⬡ Dev Tools/2026-04-08Advanced

Rork × Turborepo Monorepo Architecture: Managing Shared Code and Type-Safe Libraries Across Multiple Apps

Learn how to manage multiple Rork/Expo apps with Turborepo in a single monorepo. This guide covers shared component libraries, common type definitions, custom hooks, and utility functions — helping you move faster with higher code quality across all your apps.

Turborepo Monorepo Expo¹⁴⁹ React Native²⁰⁹ TypeScript⁸ Shared Components Indie Development²⁰

✦ Premium Article

Setup and context: Why Monorepos Transform Indie App Development

If you're running multiple Rork apps, you've probably noticed yourself writing the same code over and over. Authentication logic, API clients, shared UI components, Stripe payment flows — when each app manages these independently, fixing a bug means touching every codebase, and subtle implementation drift creeps in before you know it.

A Turborepo monorepo setup solves this at the root level. By managing multiple apps and packages in a single repository, you can centralize shared code so that a single change propagates to every app instantly.

Monorepos might sound like an enterprise concern, but they shine brightest in small multi-app environments — exactly the kind of setup many Rork developers run. This guide walks you through the exact steps to bring your Rork-generated Expo apps under a Turborepo umbrella, with working code throughout.

Prerequisites and Setup

Who This Guide Is For

You're developing or maintaining 2+ apps built with Rork or Rork Max
You have working knowledge of TypeScript
You've used npm workspaces or yarn workspaces at least briefly
Node.js 20.x+ and npm 10.x+ are installed

Problems a Monorepo Solves

Problem 1: Code duplication Auth forms, custom hooks, and API clients that are nearly identical across every app

Problem 2: Type drift The User type in app A slowly diverges from app B's version with no warning

Problem 3: Missed updates A dependency gets updated in one app but forgotten in others

Problem 4: Redundant builds Every package rebuilds from scratch even when nothing in it has changed

Turborepo addresses all four.

✦

Thank you for reading this far.

Continue Reading

What follows includes implementation code, benchmarks, and practical content we hope you'll find useful. This site runs without ads — server and development costs are supported entirely by members like you. If it's been helpful, we'd be truly grateful for your support.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

✦Master Turborepo + Expo monorepo setup from initial configuration to CI/CD integration, with complete working code examples

✦Learn design patterns for safely reusing shared UI components, type definitions, and custom hooks across multiple apps

✦Achieve up to 80% faster build times using Turborepo's remote caching and pipeline optimization techniques

Secure payment via Stripe · Cancel anytime

✦

Unlock This Article

Get full access to the rest of this article. Buy once, read anytime. This site is ad-free — your support goes directly toward keeping it running.

Unlock all articles with Membership →

Step 1: Core Monorepo Structure

Designing Your Directory Layout

Here's the recommended directory structure for managing Rork apps in Turborepo:

my-apps/
├── apps/
│   ├── app-a/              ← Rork-generated Expo app A
│   │   ├── app/
│   │   ├── components/
│   │   ├── package.json
│   │   └── app.json
│   └── app-b/              ← Rork-generated Expo app B
│       ├── app/
│       ├── components/
│       ├── package.json
│       └── app.json
├── packages/
│   ├── ui/                 ← Shared UI component library
│   │   ├── src/
│   │   ├── package.json
│   │   └── tsconfig.json
│   ├── config/             ← Shared configs (ESLint, TSConfig, etc.)
│   │   ├── eslint/
│   │   ├── typescript/
│   │   └── package.json
│   ├── hooks/              ← Shared custom hooks
│   │   ├── src/
│   │   └── package.json
│   └── api/                ← Shared API client
│       ├── src/
│       └── package.json
├── package.json            ← Root package.json (workspaces)
├── turbo.json              ← Turborepo pipeline config
└── tsconfig.json           ← Root TSConfig

Root package.json

{
  "name": "my-rork-apps",
  "private": true,
  "workspaces": [
    "apps/*",
    "packages/*"
  ],
  "devDependencies": {
    "turbo": "^2.0.0",
    "typescript": "^5.4.0"
  },
  "scripts": {
    "dev": "turbo run dev",
    "build": "turbo run build",
    "lint": "turbo run lint",
    "type-check": "turbo run type-check",
    "clean": "turbo run clean && rm -rf node_modules"
  },
  "packageManager": "npm@10.0.0"
}

Defining the Pipeline in turbo.json

The pipeline is where Turborepo earns its keep. You declare task dependencies and cache behavior here, and Turborepo handles the rest.

