Getting started

Receive text, URLs, images, video, audio, and files shared into an Expo app.

Native module required

react-native-share-content does not work in Expo Go. Use a development build or a production build after running Expo prebuild.

Requirements

• Expo SDK 57
• React Native 0.86
• Android API 24 or newer
• iOS 16.4 or newer
• An Expo project with android.package and ios.bundleIdentifier
• Android and iOS only — web is not supported

Install

npx expo install react-native-share-content

Add the config plugin

Add platform identifiers and the package to your Expo configuration:

app.json

{
  "expo": {
    "scheme": "myapp",
    "ios": {
      "bundleIdentifier": "com.example.myapp"
    },
    "android": {
      "package": "com.example.myapp"
    },
    "plugins": [
      [
        "react-native-share-content",
        {
          "iosShareExtensionName": "ShareExtension",
          "iosOpenHostAppAfterShare": false
        }
      ]
    ]
  }
}

The plugin adds Android share intent filters and creates a native iOS Share Extension target. You do not manually copy native source files into your project.

Optional iOS return-to-host

On iOS, shares stay durable in the App Group queue even if the host app is not opened automatically. iosOpenHostAppAfterShare defaults to false. Set it to true and keep expo.scheme (or iosHostUrlScheme) only if you want a best-effort attempt to return to your app after sharing. Without it, the user stays in Photos/Safari until they switch apps manually. See Configuration and iOS.

Register a receiver

Register listeners early, then query pending payloads. Keep processing idempotent because a live event and a pending query can expose the same payload ID.

ShareReceiver.tsx

import ExpoShareContent, {
  type SharePayload,
} from 'react-native-share-content';
import { useEffect } from 'react';

export function ShareReceiver() {
  useEffect(() => {
    const processing = new Set<string>();

    const processShare = async (payload: SharePayload) => {
      if (processing.has(payload.id)) return;
      processing.add(payload.id);

      try {
        // Persist text or copy managed file:// items into permanent storage.
        await importShare(payload);

        // Remove the durable queue record only after the import succeeds.
        await ExpoShareContent.clearPendingSharesAsync([payload.id]);

        // Delete module-managed attachment directories when no longer needed.
        await ExpoShareContent.releaseSharedFilesAsync([payload.id]);
      } catch (error) {
        processing.delete(payload.id);
        console.error(error);
      }
    };

    const shareSubscription = ExpoShareContent.addShareListener((payload) => {
      void processShare(payload);
    });

    const errorSubscription = ExpoShareContent.addShareErrorListener(console.error);

    void ExpoShareContent.getPendingSharesAsync().then((payloads) => {
      for (const payload of payloads) void processShare(payload);
    });

    return () => {
      shareSubscription.remove();
      errorSubscription.remove();
    };
  }, []);

  return null;
}

importShare is application code, not an export from this package.

Generate native projects

npx expo prebuild --clean
npx expo run:ios
npx expo run:android

Re-run prebuild and rebuild the development client whenever plugin options change. Starting Metro alone cannot apply native project changes.

Verify the integration

1. Install the development build on a device or simulator.
2. Share text or a URL from another app.
3. Confirm the payload appears through the listener or pending query.
4. Test a cold start by force-closing the app before sharing.
5. Test attachments from Photos and Files on real devices before release.

Next, read Delivery and lifecycle before implementing permanent file retention.