Creating a React Native Desktop App with Expo, Tauri, and Supabase

A step-by-step guide to integrate Expo, Tauri, and connect to Supabase

Key Highlights

Setting up a unified development environment: Learn to create a React Native project with Expo and seamlessly integrate Tauri for desktop app functionality.
Configuring Tauri for cross-platform use: Discover how to enable Tauri to handle web bundling, configure project directories, and update configuration files.
Integrating Supabase backend: Step-by-step instructions on installing, initializing, and applying Supabase in your React Native project for authentication and database operations.

Setting Up Your Development Environment

The first step is to configure your development environment. You need Node.js, Expo CLI, and Tauri CLI properly installed. This foundation supports both mobile and desktop builds.

1. Installing Node.js and Expo CLI

Download and install the latest version of Node.js from the official website ( Node.js Official Site). After installing Node.js, open your terminal and run:


// Install Expo CLI globally
npm install -g expo-cli

Expo CLI simplifies creating and managing React Native projects for both mobile and web, making it an ideal starting point for our desktop app.

2. Creating a New Expo Project

With Expo CLI installed, initiate a new project:


// Create a new Expo project named MyDesktopApp
npx create-expo-app MyDesktopApp
cd MyDesktopApp

This command sets up the project’s basic structure, supporting both mobile and web using React Native.

Integrating Tauri for Desktop Application

Tauri allows you to package your web app as a native desktop application. It leverages your existing Expo project and uses technologies like Webpack to build and bundle your application.

1. Installing Tauri CLI

To prepare your project for Tauri, first ensure you have Rust and Cargo installed. Then, in your terminal, run:


// Install Tauri CLI globally
npm install -g @tauri-apps/cli

Tauri CLI is essential for building native desktop packages using your React Native project.

2. Initializing Tauri in the Expo Project

Navigate into your project directory and initialize Tauri:


// Initialize Tauri in your current Expo project
npx tauri init

This command creates a src-tauri directory containing all necessary configuration files to package your app for desktop use.

3. Configuring Tauri

Open the src-tauri/tauri.conf.json file and customize settings such as the product name, version, and window configurations. Here is a basic example:

{
  "package": {
    "productName": "MyDesktopApp",
    "version": "1.0.0"
  },
  "tauri": {
    "allowlist": {
      "all": true
    },
    "windows": [
      {
        "title": "My Desktop App",
        "width": 800,
        "height": 600
      }
    ]
  }
}

Adjust the configuration based on your application’s design and functionality requirements.

4. Updating Project Scripts and Directory Structure

For an efficient monorepo or multi-app structure, use Yarn Workspaces to separate shared logic, UI, and platform-specific code. Update your package.json to include scripts relevant to both Expo and Tauri:

{
  "scripts": {
    "start": "expo start",
    "web": "expo start --web",
    "build": "expo build",
    "tauri": "tauri dev",
    "tauri:build": "tauri build"
  }
}

This configuration allows you to smoothly run and build your project across mobile, web, and desktop.

5. Building and Running the Desktop App with Tauri

With everything in place, you can now build and test your desktop application. First, ensure your Expo project is running for web bundling:


// Start Expo in web mode
npm run web

In another terminal, start the Tauri development environment:


// Run Tauri in development mode
npm run tauri

Once satisfied with your web bundle, build the desktop app for production:


// Build the desktop application
npm run tauri:build

Tauri compiles everything into a native package, allowing your React Native application to run as a desktop application.

Integrating Supabase for Remote Backend Connectivity

Supabase is an open-source backend-as-a-service (BaaS) that simplifies managing user authentication, databases, and real-time subscriptions. Integrating Supabase with your Expo-based React Native project enables seamless interaction with a remote backend.

1. Creating a Supabase Project

Begin by registering at Supabase and creating a new project. In your Supabase dashboard, you will find essential API details like your project URL and anon/public API key. Save these details for later use.

2. Installing Supabase Dependencies

With your project set up, integrate the Supabase client into your React Native project by installing the required libraries. In your project folder, run:


// Install the Supabase JavaScript client and additional dependencies
npm install @supabase/supabase-js @react-native-async-storage/async-storage react-native-url-polyfill

These libraries allow the client to function properly in the React Native environment, handling authentication, data interactions, and offline support.

3. Initializing the Supabase Client

Create a dedicated file to initialize your Supabase client. In your project, create a file named supabaseClient.js (or supabase.ts if you are using TypeScript) with the following content:


// supabaseClient.js
import { createClient } from '@supabase/supabase-js';

// Replace with your actual Supabase URL and Anon Key
const SUPABASE_URL = 'https://your-supabase-url.supabase.co';
const SUPABASE_ANON_KEY = 'your-anon-key';

const supabase = createClient(SUPABASE_URL, SUPABASE_ANON_KEY);

export default supabase;

This file exports your Supabase client to be easily imported and used in various components across the app.

4. Using Supabase in React Native Components

Integrate Supabase into your React Native components to perform real-time data interactions. For instance, you can create a component that fetches and displays data from a Supabase table:


// ExampleComponent.js
import React, { useState, useEffect } from 'react';
import { View, Text } from 'react-native';
import supabase from './supabaseClient';

const ExampleComponent = () => {
  const [items, setItems] = useState([]);

  const fetchItems = async () => {
    const { data, error } = await supabase
      .from('your_table_name')
      .select('*');
    if (error) {
      console.error('Error fetching data:', error);
    } else {
      setItems(data);
    }
  };

  useEffect(() => {
    fetchItems();
  }, []);

  return (
    <View>
      {items.map(item => (
        <Text key={item.id}>{item.name}</Text>
      ))}
    </View>
  );
};

export default ExampleComponent;

This component demonstrates how to query your Supabase backend and render data dynamically.

5. Setting Up Authentication and Other Interactions

Supabase also handles authentication. Use the built-in methods provided by the Supabase client to enable user sign-up, sign-in, and sign-out. For example:


// Authentication Example
const signUpUser = async (email, password) => {
  const { user, error } = await supabase.auth.signUp({
    email,
    password
  });
  if (error) {
    console.error('Sign up error:', error);
  } else {
    console.log('User signed up:', user);
  }
};

Similarly, you can add functions for signing in, signing out, and managing user sessions.

Project Directory and Build Workflow

Organizing your project into a logical directory structure is key to managing shared resources, UI components, and platform-specific files. The following table summarizes the ideal structure:

Folder/File	Description
App.js	Main entry point for your React Native application.
supabaseClient.js	Initializes and exports the Supabase client for backend interactions.
src-tauri/	Contains configuration and scripts for the Tauri desktop build.
package.json	Holds project scripts including commands for Expo and Tauri builds.
components/	Directory for reusable React Native components (e.g., ExampleComponent.js).
assets/	Contains static assets like images and fonts.

This structure aids in efficiently managing your mobile, web, and desktop builds.

Additional Tips and Considerations

Security Considerations

When integrating Supabase, always ensure that your API keys and secrets remain secure. Use environment variables and secure storage solutions where possible, especially in production builds.

Development Workflow

Utilize a dual workflow by running the Expo server for rapid development and Tauri for desktop testing. This decoupled approach allows you to debug and iterate quickly on your React Native code while ensuring desktop compatibility.

Performance Optimization

Optimize both your web and desktop builds by leveraging production bundling options provided by Expo and Tauri. Also, periodically review your component performance and memory usage, especially when using features like real-time data subscriptions from Supabase.