{
  "$schema": "https://turborepo.org/schema.json",
  "pipeline": {
    "build": {
      "dependsOn": ["^build"],
      "outputs": ["dist/**", ".expo/**"],
      "cache": true
    },
    "dev": {
      "cache": false,
      "persistent": true
    },
    "lint": {
      "outputs": []
    },
    "type-check": {
      "dependsOn": ["^build"],
      "outputs": []
    },
    "test": {
      "dependsOn": ["^build"],
      "outputs": ["coverage/**"],
      "cache": true
    },
    "clean": {
      "cache": false
    }
  }
}

The "dependsOn": ["^build"] syntax means "wait for the build task in all upstream dependencies to complete first." This ensures packages/ui builds before apps/app-a — automatically, every time.

Step 2: Building a Shared UI Component Library

packages/ui package.json

{
  "name": "@my-apps/ui",
  "version": "0.0.1",
  "main": "./src/index.ts",
  "types": "./src/index.ts",
  "scripts": {
    "lint": "eslint src/",
    "type-check": "tsc --noEmit"
  },
  "peerDependencies": {
    "react": "*",
    "react-native": "*"
  },
  "devDependencies": {
    "@my-apps/config": "*",
    "react": "^18.2.0",
    "react-native": "^0.74.0"
  }
}

Key insight: Pointing main directly at src/index.ts skips the build step entirely during development. Type autocomplete works immediately, and as an indie dev you want to eliminate unnecessary friction wherever you can.

Shared Button Component

// packages/ui/src/components/Button.tsx
import React from 'react';
import {
  TouchableOpacity,
  Text,
  ActivityIndicator,
  StyleSheet,
  ViewStyle,
  TextStyle,
} from 'react-native';
 
export type ButtonVariant = 'primary' | 'secondary' | 'danger' | 'ghost';
export type ButtonSize = 'sm' | 'md' | 'lg';
 
interface ButtonProps {
  onPress: () => void;
  title: string;
  variant?: ButtonVariant;
  size?: ButtonSize;
  loading?: boolean;
  disabled?: boolean;
  style?: ViewStyle;
  textStyle?: TextStyle;
}
 
// A single source of truth for button design across all your apps
export const Button: React.FC<ButtonProps> = ({
  onPress,
  title,
  variant = 'primary',
  size = 'md',
  loading = false,
  disabled = false,
  style,
  textStyle,
}) => {
  const isDisabled = disabled || loading;
 
  return (
    <TouchableOpacity
      onPress={onPress}
      disabled={isDisabled}
      style={[
        styles.base,
        styles[variant],
        styles[`size_${size}`],
        isDisabled && styles.disabled,
        style,
      ]}
      activeOpacity={0.8}
    >
      {loading ? (
        <ActivityIndicator
          color={variant === 'primary' ? '#ffffff' : '#6366f1'}
          size="small"
        />
      ) : (
        <Text style={[styles.text, styles[`text_${variant}`], textStyle]}>
          {title}
        </Text>
      )}
    </TouchableOpacity>
  );
};
 
const styles = StyleSheet.create({
  base: {
    borderRadius: 12,
    alignItems: 'center',
    justifyContent: 'center',
    flexDirection: 'row',
  },
  primary: { backgroundColor: '#6366f1' },
  secondary: {
    backgroundColor: '#f1f5f9',
    borderWidth: 1,
    borderColor: '#e2e8f0',
  },
  danger: { backgroundColor: '#ef4444' },
  ghost: { backgroundColor: 'transparent' },
  disabled: { opacity: 0.5 },
  size_sm: { paddingHorizontal: 12, paddingVertical: 8, minHeight: 36 },
  size_md: { paddingHorizontal: 16, paddingVertical: 12, minHeight: 44 },
  size_lg: { paddingHorizontal: 24, paddingVertical: 16, minHeight: 52 },
  text: { fontWeight: '600', fontSize: 15 },
  text_primary: { color: '#ffffff' },
  text_secondary: { color: '#374151' },
  text_danger: { color: '#ffffff' },
  text_ghost: { color: '#6366f1' },
});

