--- title: "Expo Router Navigation: review, setup & limitations · Undominated.ai" canonical: https://undominated.ai/skills/expo-expo-router/ description: "File-based routing for Expo Router apps: route groups, NativeTabs, native stacks, headers and search bars, modals and form sheets, with SDK-version-aware option names." --- # Expo Router Navigation: review, setup & limitations · Undominated.ai > File-based routing for Expo Router apps: route groups, NativeTabs, native stacks, headers and search bars, modals and form sheets, with SDK-version-aware option names. [← Explore all skills](/skills/) MOBILE DEVELOPMENT / Expo # Expo Router Navigation File-based routing for Expo Router apps: route groups, NativeTabs, native stacks, headers and search bars, modals and form sheets, with SDK-version-aware option names. [See setup guidance ↓](#setup)[Original source ↗](https://github.com/expo/skills/tree/d4f484024fec15196bfd3c272e953e3f983972cf/plugins/expo/skills/expo-router) SOURCE REVIEW Reviewed 2026-10-07 Evidence 6 linked sources Publisher Expo Licence [MIT ↗](https://github.com/expo/skills/blob/d4f484024fec15196bfd3c272e953e3f983972cf/LICENSE) Revision d4f484024fec [Read what was—and wasn’t—checked ↓](#review) “Navigation and routing for Expo Router. Covers file-based routes, groups and dynamic routes, folder organization, Link with previews and context menus, native Stack, page titles, modals and form sheets, NativeTabs, headers and toolbars, and header search bars.” [Expo · upstream description ↗](https://github.com/expo/skills/blob/d4f484024fec15196bfd3c272e953e3f983972cf/plugins/expo/skills/expo-router/SKILL.md) Our analysis follows below. 01 / THE REASONING ## Why this made the selection. - Version-aware guidance throughout: headerLargeTitleEnabled for SDK 56+ versus the deprecated headerLargeTitle, and expo-router/react-navigation instead of direct react-navigation imports. - Structural discipline is explicit rather than implied: routes belong in app with no co-located components, kebab-case files, old route files removed on moves, and stacks defined in _layout files. ### A good fit for - Adding tab, stack, modal or form-sheet navigation to an Expo app - Migrating JavaScript tabs to NativeTabs on current SDKs ### Weigh up before choosing - Several flagship patterns are iOS-gated (header search bar iOS only, Apple Zoom iOS 18+, liquid-glass sheet styling iOS 26+); Android equivalents need separate verification. - The NativeTabs example imports from unstable-native-tabs, so this skill must be re-checked against the Expo changelog as the API stabilizes. 02 / THE REVIEW RECORD ## What we actually inspected. Source review has boundaries. A clear record is more useful than a “safe” badge. ### Material inspected - plugins/expo/skills/expo-router/SKILL.md - plugins/expo/skills/expo-router/references/route-structure.md - LICENSE ### Our findings - The skill prefers expo-router semantic Color over raw PlatformColor and Stack.SearchBar over custom search UI. - The route-structure reference keeps the single-responsibility rule that the app directory holds routes only. - A feedback loop (submit-expo-feedback command and expo-skill-feedback skill) is built into the skill for reporting stale guidance. ### Not established by this review - No Expo Router app was scaffolded or run with this skill. - NativeTabs, form sheets and search-bar behavior were not exercised on a device or simulator. The review applies to the material and revision named here. A newer upstream release can change its behavior. 