships a first update. Agent skills explains what the agent does.

Set up with the CLICopy Anchor Link

npx hotcodepush init

init installs the package, writes hotcodepush.json, edits both native hosts, wires the build step, runs pod install and signs you in. The init reference lists every step and the manual step it hands you when it cannot edit a file. Run it again after a manual step: it finishes only what is missing.

Manual setupCopy Anchor Link

If init already ran, skip to step 5.

1. Install the packageCopy Anchor Link

npm install @hotcodepush/react-native-code-push
npm install --save-dev hotcodepush

Use the package manager your lockfile names. The CLI is a dev dependency: the build step runs npx hotcodepush inside every native build. Then name the core's pod inside the app target of ios/Podfile, after use_native_modules!:

target 'YourApp' do
  config = use_native_modules!
  pod 'HotCodePushCore'
  # the rest of the target stays as it is
end

Install the pods:

cd ios && pod install

2. Add hotcodepush.jsonCopy Anchor Link

{
  "appId": "4f2b7c9e-8d31-4a6e-9b0f-2c5d7e8a1b34",
  "channel": "production"
}

appId is on the app's page in the console, and channel is the channel this build follows. Every other key has a default. Configuration lists them.

3. Point both hosts at the SDKCopy Anchor Link

React Native runs the bundle its host hands it, so each native app asks the SDK for it. The edits are one line in the Swift file that overrides bundleURL() and one import in MainApplication.kt. Without these edits a release build runs the embedded bundle and answers every cycle with skipped and build_debug. doctor's host check flags the missing line.

import com.hotcodepush.reactnative.HotCodePushReactHost.getDefaultReactHost

4. Wire the build stepCopy Anchor Link

The build step writes hotcodepush.json into the built app on every build and, in a store build, creates the binary. binary says what it writes and needs. A store build needs npx hotcodepush login or HOTCODEPUSH_TOKEN in the build's environment.

apply from: new File(["node", "--print", "require.resolve('@hotcodepush/react-native-code-push/package.json')"].execute(null, rootDir).text.trim(), "../android/hotcodepush.gradle")

apply(from = File(providers.exec { workingDir(rootDir); commandLine("node", "--print", "require.resolve('@hotcodepush/react-native-code-push/package.json')") }.standardOutput.asText.get().trim()).resolveSibling("android/hotcodepush.gradle"))

5. Build and verifyCopy Anchor Link

Build the app in a release configuration, run it and check the setup:

npx react-native run-ios --mode Release
npx react-native run-android --mode release
npx hotcodepush doctor

doctor reports each check as ok, skipped or failed, with the step that repairs a failure. doctor lists the checks.

6. Release a first updateCopy Anchor Link

Change something visible, then release it to the channel. release create bundles both platforms itself:

npx hotcodepush release create

The device applies the release at its next start. release has every option. If nothing happens, see Troubleshooting.

Platform notesCopy Anchor Link

• Debug builds ask Metro for their JavaScript, so they embed no bundle and take no updates, whatever isEnabledInDebugBuilds says. Every cycle answers skipped with build_debug. Test an update in a release build.
• Builds: a Release build from Xcode or run-ios writes the file and creates no binary, so its first update is the full pack. On iOS only Product › Archive creates the binary, while on Android every build type other than debug does, run-android --mode release included.
• Reloads: DevSettings.reload(), a restart library and a development reload serve the bundle the host already runs and apply nothing. A next_start release waits for the next process start or for applyUpdate().
• Android: the SDK's manifest declares INTERNET and ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE, nothing to add. An app that sets android:fullBackupContent or android:dataExtractionRules itself hits a manifest merger conflict. Keep your rules, add tools:replace for the attribute on <application>, and exclude hotcodepush/ under domain="file" in both <cloud-backup> and <device-transfer>.
• Privacy: the SDK ships its privacy manifest, nothing to add. Privacy and device data has the App Privacy answers.

Next stepsCopy Anchor Link

• Configuration lists every key of hotcodepush.json and the strategies that decide when an update is checked, downloaded and applied.
• API documents the methods, the events, useUpdates() and every status and reason a result carries.
• Ship every commit has the pipeline that builds, uploads and releases with HOTCODEPUSH_TOKEN.
• Sign your bundles sets up a key pair whose public key goes into hotcodepush.json, so a device refuses a bundle you did not sign.