Barrel Export in packages/ui/src/index.ts

// packages/ui/src/index.ts
export { Button } from './components/Button';
export type { ButtonVariant, ButtonSize } from './components/Button';
 
export { Card } from './components/Card';
export { Input } from './components/Input';
export { Avatar } from './components/Avatar';
export { Badge } from './components/Badge';
export { Modal } from './components/Modal';
export { Toast, useToast } from './components/Toast';
export { LoadingSpinner } from './components/LoadingSpinner';
export { EmptyState } from './components/EmptyState';
 
// Design tokens
export { colors } from './theme/colors';
export { spacing } from './theme/spacing';
export { typography } from './theme/typography';

Step 3: Centralized Type Definitions

Type drift between apps is subtle and dangerous. The @my-apps/types package gives you a single canonical source for all shared types.

Core Type Definitions

// packages/types/src/user.ts
export interface User {
  id: string;
  email: string;
  displayName: string;
  avatarUrl?: string;
  createdAt: string;
  subscription: SubscriptionTier;
}
 
export type SubscriptionTier = 'free' | 'pro' | 'premium';
 
// Utility types derived from the base User type
export type CreateUserInput = Omit<User, 'id' | 'createdAt'>;
export type UpdateUserInput = Partial<Omit<User, 'id' | 'createdAt'>>;

// packages/types/src/api.ts
 
// Standardized API response envelope
export interface ApiResponse<T> {
  data: T;
  error: null;
  status: 'success';
}
 
export interface ApiError {
  data: null;
  error: {
    code: string;
    message: string;
    details?: Record<string, unknown>;
  };
  status: 'error';
}
 
export type ApiResult<T> = ApiResponse<T> | ApiError;
 
// Paginated list responses
export interface PaginatedResponse<T> {
  items: T[];
  total: number;
  page: number;
  limit: number;
  hasMore: boolean;
}

Using Shared Types in Your Apps

// apps/app-a/app/(tabs)/profile.tsx
import { User, UpdateUserInput } from '@my-apps/types';
import { Button } from '@my-apps/ui';
 
// Type errors are caught at build time — no more runtime surprises
const updateProfile = async (input: UpdateUserInput): Promise<User> => {
  // ...
};

Step 4: Shared Custom Hooks

The packages/hooks package holds React Native hooks that can be reused across every app in your workspace.

Factory Pattern for Auth Hooks

// packages/hooks/src/useAuth.ts
import { useState, useEffect, useCallback } from 'react';
import AsyncStorage from '@react-native-async-storage/async-storage';
import type { User } from '@my-apps/types';
 
const AUTH_TOKEN_KEY = '@auth_token';
const AUTH_USER_KEY = '@auth_user';
 
interface AuthState {
  user: User | null;
  token: string | null;
  isLoading: boolean;
  isAuthenticated: boolean;
}
 
interface UseAuthReturn extends AuthState {
  signIn: (email: string, password: string) => Promise<void>;
  signOut: () => Promise<void>;
  updateUser: (updates: Partial<User>) => void;
}
 
// Factory function: each app provides only its API base URL
// The entire auth logic is shared automatically
export const createUseAuth = (apiBaseUrl: string) => {
  return (): UseAuthReturn => {
    const [state, setState] = useState<AuthState>({
      user: null,
      token: null,
      isLoading: true,
      isAuthenticated: false,
    });
 
    // Restore session from storage on mount
    useEffect(() => {
      const restoreSession = async () => {
        try {
          const [token, userJson] = await AsyncStorage.multiGet([
            AUTH_TOKEN_KEY,
            AUTH_USER_KEY,
          ]);
          const storedToken = token[1];
          const storedUser = userJson[1] ? JSON.parse(userJson[1]) : null;
 
          if (storedToken && storedUser) {
            setState({
              user: storedUser,
              token: storedToken,
              isLoading: false,
              isAuthenticated: true,
            });
          } else {
            setState(prev => ({ ...prev, isLoading: false }));
          }
        } catch {
          setState(prev => ({ ...prev, isLoading: false }));
        }
      };
      restoreSession();
    }, []);
 
    const signIn = useCallback(async (email: string, password: string) => {
      const response = await fetch(`${apiBaseUrl}/auth/sign-in`, {
        method: 'POST',
        headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
        body: JSON.stringify({ email, password }),
      });
 
