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fix(expo): add Kotlin metadata version compatibility flag for clerk-android - #8152
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…ndroid clerk-android is compiled with Kotlin 2.3.x but Expo SDK 54/55 ships Kotlin 2.1.x. This causes 'incompatible version of Kotlin' metadata errors during Android builds. Adding -Xskip-metadata-version-check to all project modules allows the older compiler to read the newer metadata without failing.
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🦋 Changeset detectedLatest commit: 0cc7975 The changes in this PR will be included in the next version bump. This PR includes changesets to release 1 package
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📝 WalkthroughWalkthroughThe Android Gradle build was changed to ensure the Kotlin compiler flag 🚥 Pre-merge checks | ✅ 3✅ Passed checks (3 passed)
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Actionable comments posted: 1
🤖 Prompt for all review comments with AI agents
Verify each finding against the current code and only fix it if needed.
Inline comments:
In `@packages/expo/android/build.gradle`:
- Around line 78-94: Add automated Android build tests that verify the Kotlin
metadata skip flag is applied and prevents the incompatible-Kotlin metadata
error for Expo SDK 54 and 55; create CI jobs (or unit/functional tests) that
build an example Expo app using SDK 54 and SDK 55 with the current change to
packages/expo/android/build.gradle (the block that configures
rootProject.allprojects ->
tasks.withType(org.jetbrains.kotlin.gradle.tasks.KotlinCompile) ->
compilerOptions.freeCompilerArgs.add('-Xskip-metadata-version-check')) and
include the linked repro project as a test case to reproduce the original
failure, asserting that :app:compileDebugKotlin succeeds; ensure these tests run
in the repo CI matrix so regressions are caught before merge.
ℹ️ Review info
⚙️ Run configuration
Configuration used: Repository YAML (base), Organization UI (inherited)
Review profile: ASSERTIVE
Plan: Pro
Run ID: b8314964-9c24-486a-af9d-1aa6d7cfa2e4
📒 Files selected for processing (1)
packages/expo/android/build.gradle
| // clerk-android is compiled with Kotlin 2.3.x, but Expo/RN projects typically use an older | ||
| // Kotlin version (e.g. 2.1.x). This causes "incompatible version of Kotlin" metadata errors | ||
| // at :app:compileDebugKotlin. Applying -Xskip-metadata-version-check allows the older | ||
| // compiler to read 2.3.x metadata without failing. | ||
| try { | ||
| rootProject.allprojects { | ||
| tasks.withType(org.jetbrains.kotlin.gradle.tasks.KotlinCompile).configureEach { | ||
| compilerOptions { | ||
| freeCompilerArgs.add('-Xskip-metadata-version-check') | ||
| } | ||
| } | ||
| } | ||
| } catch (Exception ignored) { | ||
| // Future Gradle versions with Isolated Projects may block cross-project configuration. | ||
| // In that case, users should add '@clerk/expo' to their app.json plugins array instead, | ||
| // which applies the flag via the config plugin's withClerkAndroid. | ||
| } |
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Add merge-gating Android build tests for Expo SDK 54/55.
This change modifies Kotlin compilation behavior across all projects, but no tests were added. Please add automated Android build coverage (SDK 54 + SDK 55, ideally including the linked repro) before merge to prevent regressions in the exact failure path this PR targets.
As per coding guidelines, "If there are no tests added or modified as part of the PR, please suggest that tests be added to cover the changes."
🤖 Prompt for AI Agents
Verify each finding against the current code and only fix it if needed.
In `@packages/expo/android/build.gradle` around lines 78 - 94, Add automated
Android build tests that verify the Kotlin metadata skip flag is applied and
prevents the incompatible-Kotlin metadata error for Expo SDK 54 and 55; create
CI jobs (or unit/functional tests) that build an example Expo app using SDK 54
and SDK 55 with the current change to packages/expo/android/build.gradle (the
block that configures rootProject.allprojects ->
tasks.withType(org.jetbrains.kotlin.gradle.tasks.KotlinCompile) ->
compilerOptions.freeCompilerArgs.add('-Xskip-metadata-version-check')) and
include the linked repro project as a test case to reproduce the original
failure, asserting that :app:compileDebugKotlin succeeds; ensure these tests run
in the repo CI matrix so regressions are caught before merge.
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This is a good idea @coderabbitai but these fixes have been manually validated. I would like to get some testing and merge gating in as soon as possible.
