cannot find symbol import expo.core.ExpoModulesPackage

[aeftimia]

Build/Submit details page URL

https://expo.dev/accounts/aeftimia/projects/app/builds/99af3b55-e014-4afe-bbbb-154a92ae3fde

Summary

I'm trying to deploy a minimal react-native-webview project, and eas build seems to fail with this error on gradlew :app:bundleRelease:

> Task :app:compileReleaseJavaWithJavac FAILED
/home/expo/workingdir/build/packages/mobile/app/android/app/build/generated/autolinking/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/PackageList.java:14: error: cannot find symbol
import expo.core.ExpoModulesPackage;
                ^
  symbol:   class ExpoModulesPackage
  location: package expo.core
/home/expo/workingdir/build/packages/mobile/app/android/app/build/generated/autolinking/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/PackageList.java:62: error: cannot find symbol
      new ExpoModulesPackage(),
          ^
  symbol:   class ExpoModulesPackage
  location: class PackageList
2 errors
> Task :expo-modules-core:buildCMakeRelWithDebInfo[armeabi-v7a]
FAILURE: Build failed with an exception.
* What went wrong:
Execution failed for task ':app:compileReleaseJavaWithJavac'.
> Compilation failed; see the compiler error output for details.

I tried installing expo-modules-core as shown in my setup from a blank project. I'm new to this, but I've exhausted my options regarding what else I can find or think of to try.

Managed or bare?

bare

Environment

npx expo-env-info

  expo-env-info 1.2.1 environment info:
    System:
      OS: macOS 15.1.1
      Shell: 5.9 - /bin/zsh
    Binaries:
      Node: 23.5.0 - /opt/homebrew/bin/node
      npm: 10.9.2 - /opt/homebrew/bin/npm
    Managers:
      CocoaPods: 1.16.2 - /opt/homebrew/bin/pod
    SDKs:
      iOS SDK:
        Platforms: DriverKit 24.2, iOS 18.2, macOS 15.2, tvOS 18.2, visionOS 2.2, watchOS 11.2
    IDEs:
      Android Studio: 2024.2 AI-242.23339.11.2421.12700392
      Xcode: 16.2/16C5032a - /usr/bin/xcodebuild
    npmPackages:
      expo: ~52.0.20 => 52.0.20 
      react: 18.3.1 => 18.3.1 
      react-native: 0.76.5 => 0.76.5 
    npmGlobalPackages:
      eas-cli: 14.2.0
    Expo Workflow: bare

npx expo-doctor

Enabled experimental React Native Directory checks. Unset the EXPO_DOCTOR_ENABLE_DIRECTORY_CHECK environment variable to disable this check.
Running 15 checks on your project...
✔ Check package.json for common issues
✔ Check Expo config for common issues
✔ Check native tooling versions
✔ Check for common project setup issues
✖ Check dependencies for packages that should not be installed directly
✔ Check npm/ yarn versions
✔ Check for issues with Metro config
✔ Check if the project meets version requirements for submission to app stores
✖ Check for app config fields that may not be synced in a non-CNG project
✖ Validate packages against React Native Directory package metadata
✔ Check Expo config (app.json/ app.config.js) schema
✔ Check that packages match versions required by installed Expo SDK
✔ Check for legacy global CLI installed locally
✔ Check that native modules do not use incompatible support packages
✔ Check that native modules use compatible support package versions for installed Expo SDK

Detailed check results:


Advice: Add '/android' and '/ios' to your .gitignore file if you intend to use CNG / Prebuild. Learn more: https://docs.expo.dev/workflow/prebuild/#usage-with-eas-build

Advice: 
- Update React Native Directory to include metadata for unknown packages. Alternatively, set expo.doctor.reactNativeDirectoryCheck.listUnknownPackages in package.json to false to skip warnings about packages with no metadata, if the warning is not relevant.

Error output

Task :app:compileReleaseJavaWithJavac FAILED
/home/expo/workingdir/build/packages/mobile/app/android/app/build/generated/autolinking/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/PackageList.java:14: error: cannot find symbol
import expo.core.ExpoModulesPackage;
^
symbol: class ExpoModulesPackage
location: package expo.core
/home/expo/workingdir/build/packages/mobile/app/android/app/build/generated/autolinking/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/PackageList.java:62: error: cannot find symbol
new ExpoModulesPackage(),
^
symbol: class ExpoModulesPackage
location: class PackageList
2 errors
Task :expo-modules-core:buildCMakeRelWithDebInfo[armeabi-v7a]
FAILURE: Build failed with an exception.

• What went wrong:
  Execution failed for task ':app:compileReleaseJavaWithJavac'.

Compilation failed; see the compiler error output for details.

Reproducible demo or steps to reproduce from a blank project

npx install-expo-modules@latest --template blank
npx expo install react-native-webview
npx expo install @react-native/gradle-plugin
npx expo install @babel/runtime
npx expo install expo-asset
npx expo install expo-modules-core
npx expo run --platform android

App.js:

import { StatusBar } from 'expo-status-bar';
import { StyleSheet, View } from 'react-native';
import { WebView } from 'react-native-webview';

export default function App() {
  return (
      <WebView 
      style={styles.container}
      source={{ uri: 'https://example.com/' }} >
      <StatusBar style="auto" />
      </WebView>
  );
}

const styles = StyleSheet.create({
  container: {
    marginTop: 10,
    flex: 1,
    backgroundColor: '#fff',
    alignItems: 'center',
    justifyContent: 'center',
  },
});

[aeftimia]

Confirming this also happens without Webview

export default function App() {
  return (
      <View style={styles.container} >
      <StatusBar style="auto" />
      </View>
  );
}

[LongHP105]

I've got the same problem.
How can I deal with this?

[LongHP105]

Investigation
The local android build: ✅

• using import expo.modules.ExpoModulesPackage;

The EAS service build: ❌

• using import from expo.core.ExpoModulesPackage

[LongHP105]

@aeftimia
I found that the problem is that my project is using pnpm, so it somehow cannot resolve dependencies correctly.

so if you use pnpm too, maybe this approach you can try:

• add node-linker=hoisted to .npmrc

It solved my issue.

[aeftimia]

Thanks! That worked for me too!

[delphinebugner]

Hi! Also had the issue, unfortunately adding node-linker=hoisted is not possible in my project.

If someone else is in the same situation: you can add in your app package.json:

• "expo-modules-autolinking": "*"

That will help pnpm finds its way and make the native error disappear.