Build a User Management App with Expo React Native

This tutorial demonstrates how to build a basic user management app. The app authenticates and identifies the user, stores their profile information in the database, and allows the user to log in, update their profile details, and upload a profile photo. The app uses:

Supabase Database - a Postgres database for storing your user data and Row Level Security so data is protected and users can only access their own information.
Supabase Auth - allow users to sign up and log in.
Supabase Storage - allow users to upload a profile photo.

Supabase User Management example

If you get stuck while working through this guide, refer to the full example on GitHub.

Project setup

Before you start building you need to set up the Database and API. You can do this by starting a new Project in Supabase and then creating a "schema" inside the database.

Create a project

Create a new project in the Supabase Dashboard.
Enter your project details.
Wait for the new database to launch.

Set up the database schema

Now set up the database schema. You can use the "User Management Starter" quickstart in the SQL Editor, or you can copy/paste the SQL from below and run it.

Go to the SQL Editor page in the Dashboard.
Click User Management Starter under the Community > Quickstarts tab.
Click Run.

You can pull the database schema down to your local project by running the db pull command. Read the local development docs for detailed instructions.

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supabase link --project-ref <project-id>
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# You can get <project-id> from your project's dashboard URL: https://supabase.com/dashboard/project/<project-id>
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supabase db pull

Get API details

Now that you've created some database tables, you are ready to insert data using the auto-generated API.

To do this, you need to get the Project URL and key. Get the URL from the API settings section of a project and the key from the the API Keys section of a project's Settings page.

Changes to API keys

Supabase is changing the way keys work to improve project security and developer experience. You can read the full announcement, but in the transition period, you can use both the current anon and service_role keys and the new publishable key with the form sb_publishable_xxx which will replace the older keys.

To get the key values, open the API Keys section of a project's Settings page and do the following:

For legacy keys, copy the anon key for client-side operations and the service_role key for server-side operations from the Legacy API Keys tab.
For new keys, open the API Keys tab, if you don't have a publishable key already, click Create new API Keys, and copy the value from the Publishable key section.

Building the app

Let's start building the React Native app from scratch.

Initialize a React Native app

We can use expo to initialize an app called expo-user-management:

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npx create-expo-app -t expo-template-blank-typescript expo-user-management
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cd expo-user-management

Then let's install the additional dependencies: supabase-js

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npx expo install @supabase/supabase-js @react-native-async-storage/async-storage @rneui/themed

Now let's create a helper file to initialize the Supabase client. We need the API URL and the key that you copied earlier. These variables are safe to expose in your Expo app since Supabase has Row Level Security enabled on your Database.

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import AsyncStorage from '@react-native-async-storage/async-storage'
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import { createClient } from '@supabase/supabase-js'
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const supabaseUrl = YOUR_REACT_NATIVE_SUPABASE_URL
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const supabasePublishableKey = YOUR_REACT_NATIVE_SUPABASE_PUBLISHABLE_KEY
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export const supabase = createClient(supabaseUrl, supabasePublishableKey, {
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  auth: {
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    storage: AsyncStorage,
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    autoRefreshToken: true,
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    persistSession: true,
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    detectSessionInUrl: false,
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  },
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})

Let's set up a React Native component to manage logins and sign ups. Users would be able to sign in with their email and password.

