Problem with Spotify OAuth 2.0 + PKCE in React Native (Expo) – INVALID_CLIENT: Invalid redirect URI

abayram — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 13:28:29 GMT

Environment

Devices: iPhone 14 Simulator, iPhone 14 Pro (Real Device)
OS Versions: iOS 16.4, iOS 18.3.2
Framework: React Native (with Expo)
Auth Library: expo-auth-session
Authorization Flow: Authorization Code Flow with PKCE enable

Problem Description

I'm implementing Spotify OAuth 2.0 with PKCE in a React Native (Expo) app using expo-auth-session.

When usePKCE is set to false, everything works perfectly — the Authorization Code Flow without PKCE works as expected, and I can successfully log in.

However, as soon as I switch to PKCE (usePKCE: true), I encounter this error:

INVALID_CLIENT: Invalid redirect URI
HTTP 400 Bad Request status_text: (empty)

What I've Checked

My redirect URIs are correctly registered in the Spotify Developer Dashboard
I’ve debugged with WebView on both simulator and real device — nothing helpful surfaced.
I’ve manually generated and tested code_verifier and code_challenge, following the PKCE specs.
Authorization Code Flow without PKCE works flawlessly.

Questions

Has anyone successfully implemented Spotify OAuth 2.0 + PKCE in a React Native (Expo) app using expo-auth-session?
Could this be an issue with how Spotify handles PKCE with custom redirect URIs?
Is there anything specifically required by Spotify for PKCE to work that might be undocumented?

Thanks in advance!