Airdrop for React Native

SDK and CLI for Airdrop over-the-air updates.

Ship JavaScript and asset fixes to production in minutes, without waiting for App Store / Play Store review. Airdrop is a hosted service, delivered from Cloudflare's edge: request early access to get your app token.

Website & docs · Getting started · How it works

airdrop release --platform ios --message "Fix checkout button" --rollout 20

What's in this repository

| package | npm | what | |---|---|---| | packages/react-native | react-native-airdrop | the SDK: native update manager for iOS (Objective-C) and Android (Java) + JS API | | packages/cli | react-native-airdrop-cli | the airdrop CLI: bundle, sign, upload and manage releases | | packages/core | (bundled into the CLI) | wire protocol, request validation, signing message, rollout bucketing |

Why

• Pricing that scales. Free up to 10K monthly active users, then flat monthly plans. Pricing →
• Safe by default.
  • Automatic crash rollback: an update that crashes before the app renders is rolled back on the next launch and never installed again.
  • SHA-256 verification of every file, plus optional end-to-end code signing (ECDSA P-256) with the public key baked into the binary: not even Airdrop's servers can ship code to your users.
  • Runtime-version targeting: JS only reaches binaries with compatible native code; a new store build discards old OTA updates.
• Fast. Content-addressed files: devices download only what changed, gzip-compressed and edge-cached.
• Release controls. Channels, staged rollouts (1-100%), mandatory updates, instant rollback, promote between channels, install/rollback stats.
• Works with bare React Native 0.71 → 0.87+, old and new architecture, Hermes and JSC, iOS and Android. Bare React Native or Expo (config plugin: plugins: ["react-native-airdrop"]).

Native code (Swift/Kotlin, new native modules, permissions) can't be updated over the air on any platform: Apple and Google forbid downloading executable code. Airdrop keeps JS and native in sync with runtime versions instead. Details →

Quick start

1. Install the SDK

npm install react-native-airdrop
cd ios && pod install

2. Point your app at Airdrop (release builds only — debug keeps using Metro)

// iOS · AppDelegate.swift
import ReactNativeAirdrop

override func bundleURL() -> URL? {
#if DEBUG
  RCTBundleURLProvider.sharedSettings().jsBundleURL(forBundleRoot: "index")
#else
  RNAirdrop.bundleURL()
#endif
}

// Android · MainApplication.kt
import com.rnairdrop.Airdrop

override val reactHost: ReactHost by lazy {
  getDefaultReactHost(
    context = applicationContext,
    packageList = PackageList(this).packages,
    jsBundleFilePath = Airdrop.getJSBundleFile(applicationContext),
  )
}

Add AirdropServerURL / AirdropAppId to Info.plist and airdrop_server_url / airdrop_app_id to strings.xml (airdrop init prints the exact values).

3. Wrap your root component

import { withAirdrop } from "react-native-airdrop";

export default withAirdrop(App); // checks on launch, applies on next restart

4. Release

npm install -g react-native-airdrop-cli
airdrop login --token <your-app-token>   # from your early-access email
airdrop init --sign                      # links your app, generates a signing key
airdrop release --platform android --private-key airdrop-private-key.pem

Full guide, including older React Native versions: Getting started.

Managing releases

airdrop updates list                         # history with installs & rollbacks
airdrop release -p ios --rollout 10          # staged rollout
airdrop rollout <updateId> 100               # widen it
airdrop rollback <updateId>                  # pull a bad update; devices fall back automatically
airdrop promote <updateId> --to production   # staging → production (signature stays valid)

Development

pnpm install
pnpm typecheck
pnpm test
pnpm build

Android update-manager unit tests run on a plain JVM (no Gradle), see .github/workflows/ci.yml.

Contributing

Issues and pull requests are welcome. See CONTRIBUTING.md.

License

MIT