Can Atlas debug issues specific to `expo-router` file routes?

Yes, Atlas's `lsp` tool is designed to understand and navigate `expo-router` file routes within your `app/` directory, allowing it to trace call graphs and identify issues in your routing logic.

How does Atlas ensure code quality and formatting in Expo projects?

Atlas integrates with `prettier`, your project's formatter, to automatically format any code changes it proposes. Additionally, all edits are presented as unified diffs for your explicit approval, ensuring adherence to your team's standards.

Does Atlas modify `ios/` or `android/` directories directly in an Expo app?

No, Atlas adheres to Expo's best practices. When adding native capabilities, Atlas will ask to add a config plugin rather than directly editing `ios/` and `android/` directories, ensuring your `prebuild` remains reproducible.

How does Atlas handle package installations and dependencies in Expo?

Atlas uses `npx expo install` for package installations. This ensures that new packages are installed with versions pinned to your current SDK release, maintaining compatibility and stability within your Expo application.

What if Atlas's proposed fix spans multiple files or requires extensive changes in my Expo codebase?

For fixes that span several hunks or multiple files, Atlas uses its `apply_patch` tool. This allows for comprehensive, atomic changes to be proposed and reviewed as a single unified diff, preventing brittle chained `edit` operations.

Can Atlas use local AI models to keep my Expo code private?

Yes, Atlas can build its code index with local Ollama embeddings. This capability ensures that your sensitive Expo application code remains off third-party servers, enhancing privacy and security during the debugging process.

Debug a single failing test in Expo with Atlas in 2026

In 2026, Atlas empowers Expo developers to efficiently debug single failing tests by integrating directly with the Expo toolchain. Atlas uses its `bash` tool to run isolated `jest-expo` tests, its `lsp` tool to navigate `expo-router` file routes and call graphs, and its `edit` and `apply_patch` tools to propose code fixes, all while respecting your project's `prettier` configuration and requiring explicit approval for every change.

How to run a single failing test in Expo with Atlas?

In 2026, Atlas streamlines debugging in Expo by allowing you to run a single failing `jest-expo` test directly from your terminal. Atlas leverages its `bash` tool to execute the exact `npx jest-expo` command with the necessary filter flags, ensuring you focus on the 1 specific test that needs attention.

When a specific test fails in your Expo project, Atlas can isolate it for focused debugging. Instead of running the entire test suite, you instruct Atlas to use its `bash` tool to execute `npx jest-expo` with the `--testNamePattern` or `--testPathPattern` flag. For example, you might tell Atlas to `atlas bash "npx jest-expo --testNamePattern='should render user profile'"` to target a specific test. This command runs within a real shell environment, meaning all standard `jest-expo` debugging levers, such as verbose flags or specific environment variables, are fully available. Atlas reads the output of this command, including the assertion failure and any console logs, to understand the context of the failure before proceeding to analyze the code. This precise isolation is crucial for quickly identifying the root cause of issues in complex Expo applications.

How Atlas navigates Expo app code to find test failures?

Atlas navigates your Expo application's codebase to pinpoint the source of test failures using its `lsp` tool, which understands the project's structure, including `expo-router` file routes. By indexing code via AST declarations with tree-sitter, Atlas provides a precise understanding of your code's architecture in 2026, far beyond simple line windows.

Once a failing `jest-expo` test is identified, Atlas employs its `lsp` tool to explore the relevant code. Atlas does not rely on blind line windows; instead, it builds a comprehensive code index using AST declarations via tree-sitter. This allows Atlas to accurately perform `goToDefinition` and `findReferences` operations, tracing the call graph from the failing assertion back through the application logic. For Expo projects, this means Atlas understands `expo-router` file routes, correctly resolving imports and module boundaries within your `app/` directory. It can navigate through your components, hooks, and utility functions, even those defined in `app.json` or `app.config.ts` via config plugins, to identify the exact piece of production code responsible for the test's unexpected behavior. This deep understanding of the code's structure is fundamental to forming an accurate hypothesis about the bug.

How Atlas fixes Expo code and applies changes safely?

Atlas fixes production code in Expo applications using its `edit` and `apply_patch` tools, ensuring every change is transparent and approved. Before writing, Atlas computes a unified diff for every file edit and surfaces it for your approval, providing a robust safety mechanism for your 2026 codebase.

