Network Error with Clerk Authentication in Expo Preview Build

[dixitpriyanshu]

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

https://github.com/dixitpriyanshu/client

Publishable key

pk_test_dG91Y2hlZC1wdW1hLTY5LmNsZXJrLmFjY291bnRzLmRldiQ

Description

Steps to reproduce:

1. Set up Clerk authentication in an Expo app.
2. Build a preview build (expo build:ios or expo build:android) or using EAS.
3. Attempt to use Clerk authentication in the preview build.

Expected behavior:

Clerk authentication should work as expected without errors, similar to the Expo Go or development build.

Actual behavior:

When running the preview build, a network error occurs every time while attempting to authenticate with Clerk. This issue does not occur in Expo Go or the development build.

Logcat error log from Android Studio:

2025-02-19 20:54:41.745 15720-15776 ReactNativeJS           app.pyrella.lazyshopper              I  {
                                                                                                      "code": "network_error",
                                                                                                      "clerkRuntimeError": true,
                                                                                                      "name": "ClerkRuntimeError"
                                                                                                    }
2025-02-19 20:54:41.745 15720-15776 ReactNativeJS           app.pyrella.lazyshopper              E  Network error occurred!
2025-02-19 20:54:41.746 15720-15776 ReactNativeJS           app.pyrella.lazyshopper              E  {
                                                                                                      "code": "network_error",
                                                                                                      "clerkRuntimeError": true,
                                                                                                      "name": "ClerkRuntimeError"
                                                                                                    }
2025-02-19 20:54:41.751 15720-15777 unknown:ReactNative     app.pyrella.lazyshopper              E  console.error: Network error occurred!, stack:
                                                                                                    _construct@1:92041
                                                                                                    Wrapper@1:91695
                                                                                                    _callSuper@1:89696
                                                                                                    SyntheticError@1:91182
                                                                                                    reactConsoleErrorHandler@1:90843
                                                                                                    ?anon_0_@1:1568346
                                                                                                    asyncGeneratorStep@1:471527
                                                                                                    _throw@1:471832
2025-02-19 20:54:41.752 15720-15777 unknown:ReactNative     app.pyrella.lazyshopper              E  console.error: {
                                                                                                      "code": "network_error",
                                                                                                      "clerkRuntimeError": true,
                                                                                                      "name": "ClerkRuntimeError"
                                                                                                    }, stack:
                                                                                                    _construct@1:92041
                                                                                                    Wrapper@1:91695
                                                                                                    _callSuper@1:89696
                                                                                                    SyntheticError@1:91182
                                                                                                    reactConsoleErrorHandler@1:90843
                                                                                                    ?anon_0_@1:1568419
                                                                                                    asyncGeneratorStep@1:471527
                                                                                                    _throw@1:471832