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import React, { useState } from 'react'
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import { Alert, StyleSheet, View, AppState } from 'react-native'
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import { supabase } from '../lib/supabase'
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import { Button, Input } from '@rneui/themed'
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// Tells Supabase Auth to continuously refresh the session automatically if
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// the app is in the foreground. When this is added, you will continue to receive
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// `onAuthStateChange` events with the `TOKEN_REFRESHED` or `SIGNED_OUT` event
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// if the user's session is terminated. This should only be registered once.
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AppState.addEventListener('change', (state) => {
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  if (state === 'active') {
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    supabase.auth.startAutoRefresh()
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  } else {
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    supabase.auth.stopAutoRefresh()
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  }
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})
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export default function Auth() {
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  const [email, setEmail] = useState('')
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  const [password, setPassword] = useState('')
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  const [loading, setLoading] = useState(false)
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  async function signInWithEmail() {
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    setLoading(true)
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    const { error } = await supabase.auth.signInWithPassword({
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      email: email,
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      password: password,
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    })
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    if (error) Alert.alert(error.message)
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    setLoading(false)
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  }
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  async function signUpWithEmail() {
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    setLoading(true)
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    const {
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      data: { session },
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      error,
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    } = await supabase.auth.signUp({
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      email: email,
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      password: password,
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    })
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    if (error) Alert.alert(error.message)
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    if (!session) Alert.alert('Please check your inbox for email verification!')
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    setLoading(false)
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  }
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  return (
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    <View style={styles.container}>
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      <View style={[styles.verticallySpaced, styles.mt20]}>
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        <Input
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          label="Email"
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          leftIcon={{ type: 'font-awesome', name: 'envelope' }}
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          onChangeText={(text) => setEmail(text)}
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          value={email}
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          placeholder="email@address.com"
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          autoCapitalize={'none'}
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        />
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      </View>
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      <View style={styles.verticallySpaced}>
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        <Input
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          label="Password"
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          leftIcon={{ type: 'font-awesome', name: 'lock' }}
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          onChangeText={(text) => setPassword(text)}
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          value={password}
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          secureTextEntry={true}
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          placeholder="Password"
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          autoCapitalize={'none'}
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        />
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      </View>
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      <View style={[styles.verticallySpaced, styles.mt20]}>
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        <Button title="Sign in" disabled={loading} onPress={() => signInWithEmail()} />
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      </View>
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      <View style={styles.verticallySpaced}>
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        <Button title="Sign up" disabled={loading} onPress={() => signUpWithEmail()} />
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      </View>
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    </View>
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  )
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}
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const styles = StyleSheet.create({
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  container: {
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    marginTop: 40,
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    padding: 12,
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  },
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  verticallySpaced: {
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    paddingTop: 4,
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    paddingBottom: 4,
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    alignSelf: 'stretch',
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  },
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  mt20: {
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    marginTop: 20,
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  },
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})

By default Supabase Auth requires email verification before a session is created for the users. To support email verification you need to implement deep link handling!

While testing, you can disable email confirmation in your project's email auth provider settings.

Account page

After a user is signed in we can allow them to edit their profile details and manage their account.

Let's create a new component for that called Account.tsx.

