@clerk/clerk-expo ExpoLinking native module not found.

[Zakisb]

Preliminary Checks

• I have reviewed the documentation: https://clerk.com/docs

• I have searched for existing issues: https://github.com/clerk/javascript/issues

• I have not already reached out to Clerk support via email or Discord (if you have, no need to open an issue here)

• This issue is not a question, general help request, or anything other than a bug report directly related to Clerk. Please ask questions in our Discord community: https://clerk.com/discord.

Reproduction

a simple expo demo app

Publishable key

pk_test_Y2FsbS1mZXJyZXQtNjkuY2xlcmsuYWNjb3VudHMuZGV2JA

Description

1. Had a working Expo app with @clerk/clerk-expo

2. Reinstalled node modules and cleaned project:

• Deleted node_modules
• Removed iOS/Android folders
• Deleted package-lock.json
• Ran clean install

3. After reinstall, expo-linking module is not found

4. After inspection, error seems to be caused by clerk-expo package

Expected behavior:

• Clerk should work normally after clean reinstall
• expo-linking should function properly

Actual behavior:

• Getting "native module not found" error for expo-linking
• Issue appeared after clean reinstall
• After debugging, the error appears to be caused by clerk

Screen.Recording.2024-11-24.at.3.34.11.PM.mp4

Environment

System:
    OS: macOS 14.0
    CPU: (10) arm64 Apple M1 Max
    Memory: 12.46 GB / 64.00 GB
    Shell: 5.9 - /bin/zsh
  Binaries:
    Node: 20.17.0 - ~/.nvm/versions/node/v20.17.0/bin/node
    Yarn: 1.22.22 - /opt/homebrew/bin/yarn
    npm: 10.8.2 - ~/.nvm/versions/node/v20.17.0/bin/npm
    pnpm: 9.12.3 - /opt/homebrew/bin/pnpm
    Watchman: 2024.11.18.00 - /opt/homebrew/bin/watchman
  Browsers:
    Brave Browser: 128.1.69.168
    Chrome: 131.0.6778.86
    Safari: 17.0
  npmPackages:
    @babel/core: ^7.25.2 => 7.26.0 
    @botpress/webchat: ^2.1.6 => 2.3.6 
    @clerk/clerk-expo: 2.2.30 => 2.2.30 
    @expo/config-plugins: ~8.0.0 => 8.0.11 
    @expo/metro-runtime: ~3.2.3 => 3.2.3 
    @expo/ngrok: ^4.1.0 => 4.1.3 
    @expo/prebuild-config: ^7.0.8 => 7.0.9 
    @expo/vector-icons: ^14.0.2 => 14.0.4 
    @gorhom/bottom-sheet: ^4.6.3 => 4.6.4 
    @hookform/resolvers: ^3.9.0 => 3.9.1 
    @kingstinct/react-native-healthkit: ^8.2.0 => 8.2.0 
    @radix-ui/react-label: ^2.0.2 => 2.1.0 
    @react-native-async-storage/async-storage: 1.23.1 => 1.23.1 
    @react-native-community/datetimepicker: 8.0.1 => 8.0.1 
    @react-native-masked-view/masked-view: 0.3.1 => 0.3.1 
    @react-navigation/native: ^6.0.2 => 6.1.18 
    @rn-primitives/dropdown-menu: ^1.0.3 => 1.1.0 
    @rn-primitives/progress: ^1.0.3 => 1.1.0 
    @rn-primitives/slot: ^1.0.3 => 1.1.0 
    @rn-primitives/tabs: ^1.0.3 => 1.1.0 
    @rn-primitives/types: ^1.0.3 => 1.1.0 
    @shopify/flash-list: 1.6.4 => 1.6.4 
    @shopify/react-native-skia: 1.2.3 => 1.2.3 
    @tanstack/react-query: ^5.40.1 => 5.61.3 
    @types/jest: ^29.5.12 => 29.5.14 
    @types/react: ~18.2.79 => 18.2.79 
    @types/react-native: ^0.72.8 => 0.72.8 
    @types/react-test-renderer: ^18.0.7 => 18.3.0 
    axios: ^0.27.2 => 0.27.2 
    babel-preset-expo: ^11.0.13 => 11.0.15 
    class-variance-authority: ^0.7.0 => 0.7.0 
    clsx: ^2.1.1 => 2.1.1 
    date-fns: ^3.6.0 => 3.6.0 
    expo: ^51.0.18 => 51.0.39 
    expo-av: ~14.0.6 => 14.0.7 
    expo-blur: ~13.0.2 => 13.0.2 
    expo-build-properties: ~0.12.4 => 0.12.5 
    expo-clipboard: ~6.0.3 => 6.0.3 
    expo-constants: ~16.0.2 => 16.0.2 
    expo-crypto: ~13.0.2 => 13.0.2 
    expo-dev-client: ~4.0.29 => 4.0.29 
    expo-file-system: ~17.0.1 => 17.0.1 
    expo-font: ~12.0.9 => 12.0.10 
    expo-health: ^0.0.0 => 0.0.0 
    expo-image-picker: ^15.0.7 => 15.0.7 
    expo-linear-gradient: ~13.0.2 => 13.0.2 
    expo-linking: ~6.3.1 => 6.3.1 
    expo-navigation-bar: ~3.0.7 => 3.0.7 
    expo-router: ~3.5.20 => 3.5.24 
    expo-secure-store: ~13.0.2 => 13.0.2 
    expo-sharing: ~12.0.1 => 12.0.1 
    expo-splash-screen: ~0.27.5 => 0.27.7 
    expo-status-bar: ~1.12.1 => 1.12.1 
    expo-system-ui: ~3.0.7 => 3.0.7 
    expo-updates: ~0.25.26 => 0.25.27 
    expo-video: ^1.1.10 => 1.2.7 
    expo-web-browser: ~13.0.3 => 13.0.3 
    groq-sdk: ^0.5.0 => 0.5.0 
    https-browserify: ^0.0.1 => 0.0.1 
    jest: ^29.4.0 => 29.7.0 
    jest-expo: 51.0.3 => 51.0.4 
    jwt-decode: ^4.0.0 => 4.0.0 
    lodash: ^4.17.21 => 4.17.21 
    lottie-react-native: 6.7.0 => 6.7.0 
    lucide-react-native: ^0.379.0 => 0.379.0 
    nanoid: ^5.0.7 => 5.0.8 
    nativewind: ^4.0.33 => 4.1.23 
    nodemon: ^3.1.1 => 3.1.7 
    patch-package: ^8.0.0 => 8.0.0 
    react: 18.2.0 => 18.2.0 
    react-dom: 18.2.0 => 18.2.0 
    react-hook-form: ^7.52.2 => 7.53.2 
    react-native: 0.74.5 => 0.74.5 
    react-native-animatable: ^1.4.0 => 1.4.0 
    react-native-calendars: ^1.1307.0 => 1.1307.0 
    react-native-chart-kit: ^6.12.0 => 6.12.0 
    react-native-color-matrix-image-filters: ^6.0.9 => 6.0.9 
    react-native-crypto: ^2.2.0 => 2.2.0 
    react-native-date-picker: ^5.0.4 => 5.0.7 
    react-native-element-dropdown: ^2.12.1 => 2.12.2 
    react-native-fetch-api: ^3.0.0 => 3.0.0 
    react-native-gesture-handler: ~2.16.1 => 2.16.2 
    react-native-health: ^1.1.0 => 1.19.0 
    react-native-polyfill-globals: ^3.1.0 => 3.1.0 
    react-native-randombytes: ^3.6.1 => 3.6.1 
    react-native-reanimated: ~3.10.1 => 3.10.1 
    react-native-reanimated-carousel: ^3.5.1 => 3.5.1 
    react-native-safe-area-context: 4.10.5 => 4.10.5 
    react-native-screens: 3.31.1 => 3.31.1 
    react-native-sse: ^1.2.1 => 1.2.1 
    react-native-svg: 15.2.0 => 15.2.0 
    react-native-svg-transformer: ^1.5.0 => 1.5.0 
    react-native-toast-message: ^2.2.1 => 2.2.1 
    react-native-web: ~0.19.10 => 0.19.13 
    react-native-webview: 13.8.6 => 13.8.6 
    react-test-renderer: 18.2.0 => 18.2.0 
    react-timer-hook: ^3.0.7 => 3.0.8 
    tailwind-merge: ^2.3.0 => 2.5.4 
    tailwindcss: ^3.3.2 => 3.4.15 
    tailwindcss-animate: ^1.0.7 => 1.0.7 
    typescript: ~5.3.3 => 5.3.3 
    url: ^0.10.3 => 0.10.3 
    use-debounce: ^10.0.4 => 10.0.4 
    uuid: ^10.0.0 => 10.0.0 
    victory-native: ^37.0.3-next.0 => 37.3.2 
    web-streams-polyfill: ^3.2.1 => 3.3.3 
    zod: ^3.23.8 => 3.23.8 
    zustand: ^4.5.4 => 4.5.5

