Setting Up React Native (Expo Bare + TypeScript) Development Environment on macOS

If you’re starting with React Native (Expo Bare + TypeScript) on macOS, you need a complete setup for Android and iOS development. This guide covers everything from installing prerequisites to running the app on simulators.

👉 Reference Repo: rn-expo-typescript-bare-template

🔧 System Setup

1. Install Homebrew

bash/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

2. Install Node & NPM

bashbrew install node

3. Install Git

bashbrew install git

Set up your Git identity: 👉 Git username and email setup

4. Install Watchman

bashbrew install watchman

5. Install Java JDK (17)

bashbrew install openjdk@17
sudo ln -sfn /opt/homebrew/opt/openjdk@17/libexec/openjdk.jdk /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/openjdk-17.jdk

Add to your ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc:

bashexport JAVA_HOME=$(/usr/libexec/java_home -v17)
export PATH=$JAVA_HOME/bin:$PATH
source ~/.zshrc

6. Install CocoaPods (for iOS)

bashbrew install cocoapods

7. Install Expo CLI

bashnpm install -g expo-cli

8. Install VS Code

👉 Download VS Code

📱 Android & iOS Setup

Android Studio

👉 Download Android Studio

Android Studio
Android Studio: Guide
Open Android Studio
Install SDKs & Emulator
Update local.properties inside /android folder with your SDK path:

bashsdk.dir=/Users/username/Library/Android/sdk

Xcode (for iOS)

👉 Download Xcode

Switch versions if you maintain multiple Xcodes:

bashsudo xcode-select -s /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer
sudo xcode-select -s ~/Downloads/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer

Open .xcworkspace in Xcode to build for iOS.

📂 Project Setup

1. Clone the project:

bashgit clone <your-repo-url>
cd rn-expo-typescript-bare-template

2. Install dependencies:

bashnpm install

3. For react-native-snap-carousel issue, import `ViewPropTypes` manually:

bashimport { ViewPropTypes } from 'deprecated-react-native-prop-types';

Update inside:

react-native-snap-carousel/src/carousel
pagination, paginationDot, parallaxImage

4. iOS setup:

bashcd ios
pod install
cd ..

5. Run the app:

bashnpm run ios
npm run android

✅ Wrap-Up

You now have a fully functional React Native (Expo Bare + TypeScript) setup on macOS 🚀. This covers Node, JDK, Android Studio, Xcode, Git, Expo CLI, Pods, VS Code, and extra dev tools.

📌 Reference Repo: rn-expo-typescript-bare-template

Setting Up React Native (Expo Bare + TypeScript) Development Environment on macOS