      if (!response.ok) {
        const error = await response.json();
        throw new Error(error.message || 'Sign-in failed');
      }
 
      const { user, token } = await response.json();
 
      await AsyncStorage.multiSet([
        [AUTH_TOKEN_KEY, token],
        [AUTH_USER_KEY, JSON.stringify(user)],
      ]);
 
      setState({ user, token, isLoading: false, isAuthenticated: true });
    }, []);
 
    const signOut = useCallback(async () => {
      await AsyncStorage.multiRemove([AUTH_TOKEN_KEY, AUTH_USER_KEY]);
      setState({ user: null, token: null, isLoading: false, isAuthenticated: false });
    }, []);
 
    const updateUser = useCallback((updates: Partial<User>) => {
      setState(prev => ({
        ...prev,
        user: prev.user ? { ...prev.user, ...updates } : null,
      }));
    }, []);
 
    return { ...state, signIn, signOut, updateUser };
  };
};

// apps/app-a/lib/auth.ts — wire up for this app's API
import { createUseAuth } from '@my-apps/hooks';
export const useAuth = createUseAuth('https://api.app-a.com');

// apps/app-b/lib/auth.ts — same logic, different endpoint
import { createUseAuth } from '@my-apps/hooks';
export const useAuth = createUseAuth('https://api.app-b.com');

Network Status Hook

// packages/hooks/src/useNetworkStatus.ts
import { useState, useEffect } from 'react';
import NetInfo, { NetInfoState } from '@react-native-community/netinfo';
 
interface NetworkStatus {
  isConnected: boolean;
  isInternetReachable: boolean | null;
  connectionType: string | null;
}
 
export const useNetworkStatus = (): NetworkStatus => {
  const [status, setStatus] = useState<NetworkStatus>({
    isConnected: true,
    isInternetReachable: null,
    connectionType: null,
  });
 
  useEffect(() => {
    NetInfo.fetch().then((state: NetInfoState) => {
      setStatus({
        isConnected: state.isConnected ?? true,
        isInternetReachable: state.isInternetReachable,
        connectionType: state.type,
      });
    });
 
    const unsubscribe = NetInfo.addEventListener((state: NetInfoState) => {
      setStatus({
        isConnected: state.isConnected ?? true,
        isInternetReachable: state.isInternetReachable,
        connectionType: state.type,
      });
    });
 
    return unsubscribe;
  }, []);
 
  return status;
};

Step 5: Integrating Rork-Generated Apps into the Monorepo

Here's how to bring an existing Rork app into the monorepo without disrupting your development flow.

Update the App's package.json

Add workspace package references to the dependencies:

{
  "name": "@my-apps/app-a",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "main": "expo-router/entry",
  "scripts": {
    "dev": "expo start",
    "build:ios": "eas build --platform ios",
    "build:android": "eas build --platform android",
    "lint": "eslint .",
    "type-check": "tsc --noEmit"
  },
  "dependencies": {
    "@my-apps/ui": "*",
    "@my-apps/hooks": "*",
    "@my-apps/types": "*",
    "expo": "^52.0.0",
    "expo-router": "^4.0.0",
    "react": "^18.2.0",
    "react-native": "^0.76.0"
  },
  "devDependencies": {
    "@my-apps/config": "*"
  }
}

The "*" wildcard tells npm to resolve these as local workspace packages automatically.

Configure Metro for the Monorepo

Expo's Metro bundler needs to know about your workspace root to resolve packages correctly:

// apps/app-a/metro.config.js
const { getDefaultConfig } = require('expo/metro-config');
const { FileStore } = require('metro-cache');
const path = require('path');
 
const projectRoot = __dirname;
const workspaceRoot = path.resolve(projectRoot, '../..');
 
const config = getDefaultConfig(projectRoot);
 
// Watch the entire workspace, not just this app's directory
config.watchFolders = [workspaceRoot];
 
// Resolve modules from both the app's and workspace's node_modules
config.resolver.nodeModulesPaths = [
  path.resolve(projectRoot, 'node_modules'),
  path.resolve(workspaceRoot, 'node_modules'),
];
 
// Metro cache that cooperates with Turborepo's cache
config.cacheStores = [
  new FileStore({
    root: path.join(projectRoot, 'node_modules/.cache/metro'),
  }),
];
 
module.exports = config;

