AWS Chime & Expo: HIPAA-compliant video for React Native teams

AWS Chime is a strong option for adding HIPAA-compliant video to mobile health apps — but until recently, React Native teams had no reliable way to use it with Expo. The only available reference demo was outdated, unmaintained, and incompatible with modern development standards like over-the-air (OTA) updates or TypeScript-first stacks.

To address this, we developed an open-source integration of the AWS Chime SDK using the Expo Modules API. The result is a production-ready, modular foundation for healthcare teams building compliant video experiences on mobile, starting with Android. View the GitHub repo.

Why AWS Chime is a logical choice for healthtech video

For teams already building on AWS, Chime brings practical benefits:

• Native HIPAA compliance and strong SLAs;
• Tight integration with AWS services (API Gateway, Lambda, IAM);
• Scalable real-time media infrastructure;
• Granular SDK control over audio/video features.

However, teams faced a significant blocker: until recently, the official amazon-chime-react-native-demo hadn’t been updated in years. It didn’t support Expo, relied on react-native link, and wasn’t structured for teams shipping fast with TypeScript and OTA updates.

A modular, Expo-compatible Chime integration

We rebuilt the integration from scratch using the Expo Modules API — the modern standard for creating native modules in React Native. This approach enables seamless use within the Expo ecosystem while still accessing native Chime SDK capabilities.

Core architecture

• expo-aws-chime: custom native module wrapping the AWS Chime Android SDK;
• ExpoAWSChimeView: native view for rendering video tiles and managing session display;
• useChimeMeeting and ChimeMeetingProvider: hooks and context for session state;
• Components from Gluestack UI v2, styled with NativeWind utility classes;
• Expo Router for file-based routing, with a clean project structure that separates native implementation logic under /modules and manages state via the React Context API.

Supported features

• Real-time video sessions;
• Audio/video toggle controls;
• Grid layout for multi-participant views;
• Local preview rendering;
• Runtime permission handling (camera/mic).

Currently, this is Android-only. iOS support is in development.

How to run it

To get started, you’ll need an AWS Chime backend deployed using their serverless demo. Once that’s running, configure your local environment:

git clone https://github.com/vintasoftware/expo-chime-demo.git
cd expo-chime-demo
npm install
npx expo run:android

Ensure you utilize a physical Android device, as x86-based emulators are incompatible with Chime.

Use cases in mobile healthcare

This demo was built with healthtech teams in mind. It can serve as the foundation for:

• Embedding HIPAA-compliant video encounters in patient-facing mobile apps, such as virtual doctor visits or remote monitoring check-ins;
• Integrating secure video into EHR workflows or care orchestration flows, allowing clinicians to connect with patients directly from their records system;
• Enabling communication for virtual-first clinics or asynchronous care delivery, supporting both scheduled and on-demand consultations;
• Prototyping MVPs or POCs with low-friction native video infrastructure that meets compliance requirements from day one.

Looking for a application of this module in a complete telehealth experience?
Check out our headless telehealth demo with Tellescope, AWS Chime and Expo.

The architecture is intentionally modular, making it easy to integrate with complementary platforms such as:

• Medplum for structured clinical data and FHIR-native EHR capabilities;
• Awell for low-code care pathway orchestration;
• Tellescope for secure messaging, impersonated patient views, and multi-channel coordination.

What comes next?

Our roadmap includes:

• iOS support with the same module structure;
• Simplified abstraction layers for backend integration;
• Options for session authentication (JWT, IAM);
• Hooks for embedding video within intake flows, asynchronous messaging, or workflows tied to clinical encounters.

This project is designed to go beyond proof-of-concept. It’s a modular, open-source starting point for teams building secure, HIPAA-aligned mobile applications with video at their core.

Got a digital health product in need of video infrastructure?
Reach out for integration support or fork the repository to start building today.