How to Set Up Clerk Authentication with Expo Router: Protected Routes, MFA, and Social Login

This guide provides a comprehensive overview of setting up Clerk authentication in a React Native app using Expo Router, focusing on creating a robust authentication foundation. It involves setting up the Expo project, configuring ClerkProvider with token caching, and building core authentication screens such as sign-in and sign-up with email/password, two-factor verification, and protected routes using route group layouts. The guide explains the challenges of mobile authentication compared to web, such as secure token storage and OAuth flow complexities, and highlights how Expo Router's file-based routing system organizes routes with route groups and layout routes. Clerk's Core 3 SDK offers hooks for custom auth flows and native components for integration, while expo-secure-store ensures secure token caching. The guide emphasizes the significance of securely protecting routes using useAuth() redirects in group layouts, ensuring that authenticated and unauthenticated areas are appropriately managed. Part 2 promises to extend these foundational features with additional functionalities like user profiles, multi-factor authentication, and native social logins for Google and Apple.

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