TypeScript Path Aliases

// apps/app-a/tsconfig.json
{
  "extends": "@my-apps/config/typescript/expo.json",
  "compilerOptions": {
    "paths": {
      "@my-apps/ui": ["../../packages/ui/src/index.ts"],
      "@my-apps/hooks": ["../../packages/hooks/src/index.ts"],
      "@my-apps/types": ["../../packages/types/src/index.ts"]
    }
  },
  "include": ["**/*.ts", "**/*.tsx"]
}

Step 6: Remote Caching for Fast CI/CD

What Remote Caching Does

Turborepo's remote cache stores build artifacts in the cloud and shares them across machines. Even as a solo developer working across multiple devices or using GitHub Actions, this translates to dramatically faster builds — packages that haven't changed are simply restored from cache instead of being rebuilt.

Setting Up Vercel Remote Cache

# Log in to Turborepo via Vercel
npx turbo login
 
# Link this repo to remote caching
npx turbo link

Add remote cache configuration to turbo.json:

{
  "$schema": "https://turborepo.org/schema.json",
  "remoteCache": {
    "enabled": true,
    "signature": true
  },
  "pipeline": {
    "build": {
      "dependsOn": ["^build"],
      "outputs": ["dist/**", ".expo/**"],
      "cache": true,
      "env": ["NODE_ENV", "EXPO_PUBLIC_API_URL"]
    }
  }
}

GitHub Actions Integration

# .github/workflows/ci.yml
name: CI
 
on:
  push:
    branches: [main]
  pull_request:
    branches: [main]
 
jobs:
  lint-and-type-check:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
      - name: Setup Node.js
        uses: actions/setup-node@v4
        with:
          node-version: '20'
          cache: 'npm'
 
      - name: Install dependencies
        run: npm ci
 
      - name: Lint all workspaces
        run: npx turbo run lint
        env:
          # Remote cache cuts repeat CI runs by up to 80%
          TURBO_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.TURBO_TOKEN }}
          TURBO_TEAM: ${{ vars.TURBO_TEAM }}
 
      - name: Type check all workspaces
        run: npx turbo run type-check
        env:
          TURBO_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.TURBO_TOKEN }}
          TURBO_TEAM: ${{ vars.TURBO_TEAM }}

Step 7: Centralized Environment Variable Management

// packages/config/src/env.ts
// Shared environment variable schema with build-time validation
 
interface BaseEnvSchema {
  EXPO_PUBLIC_API_URL: string;
  EXPO_PUBLIC_APP_ENV: 'development' | 'staging' | 'production';
}
 
export const createEnv = <T extends BaseEnvSchema>(
  schema: Record<keyof T, { required: boolean; default?: string }>
): T => {
  const env = {} as T;
 
  for (const [key, config] of Object.entries(schema)) {
    const value = process.env[key] ?? config.default;
 
    if (config.required && !value) {
      throw new Error(
        `Required environment variable "${key}" is missing. ` +
        `Check your .env file.`
      );
    }
 
    (env as Record<string, unknown>)[key] = value;
  }
 
  return env;
};

// apps/app-a/lib/env.ts
import { createEnv } from '@my-apps/config';
 
export const env = createEnv({
  EXPO_PUBLIC_API_URL: { required: true },
  EXPO_PUBLIC_APP_ENV: { required: true, default: 'development' },
  EXPO_PUBLIC_STRIPE_KEY: { required: true },
});
// Missing env vars are caught immediately at build time — not at runtime

Step 8: Incremental Builds and Change Detection

One of Turborepo's most practical features is running only the tasks that are actually affected by your changes.

# Build only what changed since the last commit
npx turbo run build --filter="...[HEAD^1]"
# If packages/ui changed: builds app-a, app-b, and packages/ui
# If only packages/hooks changed: skips ui, builds affected apps only
 
# Build a specific app and all its dependency packages
npx turbo run build --filter="@my-apps/app-a..."
# → Builds: packages/ui, packages/hooks, packages/types, then app-a

This makes your development loop dramatically faster as the monorepo grows.

Step 9: Shared API Client with Automatic Authentication

A shared API client eliminates duplicated fetch logic and ensures consistent error handling across all your apps.