03 / PUT IT TO WORK ## Add a skill to your workflow. [Upstream setup instructions ↗](https://github.com/vercel-labs/skills/blob/7407f3893ad4dceab546ac002c3ef806e4000c73/README.md) DOCUMENTED COMMAND npx skills add https://github.com/expo/skills/tree/d4f484024fec15196bfd3c272e953e3f983972cf/plugins/expo/skills/expo-router --skill expo-router Copy command ↗ Copying does not execute this command. It may retrieve a newer version than the reviewed source. - Install the complete skill directory with its references; a copied SKILL.md alone loses the tabs, headers, search and form-sheet references. - Choose the intended agent and project scope in the installer, then review its permissions before using the skill. ### Before you start - Node.js/npm for this installer - An agent that supports the Agent Skills format - An Expo Router project, ideally on a recent SDK for the version-gated options ### Compatibility Agent Skills-compatible coding agents · Expo Router projects on recent Expo SDKs ### Project source reads and route-file edits - Read the app directory, layouts and navigation configuration - Create, move and delete route and layout files when authorized - Restructuring navigation can break deep links; verify by running the app ### Cost model The instruction package is MIT-licensed; agent usage and store or hosting fees have their own costs. 04 / FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE ## The source trail. Our notes are separate from the original resource. Check upstream before adopting a new version. - [Skill definition at reviewed revision ↗](https://github.com/expo/skills/blob/d4f484024fec15196bfd3c272e953e3f983972cf/plugins/expo/skills/expo-router/SKILL.md) Checked 2026-10-07 https://github.com/expo/skills/blob/d4f484024fec15196bfd3c272e953e3f983972cf/plugins/expo/skills/expo-router/SKILL.md Supports: summary, upstreamDescription, whySelected, bestFor, limitations, review, compatibility, access - [Reviewed reference or helper: references/route-structure.md ↗](https://github.com/expo/skills/blob/d4f484024fec15196bfd3c272e953e3f983972cf/plugins/expo/skills/expo-router/references/route-structure.md) Checked 2026-10-07 https://github.com/expo/skills/blob/d4f484024fec15196bfd3c272e953e3f983972cf/plugins/expo/skills/expo-router/references/route-structure.md Supports: review, whySelected - [Upstream license or licensing declaration ↗](https://github.com/expo/skills/blob/d4f484024fec15196bfd3c272e953e3f983972cf/LICENSE) Checked 2026-10-07 https://github.com/expo/skills/blob/d4f484024fec15196bfd3c272e953e3f983972cf/LICENSE Supports: license - [Publisher installation and project documentation ↗](https://github.com/expo/skills/blob/d4f484024fec15196bfd3c272e953e3f983972cf/README.md) Checked 2026-10-07 https://github.com/expo/skills/blob/d4f484024fec15196bfd3c272e953e3f983972cf/README.md Supports: install, compatibility, access - [Skills installer source formats and selective installation ↗](https://github.com/vercel-labs/skills/blob/7407f3893ad4dceab546ac002c3ef806e4000c73/README.md) Checked 2026-10-07 https://github.com/vercel-labs/skills/blob/7407f3893ad4dceab546ac002c3ef806e4000c73/README.md Supports: install - [Installer implementation: full commit SHA fallback ↗](https://github.com/vercel-labs/skills/blob/7407f3893ad4dceab546ac002c3ef806e4000c73/src/git.ts) Checked 2026-10-07 https://github.com/vercel-labs/skills/blob/7407f3893ad4dceab546ac002c3ef806e4000c73/src/git.ts Supports: install KEEP COMPARING ## Other approaches to consider. Related by category or shared topics. These are alternatives to inspect, not a measured quality order. [### Expo Design System ↗ Builds a token theme (color, spacing, typography, radius, shadow, motion) plus variant/size/state component conventions inside an Expo app, with grep-based drift audits and a named gallery of AI-generated-looking anti-patterns.](/skills/expo-expo-design-system/)[### Expo Web to Native Migration ↗ Migrates a web React codebase to a native Expo app screen by screen: native shell first, whole web UI shippable in DOM components on day one, then strangler-order nativization with device verification.](/skills/expo-expo-web-to-native/)[### Vercel React Native Skills ↗ Provides React Native and Expo patterns for scrolling, animations, native navigation and dependency layout.](/skills/vercel-labs-react-native-skills/) [AI Tools ↗](/tools/)[Skills ↗](/skills/)[Agents ↗](/agents/)[MCP Servers ↗](/mcp-servers/)[Workflows ↗](/workflows/) ## Continue your investigation - [Choose a toolkit](/tools/) - [Inspect execution hosts](/agents/) - [Check tool access](/mcp-servers/) - [Check project dependencies](/check-repo/)