After forming a hypothesis about the failing test, Atlas proceeds to fix the production code. For minor, localized changes, Atlas uses its `edit` tool to modify specific lines or blocks of code. If the required fix spans multiple hunks or involves more extensive refactoring across several files, Atlas utilizes `apply_patch` to ensure a coherent and atomic change. Crucially, every proposed edit, whether from `edit` or `apply_patch`, is presented as a unified diff for your review and explicit approval. This permission-gated approach means Atlas never writes to your files without your consent. Furthermore, Atlas can automatically format the proposed changes using `prettier`, ensuring that any code modifications adhere to your project's established style guidelines before they are committed. This process maintains code quality and consistency within your Expo project.

How to verify and review Atlas's code fixes in Expo?

Verifying Atlas's code fixes in Expo involves re-running the single failing `jest-expo` test, then the full suite, and removing any temporary logging. Atlas integrates with your git workflow, allowing you to review unified diffs, stage changes, and create commits on your behalf, ensuring a robust review process for your 2026 project.

Once Atlas has applied a fix, the next critical step is verification. Atlas will first re-run the single `jest-expo` test that was previously failing to confirm the specific issue is resolved. If temporary logging was added during the debugging process, Atlas will then remove it. Following this, Atlas can run the full `jest-expo` test suite to ensure no regressions were introduced. All file changes, including the fix and any cleanup, are presented as unified diffs for your final approval. Atlas can also integrate with your version control system, reading git branches, status, and diffs, and can stage and create commits on your behalf. This comprehensive review and verification process, combined with Atlas's ability to apply `prettier` formatting, ensures that the code fix is not only effective but also maintains the overall health and quality of your Expo application.

Step by step

01Initiate Atlas in your Expo project and instruct it to run the specific failing `jest-expo` test using `atlas bash "npx jest-expo --testNamePattern='YourFailingTestName'"`.
02Utilize Atlas's `lsp` tool to trace the call graph from the failing assertion through your `expo-router` file routes and application logic, identifying the relevant production code.
03Form a hypothesis about the bug and, if necessary, add temporary logging to the Expo code using `atlas edit` to confirm your theory, re-running the test with `bash`.
04Fix the production code responsible for the failure using `atlas edit` for small changes or `atlas apply_patch` for multi-hunk modifications, ensuring the fix addresses the root cause.
05Re-run the single `jest-expo` test with `atlas bash` to confirm the fix, then run the full `jest-expo` test suite to check for any regressions.
06Instruct Atlas to remove any temporary logging added during debugging and apply `prettier` formatting to all modified files before final review.
07Review the unified diffs presented by Atlas for all changes, approve them, and allow Atlas to stage and create a commit for your Expo project.

Frequently asked questions

Can Atlas debug issues specific to `expo-router` file routes?: Yes, Atlas's `lsp` tool is designed to understand and navigate `expo-router` file routes within your `app/` directory, allowing it to trace call graphs and identify issues in your routing logic.
How does Atlas ensure code quality and formatting in Expo projects?: Atlas integrates with `prettier`, your project's formatter, to automatically format any code changes it proposes. Additionally, all edits are presented as unified diffs for your explicit approval, ensuring adherence to your team's standards.
Does Atlas modify `ios/` or `android/` directories directly in an Expo app?: No, Atlas adheres to Expo's best practices. When adding native capabilities, Atlas will ask to add a config plugin rather than directly editing `ios/` and `android/` directories, ensuring your `prebuild` remains reproducible.
How does Atlas handle package installations and dependencies in Expo?: Atlas uses `npx expo install` for package installations. This ensures that new packages are installed with versions pinned to your current SDK release, maintaining compatibility and stability within your Expo application.
What if Atlas's proposed fix spans multiple files or requires extensive changes in my Expo codebase?: For fixes that span several hunks or multiple files, Atlas uses its `apply_patch` tool. This allows for comprehensive, atomic changes to be proposed and reviewed as a single unified diff, preventing brittle chained `edit` operations.
Can Atlas use local AI models to keep my Expo code private?: Yes, Atlas can build its code index with local Ollama embeddings. This capability ensures that your sensitive Expo application code remains off third-party servers, enhancing privacy and security during the debugging process.

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