[wobsoriano]

Hello! Can you try running npx expo-doctor and npx expo install --check and share any details you get if that's fine? Thank you!

[Zakisb]

@wobsoriano Hey, i finally fixed the issue. i posted on discord. i will answer here for anyone having this problem in the future.

the clerk expo version 2.2.30 was by default installing [email protected] , [email protected], @expo/[email protected] by default. these aren't compatible with expo sdk 51. i had to force clerk to use older versions for the linking to work.

If you're using SDK 51, do not install clerk-expo directly via npm without adding these to your package.json file

"overrides": {
    "@clerk/clerk-expo": {
      "expo-auth-session": "~5.5.2",
      "@expo/config-plugins": "~8.0.0",
      "expo-linking": "~6.3.1",
      "expo-constants": "~16.0.2"
    }
  },

Also run

npm i [email protected]

The reason being as i said is because expo-linking 7.0 version is not compatible with expo sdk 51. it will crash your app. and by default clerk uses expo-auth as dev dependency which uses expo-linking under the hood. You also it will install expo config plugins 9 which is the latest version.

Additional : If you're cloning the clerk-expo starter template from their repo, the reason it works is because the package-lock.json has expo-auth@5 and expo linking 6.3.1 installed. if you remove package-lock.json and node modules and re install again it won't work. Hope that helps

[wobsoriano]

Thanks @Zakisb! I've updated the quickstart by cleaning up the lockfile and reinstalling with the latest @clerk/clerk-expo. I can confirm the app throws that error.

Our package has a peer dependency of expo-auth-session >= 5, and npm installs version 6 by default (which is not supported by SDK 51). To fix this in your SDK 51 project, pin [email protected] in your dependencies for now.

We'll update our quickstart for SDK 52 🫡

Thank you!

[Zakisb]

You're welcome !