Bundle Identifier

Also called Bundle ID, Application ID, Package name

Part of
React Native Glossary
Related
Code SigningApp Store ConnectGoogle Play ConsoleApp Config
Mentioned in
API Keys in Mobile AppsApp ConfigApp Store ConnectCode SigningExpo GoUniversal LinksXcode
Updated

What is Bundle Identifier in React Native?

A bundle identifier is the unique reverse-DNS ID, such as com.acme.shop, that iOS, Android and the app stores use to tell your app apart from every other app.

A bundle identifier is the permanent, unique ID of your app, written in reverse-domain style such as com.acme.shop. iOS calls it the bundle identifier; Android calls it the application ID, often still called the package name. Both platforms and both stores use it to decide whether two builds are the same app.

Where it is set in a React Native project:

  • iOS — PRODUCT_BUNDLE_IDENTIFIER in the Xcode build settings.
  • Android — applicationId in android/app/build.gradle.
  • Expo — ios.bundleIdentifier and android.package in your app config.
{
  "expo": {
    "ios": { "bundleIdentifier": "com.acme.shop" },
    "android": { "package": "com.acme.shop" }
  }
}

Why it matters: once you upload a build to App Store Connect or the Google Play Console, the identifier is locked to that listing. Changing it later means publishing a brand-new app, losing reviews, downloads and existing users’ upgrade path. Pick it deliberately before the first upload.

It also ties into other systems. iOS provisioning profiles and push certificates are issued per bundle ID, so code signing fails when the two disagree. Firebase config files, OAuth redirect setups and Universal Links all reference it too.

Common confusions:

  • On Android, applicationId and the Gradle namespace (the Kotlin package of your source code) are separate. You can change the store ID without renaming source folders.
  • Installing a debug and a release build side by side requires different IDs, often done with a suffix such as .dev.
  • The iOS and Android IDs do not have to match, but keeping them identical saves confusion in every dashboard.