How can I regenerate ios folder in React Native project?

Question

So a while ago I deleted the /ios directory in my react native app (let's call it X). I've been developing and testing using the android emulator but now I'd like to make sure it works on ios with xcode simulator etc.

So my current idea is to create a new react native bare project (let's call it Y) with ios folder, then follow these steps to rename Y so that it has the name of X and then moving the /ios directory from Y into X and trying to run-ios.

I'll update here how that goes, but I wondered if there is a better way and has nobody been in this situation before?

I've googled lots of things 'regenerate ios folder' 'deleted ios folder' 'add ios folder to existing..' and nothing helpful. Maybe my googlefu isn't good enough but if anyone has any suggestions, much appreciated.

Step 2 will be making sure it compiles because of dependencies and stuff but for now my goal is to just get the /ios folder back in the project and for React Native to be aware of it's existence (it has all the necessary config).

Thanks

Answer 1

The process you need to follow is so similar to renaming a react native app. Basically you just need to run react-native upgrade in your root project directory. For further info you can check another question here. The instructions below explains how to create another react native project based on a copied one with a new name.

• First copy the directory which your to-be-name-changed application exists. And go to your newly cloned directory.
• Change the name at index.ios/android.js file which is given as a parameter to AppRegistry.
• Change the name and version accordingly on package.json
• Delete /ios and /android folders which are remaining from your older app.
• Run $react-native upgrade to generate /ios and /android folders again.
• Run $react-native link for any native dependency.
• Finally run $react-native run-ios or anything you want.

Answer 2

Simply remove/delete android and ios (keep backup android and ios folder) and run following command:

  react-native eject

Supported version : 
    react-native <= 0.59.10
    react-native-cli <= 1.3.0 



   react-native upgrade --legacy true

Supported version : 
        react-native >= 0.60.0
        react-native-cli >= 2.1.0 

Ref : link

Edited(March 2021)

npm i react-native-eject
npm i @react-native-community/cli
react-native eject

will generate the both android and ios folder.

Ref.: link

Answer 3

Note as of react-native 0.60.x you can use the following to regenerate ios/android directories:

react-native upgrade --legacy true

Credit here: https://github.com/facebook/react-native/issues/25526

Answer 4

As @Alok mentioned in the comments, you can do react-native eject to generate the ios and android folders. But you will need an app.json in your project first.

{"name": "example", "displayName": "Example"}

Answer 5

It seems like react-native eject is no more available. The only way I could find for recreating the ios folder was to generate it from scratch.

Take a backup of your ios folder

mv /path_to_your_old_project/ios /path_to_your_backup_dir/ios_backup

Navigate to a temporary directory and create a new project with the same name as your current project

react-native init project_name
mv project_name/ios /path_to_your_old_project/ios

Install the pod dependencies inside the ios folder within your project

cd /path_to_your_old_project/ios
pod install

Answer 6

❯ react-native eject

error Unrecognized command "eject". info Run "react-native --help" to see a list of all available commands.

❯ react-native upgrade --legacy true

error: unknown option `--legacy'

You can init a new project that's named the same in another folder and copy ios dir over:

inside YourProjectName directory

npx react-native init YourProjectName
mv YourProjectName/ios ios
rm -rf YourProjectName

Make sure you have clean git history before doing so, in case you need to revert

Answer 7

This is too late, but for anyone who is still having same issue and have a detached react native app, what i did for me I just run exp detach over my detached app and it created ios folder!

Answer 8

Since react-native eject is depreciated in 60.3 and I was getting diff errors trying to upgrade form 60.1 to 60.3 regenerating the android folder was not working.

I had to

rm -R node_modules

Then update react-native in package.json to 59.1 (remove package-lock.json)

Run

npm install

react-native eject

This will regenerate your android and ios folders Finally upgrade back to 60.3

react-native upgrade

react-native upgrade while back and 59.1 did not regenerate my android folder so the eject was necessary.

Answer 9

If you are lost with errors like module not found there is noway other the than following method if you have used react native CLI.I had faced similar issue as a result of openning xcode project from .xcodeproj file instead of .xcworkspace. Also please note that react-native eject only for Expo project.

The only workaround to regenarate ios and android folders within a react native project is the following.

• Generate a project with same name using the command react-native init
• Backup your old project ios and android directories into a backup location
• Then copy ios and android directories from newly created project into your old not working project
• Run pod install within the copied ios directory

Now your problem should be solved

Answer 10

I just found myself with this problem too, but I just solved it.

Surely when running the "react-native upgrade" command, it gave them the message that it was not necessary to update or with the command "react-native eject" that the command is not recognized.

react-native upgrade

Now you should use the react-native upgrade --legacy true command to back up your android folders or ios as the case may be as this command will replace your files.

react-native upgrade --legacy true

Now it's just telling you not to replace your package.json

Answer 11

1. Open Terminal/cmd
2. Move to the folder/directory where the project "ProjectName" folder exist(Do not go into project directory)
3. run command as: react-native init "ProjectName" and it will warn that project directory already exist but you continue.
4. It will install all updated node modules as well as missing platform (android/ios) folders inside project without disturbing the code already written.
5. cd "ProjectName" and then cd ios and then run pod install

PS: Take backup of your code in case it changes App.js

Answer 12

UPDATE 2020. React Native 0.63.3 no longer support this command react-native eject. Also react-native upgrade responsible for - Upgrade your app's template files to the specified or latest npm version using rn-diff-purge project.

Available options can be found thought this command react-native --help

Answer 13

Working steps 2021.

• Delete /ios /android
• Change the app name to new name in /app.json and package.json
• Run npx react-native upgrade - this is important even if platform files are not generated.
• Create a separate directory and run npx react-native init NewProjectName there.
• Copy ios and android folders from generated project to the old project
• Run pod install in /ios in old project
• Run cd .. && npx react-native run-ios

Answer 14

i faced the same issue in react native .63 version. I tried above all methods but didn't worked. So, I tried like this deleted android/ios folders in my old project tree and initiated a new project with similar name in another folder, later copied android/ios folders from new project to old project and reset cache using react-native start --reset-cache and run react-native run-android and my attempt was successfull.

Answer 15

As of end of August 2021 and [email protected] / [email protected] none of presented solutions work for me. expo-cli cannot work with modern react-native downgrading package.json and messing up all dependencies to a state where I cannot use neither react-native run-android nor expo run:android.

I have reported this issue on project GitHub. Feel free to comment and support for some reasonable solution in this area:

https://github.com/facebook/react-native/issues/32109

Answer 16

Remove the ios folder first

 react-native eject 
 cd ios/ 
 pod init 
 pod install 
 cd .. 
 react-native link 
 cd ios 
 open *.xcworkspace/