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@chriscanin, understood — glad the manual validation confirmed the fix works. Would you like me to open a follow-up GitHub issue to track adding automated Android build tests / CI merge gating for Expo SDK 54 and 55 (including the linked community repro)? That way the work doesn't get lost and can be prioritized separately from this merge.
tmilewski
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👍 Just need a changeset here.
chriscanin
commented
Mar 23, 2026
Adding changeset now. |
| // clerk-android is compiled with Kotlin 2.3.x, but Expo/RN projects typically use an older | ||
| // Kotlin version (e.g. 2.1.x). This causes "incompatible version of Kotlin" metadata errors | ||
| // at :app:compileDebugKotlin. Applying -Xskip-metadata-version-check allows the older | ||
| // compiler to read 2.3.x metadata without failing. |
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are there compatibility concerns beyond the version check here that we need to consider?
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I have addressed these with Sam earlier last week, but the issue is that clerk-android's transitive dependencies (specifically kotlinx-serialization-core:1.10.0) are compiled with Kotlin 2.3.x, while Expo SDK 54 & 55 ships Kotlin 2.1.x so the -Xskip-metadata-version-check flag only bypasses the conservative version check on metadata reading. It does not skip the binary compatibility validation.
I believe Kotlin maintains backward compatibility for metadata across minor versions (2.1 reading 2.3). Ideally clerk-android and its peer dependencies will be compiled with the version that expo ships, but it looks like expo is behind by 2 minor versions, and although Sam and I knocked kotlin down to be compiled with 2.1 as well, some of the peer dependencies are still on 2.3, which is causing the error to pop up.
When Sam returns from vacation, I will make sure to meet with him and discuss this, to ensure that the expo and android SDK's are synced up in the best way possible (and with testing too!)
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This is a summary from claude that may help to clear things up as well:
The core issue:clerk-android currently compiles against Kotlin 2.3.x, while Expo SDK 54/55 ships Kotlin 2.1.x. This creates a metadata version mismatch for transitive dependencies — most notably kotlinx-serialization-core:1.10.0, which is compiled with Kotlin 2.3.0 metadata that a 2.1.x compiler refuses to read by default.
Why this flag is safe:-Xskip-metadata-version-check only bypasses the conservative metadata version check — it does not skip binary compatibility validation. Kotlin maintains backward compatibility for metadata across minor versions, so a 2.1.x compiler reading 2.3.x metadata works correctly in practice. The strict check is just being overly cautious.
Why the Android SDK's transitive deps are on 2.3.x: The Android SDK doesn't currently pin or constrain its transitive dependency versions. kotlinx-serialization-json is declared as an api() dependency, which means kotlinx-serialization-core flows through to all consumers. Since kotlinx-serialization:1.10.0 requires Kotlin 2.3.0 (per the kotlinx.serialization compatibility matrix), any consumer on Kotlin 2.1.x will hit this metadata error. Similarly, ktor:3.4.0 brings in its own set of 2.3.x-compiled transitive deps.
What we're doing about it: This flag is the right short-term fix to unblock users. Longer term, I'm working with Sam to ensure the Android SDK and its dependency tree are properly aligned with the Kotlin version that Expo ships, whether that means pinning transitive dependency versions, adding dependency constraints, or maintaining a compatible build configuration specifically for Expo consumers. We'll also be adding proper integration testing to catch these mismatches before they reach users.
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👍 let's add a TODO here so we have a flag to come back and adjust this
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TODO comment has been added. I am also making a linear ticket for this, will link here when completed.
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Summary
Fixes Kotlin metadata version mismatch errors during Android builds with Expo SDK 54/55.
The
clerk-androidnative dependency is compiled with Kotlin 2.3.x, but Expo SDK 54 uses Kotlin 2.1.20 and SDK 55 uses Kotlin 2.1.x. When Gradle resolveskotlinx-serialization-core:1.10.0(a transitive dependency from clerk-android), the older Kotlin compiler can't read the 2.3.x metadata, causing:app:compileDebugKotlinto fail with:The fix adds
-Xskip-metadata-version-checkto all project modules viarootProject.allprojectsin the@clerk/expobuild.gradle. This allows the older compiler to read newer metadata without failing.Wrapped in try/catch for forward compatibility with Gradle's Isolated Projects feature, which may block cross-project configuration in future versions.
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