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import { useState, useEffect } from 'react'
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import { supabase } from '../lib/supabase'
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import { StyleSheet, View, Alert } from 'react-native'
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import { Button, Input } from '@rneui/themed'
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import { Session } from '@supabase/supabase-js'
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export default function Account({ session }: { session: Session }) {
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  const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true)
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  const [username, setUsername] = useState('')
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  const [website, setWebsite] = useState('')
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  const [avatarUrl, setAvatarUrl] = useState('')
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  useEffect(() => {
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    if (session) getProfile()
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  }, [session])
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  async function getProfile() {
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    try {
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      setLoading(true)
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      if (!session?.user) throw new Error('No user on the session!')
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      const { data, error, status } = await supabase
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        .from('profiles')
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        .select(`username, website, avatar_url`)
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        .eq('id', session?.user.id)
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        .single()
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      if (error && status !== 406) {
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        throw error
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      }
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      if (data) {
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        setUsername(data.username)
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        setWebsite(data.website)
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        setAvatarUrl(data.avatar_url)
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      }
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    } catch (error) {
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      if (error instanceof Error) {
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        Alert.alert(error.message)
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      }
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    } finally {
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      setLoading(false)
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    }
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  }
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  async function updateProfile({
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    username,
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    website,
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    avatar_url,
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  }: {
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    username: string
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    website: string
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    avatar_url: string
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  }) {
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    try {
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      setLoading(true)
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      if (!session?.user) throw new Error('No user on the session!')
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      const updates = {
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        id: session?.user.id,
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        username,
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        website,
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        avatar_url,
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        updated_at: new Date(),
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      }
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      const { error } = await supabase.from('profiles').upsert(updates)
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      if (error) {
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        throw error
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      }
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    } catch (error) {
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      if (error instanceof Error) {
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        Alert.alert(error.message)
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      }
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    } finally {
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      setLoading(false)
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    }
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  }
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  return (
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    <View style={styles.container}>
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      <View style={[styles.verticallySpaced, styles.mt20]}>
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        <Input label="Email" value={session?.user?.email} disabled />
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      </View>
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      <View style={styles.verticallySpaced}>
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        <Input label="Username" value={username || ''} onChangeText={(text) => setUsername(text)} />
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      </View>
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      <View style={styles.verticallySpaced}>
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        <Input label="Website" value={website || ''} onChangeText={(text) => setWebsite(text)} />
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      </View>
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      <View style={[styles.verticallySpaced, styles.mt20]}>
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        <Button
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          title={loading ? 'Loading ...' : 'Update'}
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          onPress={() => updateProfile({ username, website, avatar_url: avatarUrl })}
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          disabled={loading}
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        />
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      </View>
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      <View style={styles.verticallySpaced}>
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        <Button title="Sign Out" onPress={() => supabase.auth.signOut()} />
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      </View>
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    </View>
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  )
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}
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const styles = StyleSheet.create({
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  container: {
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    marginTop: 40,
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    padding: 12,
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  },
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  verticallySpaced: {
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    paddingTop: 4,
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    paddingBottom: 4,
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    alignSelf: 'stretch',
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  },
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  mt20: {
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    marginTop: 20,
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  },
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})

Launch!

Now that we have all the components in place, let's update App.tsx:

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import { useState, useEffect } from 'react'
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import { supabase } from './lib/supabase'
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import Auth from './components/Auth'
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import Account from './components/Account'
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import { View } from 'react-native'
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import { Session } from '@supabase/supabase-js'
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export default function App() {
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  const [session, setSession] = useState<Session | null>(null)
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  useEffect(() => {
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    supabase.auth.getSession().then(({ data: { session } }) => {
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      setSession(session)
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    })
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    supabase.auth.onAuthStateChange((_event, session) => {
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      setSession(session)
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    })
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  }, [])
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  return (
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    <View>
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      {session && session.user ? <Account key={session.user.id} session={session} /> : <Auth />}
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    </View>
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  )
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}

Once that's done, run this in a terminal window:

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npm start

And then press the appropriate key for the environment you want to test the app in and you should see the completed app.

Bonus: Profile photos

Every Supabase project is configured with Storage for managing large files like photos and videos.

Additional dependency installation

You will need an image picker that works on the environment you will build the project for, we will use expo-image-picker in this example.

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npx expo install expo-image-picker

Let's create an avatar for the user so that they can upload a profile photo. We can start by creating a new component:

