E_IAP_NOT_AVAILABLE in Expo React Native & UI Not Rendering in TestFlight - Issue with In-App Purchases

[EderFornero]

Body

Hello, I am experiencing issues with in-app purchases while using react-native-iap in an Expo React Native (Managed Workflow) project with TypeScript.

Issue Summary

1. Development Mode (Simulator & Physical Device):

• When the app initializes with withIAPContext, I immediately get this error:
  E_IAP_NOT_AVAILABLE
• This prevents the purchase flow from starting and subscriptions from loading.

2. TestFlight (Production Environment):

• The SubscriptionsIOS.tsx component does not render at all.
• No visible errors appear, but in-app purchases do not load, leaving a blank screen.

Steps to Reproduce

• Open the app on an iOS simulator or physical device.
• Navigate to the SubscriptionsIOS.tsx component where in-app purchases should be executed.
• The error E_IAP_NOT_AVAILABLE appears immediately.
• When testing in TestFlight, the app does not crash, but nothing renders in the SubscriptionsIOS.tsx component.

Expected Behavior

• The app should successfully initialize in-app purchases and display available subscriptions.
• The UI should render correctly in TestFlight.

What I Have Tried So Far

✅ Enabled In-App Purchases in Apple Developer and App Store Connect.
✅ Ensured the bundle identifier matches the one registered in App Store Connect.
✅ Tested with a Sandbox account.
✅ Verified my react-native-iap implementation.
✅ Properly restored transactions.

Project Information

• Expo SDK: ~51.0.20
• react-native-iap version: ~12.16.2
• React Native version: 0.74.3

I would appreciate any help on how to resolve this issue or any debugging tips.
Thank you in advance!

[richardfariax]

E_IAP_NOT_AVAILABLE on the simulator is normal — StoreKit basically doesn't work there.

For a real device + TestFlight:

1. You need a custom dev client (expo-dev-client) or a prebuild — IAP won't work in Expo Go.
2. Use a Sandbox Apple ID (Settings → App Store → Sandbox Account), not your personal Apple ID.
3. In App Store Connect: products created, agreements/tax/banking complete, bundle ID matches.
4. Call initConnection() once at startup and wait before rendering the purchase screen — a lot of "blank UI" cases are the component mounting before IAP is ready.

If you can share whether you're on Expo Go vs a dev build, and when you call initConnection / getProducts, easier to narrow down.