Building the Base Client

// packages/api/src/client.ts
import type { ApiResult } from '@my-apps/types';
 
interface ClientConfig {
  baseUrl: string;
  getToken: () => string | null;
  onUnauthorized?: () => void;
}
 
export class ApiClient {
  private config: ClientConfig;
 
  constructor(config: ClientConfig) {
    this.config = config;
  }
 
  private async request<T>(
    path: string,
    options: RequestInit = {}
  ): Promise<ApiResult<T>> {
    const token = this.config.getToken();
 
    const headers: HeadersInit = {
      'Content-Type': 'application/json',
      ...options.headers,
    };
 
    if (token) {
      (headers as Record<string, string>)['Authorization'] = `Bearer ${token}`;
    }
 
    try {
      const response = await fetch(`${this.config.baseUrl}${path}`, {
        ...options,
        headers,
      });
 
      // Handle 401 globally — trigger sign-out across the app
      if (response.status === 401) {
        this.config.onUnauthorized?.();
        return {
          data: null,
          error: { code: 'UNAUTHORIZED', message: 'Session expired' },
          status: 'error',
        };
      }
 
      const json = await response.json();
 
      if (!response.ok) {
        return {
          data: null,
          error: {
            code: json.code || 'API_ERROR',
            message: json.message || 'An unexpected error occurred',
          },
          status: 'error',
        };
      }
 
      return { data: json, error: null, status: 'success' };
    } catch (err) {
      return {
        data: null,
        error: {
          code: 'NETWORK_ERROR',
          message: 'Network request failed. Check your connection.',
        },
        status: 'error',
      };
    }
  }
 
  get<T>(path: string) {
    return this.request<T>(path, { method: 'GET' });
  }
 
  post<T>(path: string, body: unknown) {
    return this.request<T>(path, {
      method: 'POST',
      body: JSON.stringify(body),
    });
  }
 
  put<T>(path: string, body: unknown) {
    return this.request<T>(path, {
      method: 'PUT',
      body: JSON.stringify(body),
    });
  }
 
  delete<T>(path: string) {
    return this.request<T>(path, { method: 'DELETE' });
  }
}

Using the Shared API Client in Each App

// apps/app-a/lib/api.ts
import { ApiClient } from '@my-apps/api';
import AsyncStorage from '@react-native-async-storage/async-storage';
 
let tokenCache: string | null = null;
 
export const apiClient = new ApiClient({
  baseUrl: process.env.EXPO_PUBLIC_API_URL!,
  getToken: () => tokenCache,
  onUnauthorized: () => {
    // Clear token cache and navigate to sign-in
    tokenCache = null;
    // router.replace('/sign-in')
  },
});
 
// Keep the in-memory token cache in sync with storage
export const setApiToken = (token: string | null) => {
  tokenCache = token;
};

// Usage in any screen — identical pattern across app-a and app-b
import { apiClient } from '@/lib/api';
import type { User } from '@my-apps/types';
 
const fetchProfile = async () => {
  const result = await apiClient.get<User>('/users/me');
 
  if (result.status === 'error') {
    // Handle error with typed error code
    console.error(result.error.code, result.error.message);
    return;
  }
 
  // result.data is typed as User — no casting needed
  setUser(result.data);
};

The beauty of this pattern is that a fix to the error-handling logic in packages/api instantly applies to both apps. A bug that would have required two separate patches gets resolved with a single commit.

Step 10: Managing Shared Theme Tokens

Consistent visual identity across apps requires a shared design token system. Rather than hardcoding colors in each component, define tokens in packages/ui/src/theme/:

// packages/ui/src/theme/colors.ts
export const colors = {
  // Brand palette
  primary: {
    50:  '#eef2ff',
    100: '#e0e7ff',
    500: '#6366f1',
    600: '#4f46e5',
    700: '#4338ca',
  },
  // Semantic colors
  semantic: {
    success: '#10b981',
    warning: '#f59e0b',
    error:   '#ef4444',
    info:    '#3b82f6',
  },
  // Neutral grays
  gray: {
    50:  '#f9fafb',
    100: '#f3f4f6',
    200: '#e5e7eb',
    300: '#d1d5db',
    400: '#9ca3af',
    500: '#6b7280',
    600: '#4b5563',
    700: '#374151',
    800: '#1f2937',
    900: '#111827',
  },
  // Background/surface tokens
  background: {
    primary:   '#ffffff',
    secondary: '#f9fafb',
    tertiary:  '#f3f4f6',
  },
} as const;
 
export type ColorToken = typeof colors;

// packages/ui/src/theme/spacing.ts
export const spacing = {
  xs:  4,
  sm:  8,
  md:  16,
  lg:  24,
  xl:  32,
  '2xl': 48,
  '3xl': 64,
} as const;

When you rebrand app B, you import colors from @my-apps/ui and override the primary tokens in a local theme wrapper — instead of hunting through hundreds of StyleSheet.create calls scattered across the codebase. This pattern also makes supporting dark mode far more maintainable, since you can define a darkColors override that maps to the same token names.

