Installation

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+
• Expo CLI (npx expo)
• iOS: Xcode 16+ with Command Line Tools
• Android: Android Studio with NDK installed (optional, Rust and C++ only)
• Rust (optional): curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh

Quick start

The fastest way to get started — a pre-configured Expo template with a C++ example:

npx create-expo-app my-app --template @react-native-native/template-starter
cd my-app

This includes metro.config.js, tsconfig.json, .gitignore, and a hello.cpp example ready to go. Skip to Build and run.

Add to an existing project

npx expo install @react-native-native/nativ-fabric

Configure native builds

Add the config plugin to your app.json:

{
  "expo": {
    "plugins": [
      "@react-native-native/nativ-fabric"
    ]
  }
}

Build and run

Create a Development Build locally or via EAS:

# Local build — iOS
npx expo run:ios

# Local build — Android
npx expo run:android

# Or via EAS Build
eas build --profile development

Once the build is installed, start Metro:

npx expo start

That's it. You're ready to write native code.

Setup wizard

Run the interactive setup to configure toolchains for the languages you want to use:

npx nativ setup

This asks which platforms and languages you need, then installs the required toolchains. You can also run individual setup commands directly:

npx nativ setup rust      # Rust targets + Cargo.toml
npx nativ setup kotlin    # Kotlin compiler toolchain
npx nativ setup compose   # Jetpack Compose (includes Kotlin)

C++ and Swift require no additional setup — Xcode and the Android NDK provide everything needed.

Use --platform to limit setup to a single platform:

npx nativ setup rust --platform ios

After setup, run doctor to verify everything is configured correctly:

npx nativ doctor

See Troubleshooting for common issues.

Expo compatibility

React Native Native requires a Development Build — a custom-compiled version of your app that includes the native runtime. This works on both physical devices and simulators.

If you're used to Expo Go, the switch to Development Builds is a one-time setup — after that the workflow is identical, with the added ability to run native code.

Next steps