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import { useState, useEffect } from 'react'
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import { supabase } from '../lib/supabase'
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import { StyleSheet, View, Alert, Image, Button } from 'react-native'
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import * as ImagePicker from 'expo-image-picker'
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interface Props {
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  size: number
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  url: string | null
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  onUpload: (filePath: string) => void
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}
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export default function Avatar({ url, size = 150, onUpload }: Props) {
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  const [uploading, setUploading] = useState(false)
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  const [avatarUrl, setAvatarUrl] = useState<string | null>(null)
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  const avatarSize = { height: size, width: size }
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  useEffect(() => {
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    if (url) downloadImage(url)
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  }, [url])
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  async function downloadImage(path: string) {
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    try {
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      const { data, error } = await supabase.storage.from('avatars').download(path)
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      if (error) {
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        throw error
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      }
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      const fr = new FileReader()
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      fr.readAsDataURL(data)
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      fr.onload = () => {
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        setAvatarUrl(fr.result as string)
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      }
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    } catch (error) {
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      if (error instanceof Error) {
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        console.log('Error downloading image: ', error.message)
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      }
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    }
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  }
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  async function uploadAvatar() {
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    try {
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      setUploading(true)
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      const result = await ImagePicker.launchImageLibraryAsync({
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        mediaTypes: ImagePicker.MediaTypeOptions.Images, // Restrict to only images
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        allowsMultipleSelection: false, // Can only select one image
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        allowsEditing: true, // Allows the user to crop / rotate their photo before uploading it
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        quality: 1,
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        exif: false, // We don't want nor need that data.
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      })
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      if (result.canceled || !result.assets || result.assets.length === 0) {
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        console.log('User cancelled image picker.')
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        return
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      }
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      const image = result.assets[0]
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      console.log('Got image', image)
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      if (!image.uri) {
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        throw new Error('No image uri!') // Realistically, this should never happen, but just in case...
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      }
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      const arraybuffer = await fetch(image.uri).then((res) => res.arrayBuffer())
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      const fileExt = image.uri?.split('.').pop()?.toLowerCase() ?? 'jpeg'
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      const path = `${Date.now()}.${fileExt}`
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      const { data, error: uploadError } = await supabase.storage
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        .from('avatars')
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        .upload(path, arraybuffer, {
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          contentType: image.mimeType ?? 'image/jpeg',
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        })
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      if (uploadError) {
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        throw uploadError
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      }
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      onUpload(data.path)
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    } catch (error) {
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      if (error instanceof Error) {
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        Alert.alert(error.message)
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      } else {
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        throw error
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      }
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    } finally {
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      setUploading(false)
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    }
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  }
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  return (
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    <View>
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      {avatarUrl ? (
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        <Image
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          source={{ uri: avatarUrl }}
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          accessibilityLabel="Avatar"
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          style={[avatarSize, styles.avatar, styles.image]}
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        />
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      ) : (
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        <View style={[avatarSize, styles.avatar, styles.noImage]} />
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      )}
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      <View>
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        <Button
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          title={uploading ? 'Uploading ...' : 'Upload'}
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          onPress={uploadAvatar}
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          disabled={uploading}
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        />
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      </View>
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    </View>
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  )
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}
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const styles = StyleSheet.create({
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  avatar: {
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    borderRadius: 5,
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    overflow: 'hidden',
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    maxWidth: '100%',
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  },
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  image: {
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    objectFit: 'cover',
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    paddingTop: 0,
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  },
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  noImage: {
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    backgroundColor: '#333',
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    borderWidth: 1,
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    borderStyle: 'solid',
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    borderColor: 'rgb(200, 200, 200)',
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    borderRadius: 5,
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  },
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})

And then we can add the widget to the Account page:

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// Import the new component
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import Avatar from './Avatar'
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// ...
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return (
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  <View>
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    {/* Add to the body */}
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    <View>
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      <Avatar
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        size={200}
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        url={avatarUrl}
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        onUpload={(url: string) => {
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          setAvatarUrl(url)
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          updateProfile({ username, website, avatar_url: url })
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        }}
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      />
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    </View>
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    {/* ... */}
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  </View>
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)
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// ...

Now you will need to run the prebuild command to get the application working on your chosen platform.

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npx expo prebuild

At this stage you have a fully functional application!

Build a User Management App with Expo React Native

Project setup

Create a project

Set up the database schema

Get API details

Changes to API keys

Building the app

Initialize a React Native app

Account page

Launch!

Bonus: Profile photos

Additional dependency installation

Create an upload widget

Add the new widget

Is this helpful?

Build a User Management App with Expo React Native

Project setup#

Create a project#

Set up the database schema#

Get API details#

Changes to API keys

Building the app#

Initialize a React Native app#

Set up a login component#

Account page#

Launch!#

Bonus: Profile photos#

Additional dependency installation#

Create an upload widget#

Add the new widget#

Is this helpful?

Project setup

Create a project

Set up the database schema

Get API details

Building the app

Initialize a React Native app

Set up a login component

Account page

Launch!

Bonus: Profile photos

Additional dependency installation

Create an upload widget

Add the new widget