Step 11: Keeping Packages in Sync with Changesets

As your shared packages evolve, you need a disciplined versioning strategy. Changesets integrates naturally with Turborepo and tracks what changed, in which package, and why:

# Install Changesets
npm install --save-dev @changesets/cli -w
 
# Initialize (run once)
npx changeset init

# When you make a meaningful change to packages/ui
npx changeset
# Prompts: which package changed? what kind of bump? what's the summary?
# Creates a .changeset/*.md file — commit this with your code change

# When ready to release updated packages
npx changeset version  # Updates package versions + CHANGELOG.md
npx changeset publish  # Publishes to npm (skip if only using workspace packages)

For private workspace-only packages (the typical indie dev setup), you can use Changesets purely as a changelog and version tracking tool without actually publishing to npm. The .changeset/ directory in your repo becomes a living record of what changed in your shared libraries and why.

Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

Pitfall 1: Circular Dependencies

Circular dependencies between packages are the most common monorepo mistake. If packages/api imports from packages/hooks, and packages/hooks imports from packages/api, both packages will fail to build. The fix is strict unidirectional dependency rules:

packages/types — no internal dependencies (pure type definitions only)
packages/config — depends only on external tooling packages
packages/ui — may depend on packages/types only
packages/hooks — may depend on packages/types and packages/api
apps/* — may depend on any packages/*

Enforce this with ESLint's import/no-cycle rule configured in packages/config/eslint/base.js.

Pitfall 2: Accidentally Bundling Server-Side Code in Mobile Apps

Packages like @my-apps/api might be tempted to import Node.js-specific modules (like crypto or fs). React Native doesn't have these. Keep your shared packages React Native-safe by adding "react-native" as the first entry in exports conditions and avoiding any Node.js built-ins. If you genuinely need server-side helpers, put them in a separate packages/api-server package that apps never import.

Pitfall 3: Version Skew in Peer Dependencies

If packages/ui has react-native: "^0.74.0" as a peer dependency but one of your apps upgrades to 0.76.0, things can break in subtle ways. Lock peer dependency ranges conservatively and bump them deliberately across all packages together when upgrading React Native. The Turborepo turbo.json env field helps here — include EXPO_PUBLIC_RN_VERSION so cache misses occur automatically when the RN version changes.

Pitfall 4: Forgetting to Invalidate Metro Cache After Structural Changes

Adding a new package to the monorepo or changing metro.config.js sometimes leaves Metro's internal cache stale. When you see unexpected "module not found" errors that seem wrong, run npx expo start --clear or delete the .expo/ directory inside the affected app. This is a one-time flush — Metro will rebuild its cache and the issue typically resolves immediately.

Summary

Turborepo monorepo architecture lets you share code safely and efficiently across all your Rork apps. Here's what we covered:

Core monorepo structure and Turborepo pipeline configuration
Building a shared UI component library
Centralizing TypeScript types to prevent drift
Sharing auth, network status, and other custom hooks
Integrating existing Rork apps into the monorepo
Achieving up to 80% faster builds with remote caching

The initial setup takes a few hours, but once in place, bug fixes and new features propagate to every app simultaneously. For indie developers, investing in code reusability and maintainability is one of the highest-leverage decisions you can make.

For CI/CD details specific to EAS Build, see GitHub Actions × EAS Build Automation Guide. For clean architecture patterns inside each app, Rork App Architecture Patterns: MVVM and Clean Architecture is a natural companion read. And if your shared packages/hooks library is growing complex, Advanced State Management Patterns in Rork goes deep on Zustand, Jotai, and TanStack Query integration.

Thank You for Reading

Rork Lab is ad-free, supported entirely by members like you. We publish practical guides daily with implementation code, benchmarks, and production-ready patterns. If you've found it useful, we'd love to have you on board.