Environment

System:
    OS: macOS 15.3.1
    CPU: (8) arm64 Apple M1
    Memory: 119.13 MB / 8.00 GB
    Shell: 5.9 - /bin/zsh
  Binaries:
    Node: 22.3.0 - /usr/local/bin/node
    Yarn: 1.22.22 - /usr/local/bin/yarn
    npm: 10.8.1 - /usr/local/bin/npm
    pnpm: 10.4.1 - /usr/local/bin/pnpm
  Browsers:
    Chrome: 133.0.6943.99
    Safari: 18.3
  npmPackages:
    @babel/core: ^7.25.2 => 7.26.9 
    @clerk/clerk-expo: ^2.7.7 => 2.7.7 
    @clerk/types: ^4.46.0 => 4.46.0 
    @expo/vector-icons: ^14.0.2 => 14.0.4 
    @react-navigation/bottom-tabs: ^7.2.0 => 7.2.0 
    @react-navigation/native: ^7.0.14 => 7.0.14 
    @types/jest: ^29.5.12 => 29.5.14 
    @types/react: ~18.3.12 => 18.3.18 
    @types/react-test-renderer: ^18.3.0 => 18.3.1 
    expo: ~52.0.35 => 52.0.35 
    expo-auth-session: ~6.0.3 => 6.0.3 
    expo-blur: ~14.0.3 => 14.0.3 
    expo-camera: ~16.0.16 => 16.0.16 
    expo-constants: ~17.0.6 => 17.0.6 
    expo-crypto: ~14.0.2 => 14.0.2 
    expo-dev-client: ~5.0.12 => 5.0.12 
    expo-font: ~13.0.3 => 13.0.3 
    expo-haptics: ~14.0.1 => 14.0.1 
    expo-linking: ~7.0.5 => 7.0.5 
    expo-network: ~7.0.5 => 7.0.5 
    expo-router: ~4.0.17 => 4.0.17 
    expo-secure-store: ~14.0.1 => 14.0.1 
    expo-splash-screen: ~0.29.22 => 0.29.22 
    expo-sqlite: ~15.1.2 => 15.1.2 
    expo-status-bar: ~2.0.1 => 2.0.1 
    expo-symbols: ~0.2.2 => 0.2.2 
    expo-system-ui: ~4.0.8 => 4.0.8 
    expo-updates: ~0.26.18 => 0.26.18 
    expo-web-browser: ~14.0.2 => 14.0.2 
    jest: ^29.2.1 => 29.7.0 
    jest-expo: ~52.0.4 => 52.0.4 
    react: 18.3.1 => 18.3.1 
    react-dom: 18.3.1 => 18.3.1 
    react-native: 0.76.7 => 0.76.7 
    react-native-gesture-handler: ~2.20.2 => 2.20.2 
    react-native-qrcode-svg: ^6.3.14 => 6.3.14 
    react-native-reanimated: ~3.16.1 => 3.16.7 
    react-native-safe-area-context: 4.12.0 => 4.12.0 
    react-native-screens: ~4.4.0 => 4.4.0 
    react-native-svg: 15.8.0 => 15.8.0 
    react-native-web: ~0.19.13 => 0.19.13 
    react-native-webview: 13.12.5 => 13.12.5 
    react-test-renderer: 18.3.1 => 18.3.1 
    reconnecting-websocket: ^4.4.0 => 4.4.0 
    tinybase: ^5.4.8 => 5.4.8 
    typescript: ^5.3.3 => 5.7.3

[LekoArts]

Hi!

Sorry to hear you're running into an issue. To help us best begin debugging the underlying cause, it is incredibly helpful if you're able to create a minimal reproduction. This is a simplified example of the issue that makes it clear and obvious what the issue is and how we can begin to debug it.

If you're up for it, we'd very much appreciate if you could provide a minimal reproduction and we'll be able to take another look.

Thanks for using Clerk!

[dixitpriyanshu]

Hii,
I have already added the repository for the reproduction of the issues, I am adding the link of the repo in comment too.
https://github.com/dixitpriyanshu/client

[LekoArts]

Please read the requirements in the linked doc: https://clerk.com/docs/troubleshooting/create-a-minimal-reproduction

• Is based off one of the templates above and contains a minimal reproduction or has been stripped down to the bare minimum code needed to reproduce the issue
• Is not a link of a full featured app or branch within an app were an error is occurring

[clerk-cookie]

Hello 👋

In an effort to keep our GitHub issues clean and focused, we close any issues that are awaiting a reproduction after 8 days on inactivity, and it has been 7 days. This issue will be closed tomorrow unless a reproduction is provided. If it takes longer than this to get a reproduction, that's ok, just drop a comment and we will remove the Stale label.

How to create a minimal reproduction

Thanks for being a part of the Clerk community! 🙏

[clerk-cookie]

After 8 days without a reproduction being supplied, we are closing this issue. Keep in mind, I'm just a robot, so if I've closed this issue in error, please reply here and my human colleagues will reopen it. Likewise if a reproduction is prepared after it has been closed.

[vineyardbovines]

Experiencing the same issue -- @dixitpriyanshu did you ever find a resolution?
Otherwise this still occurs with the minimal repro provided.

[alyssadicarlo]

I am having this issue as well. @vineyardbovines @dixitpriyanshu Did either of you find a solution?

[dixitpriyanshu]

Hey @alyssadicarlo and @vineyardbovines the issue got resolved after I discarded my project and started it from scratch, as I was not able to reproduce the issue in a when I was using the the templates from clerk documentation so I built my UI over it worked around.

Let me know if you’re encountering any specific issue I can help with

[alyssadicarlo]

Thanks for your reply @dixitpriyanshu . I deleted node_modules and the Android/IOS folders and ran a clean pre build and that seemed to fix the issue. Although, I tried a lot more than just that so I am not sure what actually fixed it but it is working for me now.