[expo] Android spec hard-requires ClerkExpo native module at import time — crashes Expo Go even for JS-only flows

[warlock1987]

Preliminary checks

• I have reviewed the documentation and searched existing issues — no existing report of this.

Reproduction / affected versions

@clerk/expo 3.4.0 through 3.7.8 (and the latest 3.7.9-canary as of 2026-07-18) — verified by unpacking each version's npm tarball.

Environment: Expo SDK 57, React Native 0.86, managed workflow, Expo Go on Android (emulator or device).

What happens

On Android in Expo Go, importing ClerkProvider crashes at module-load time, before any Clerk code runs:

Uncaught Error: Cannot find native module 'ClerkExpo'

Why

dist/specs/NativeClerkModule.android.js calls the throwing variant at module top level:

var NativeClerkModule_android_default = (0, expo.requireNativeModule)("ClerkExpo");

while the iOS/default dist/specs/NativeClerkModule.js uses requireOptionalNativeModule("ClerkExpo") (returns null when absent).

The guard in src/utils/native-module.ts clearly intends graceful degradation:

function loadNativeModule() {
  if (!isNativeSupported) return null;
  let nativeModule = null;
  try {
    nativeModule = src_specs_NativeClerkModule.default;
  } catch (e) {}
  if (isClerkExpoModule(nativeModule)) return nativeModule;
  return null;
}

…but on Android the throw happens inside Metro's platform-resolved require("../specs/NativeClerkModule") — above that try/catch — so the guard never executes. The import chain ClerkProvider → provider/nativeClientSync → utils/native-module → spec is unconditional, so every Android Expo Go app crashes at startup regardless of which Clerk features it uses.

Expected

The Expo quickstart states the JavaScript-only custom-flow approach "works in Expo Go — no dev build required." That holds on iOS (optional require → null → guard handles it) but is currently impossible on Android.

Steps to reproduce

1. Expo SDK 57 managed app, @clerk/expo@3.7.8
2. Wrap the root layout in <ClerkProvider publishableKey={…}> — JS-only email/password flow, no native components, no OAuth
3. Open in Expo Go on Android → crash on launch
4. Same app in Expo Go on iOS → works

Suggested fix

Use requireOptionalNativeModule in src/specs/NativeClerkModule.android.ts (one line), letting the existing loadNativeModule() guard do its job. We've confirmed this works via a local pnpm patch — JS-only auth flows (email/password + email-code verification + sign-out, secure-store token cache) then run fine in Android Expo Go, and development builds that compile the module are unaffected since the optional require returns it when present.