Bare React Native Setup - React Native ExecuTorch

This guide walks you through setting up React Native ExecuTorch in a bare React Native project (created without Expo).

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

Node.js 18 or later
React Native development environment set up (React Native CLI Setup)
iOS 17.0+ or Android 13+ device/emulator
Xcode 14+ (for iOS development)
Android Studio (for Android development)
At least 4GB of RAM on your device for LLMs

Important: React Native ExecuTorch requires the New Architecture.

Minimum Version Requirements

iOS: 17.0+
Android: API level 13+
React Native: 0.81+

Step 1: Create or Update React Native Project

Create a New Project

npx @react-native-community/cli@latest init MyAIApp
cd MyAIApp

Update Existing Project

Ensure you’re on React Native 0.81 or later:

cd your-react-native-project
# Check version in package.json

Step 2: Install Dependencies

Install React Native ExecuTorch and bare resource fetcher:

yarn add react-native-executorch
yarn add @react-native-executorch/bare-resource-fetcher
yarn add @dr.pogodin/react-native-fs @kesha-antonov/react-native-background-downloader

Or with npm:

npm install react-native-executorch
npm install @react-native-executorch/bare-resource-fetcher
npm install @dr.pogodin/react-native-fs @kesha-antonov/react-native-background-downloader

Step 3: Link Native Dependencies

iOS Setup

Install CocoaPods dependencies:

cd ios
pod install
cd ..

If you encounter issues, try cleaning and reinstalling:

cd ios
rm -rf Pods Podfile.lock
pod install
cd ..

Android Setup

The Android dependencies should link automatically through autolinking. If you encounter issues, verify your android/build.gradle includes:

allprojects {
    repositories {
        // ... other repositories
        maven {
            // For @kesha-antonov/react-native-background-downloader
            url "$rootDir/../node_modules/@kesha-antonov/react-native-background-downloader/android/libs"
        }
    }
}

Step 4: Configure Native Dependencies

Configure react-native-fs

No additional configuration needed. The library is ready to use after installation. See the react-native-fs documentation for advanced configuration.

Configure react-native-background-downloader

iOS Configuration

Add background modes to your ios/YourApp/Info.plist:

<key>UIBackgroundModes</key>
<array>
  <string>fetch</string>
  <string>processing</string>
</array>

Android Configuration

Add permissions to android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml:

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE"/>
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE"/>

See the background-downloader documentation for more details.

Step 5: Enable New Architecture

React Native ExecuTorch requires the New Architecture.

iOS (New Architecture)

Edit ios/Podfile:

# Enable New Architecture
:fabric_enabled => true

Then reinstall pods:

cd ios
rm -rf Pods Podfile.lock
pod install
cd ..

Android (New Architecture)

Edit android/gradle.properties:

# Enable New Architecture
newArchEnabled=true

Step 6: Initialize Resource Fetcher

Update your app’s entry point (usually index.js or App.tsx):

import { useEffect } from 'react';
import { initExecutorch } from 'react-native-executorch';
import { BareResourceFetcher } from '@react-native-executorch/bare-resource-fetcher';

function App() {
  useEffect(() => {
    // Initialize resource fetcher once at app startup
    initExecutorch({
      resourceFetcher: BareResourceFetcher,
    });
  }, []);

  return (
    // Your app content
  );
}

export default App;

Step 7: Run Your First Model

Create a component to test model loading:

import React, { useState } from 'react';
import {
  View,
  Text,
  Button,
  StyleSheet,
  ScrollView,
} from 'react-native';
import { useLLM, LLAMA3_2_1B, Message } from 'react-native-executorch';

function ChatDemo() {
  const llm = useLLM({ model: LLAMA3_2_1B });
  const [messages, setMessages] = useState<Message[]>([
    { role: 'system', content: 'You are a helpful assistant' },
  ]);

  const handleAskQuestion = async () => {
    const question = 'What is React Native?';
    const updatedMessages = [
      ...messages,
      { role: 'user', content: question },
    ];
    setMessages(updatedMessages);

    try {
      await llm.generate(updatedMessages);
      console.log('AI Response:', llm.response);
    } catch (error) {
      console.error('Generation error:', error);
    }
  };

  return (
    <ScrollView contentContainerStyle={styles.container}>
      <Text style={styles.title}>React Native ExecuTorch Demo</Text>

      {!llm.isReady && (
        <View style={styles.loadingContainer}>
          <Text>Loading model...</Text>
          <Text>Progress: {Math.round(llm.downloadProgress * 100)}%</Text>
        </View>
      )}

      {llm.error && (
        <View style={styles.errorContainer}>
          <Text style={styles.errorText}>Error: {llm.error.message}</Text>
        </View>
      )}

      {llm.isReady && (
        <View style={styles.readyContainer}>
          <Text style={styles.readyText}>Model is ready!</Text>
          <Button
            title={llm.isGenerating ? 'Generating...' : 'Ask Question'}
            onPress={handleAskQuestion}
            disabled={llm.isGenerating}
          />
        </View>
      )}

      {llm.response && (
        <View style={styles.responseContainer}>
          <Text style={styles.responseLabel}>AI Response:</Text>
          <Text style={styles.responseText}>{llm.response}</Text>
        </View>
      )}
    </ScrollView>
  );
}

const styles = StyleSheet.create({
  container: {
    flexGrow: 1,
    padding: 20,
    backgroundColor: '#fff',
  },
  title: {
    fontSize: 24,
    fontWeight: 'bold',
    marginBottom: 20,
  },
  loadingContainer: {
    padding: 20,
    backgroundColor: '#f0f0f0',
    borderRadius: 8,
  },
  readyContainer: {
    marginVertical: 20,
  },
  readyText: {
    color: 'green',
    fontSize: 16,
    marginBottom: 10,
  },
  errorContainer: {
    padding: 20,
    backgroundColor: '#ffe0e0',
    borderRadius: 8,
  },
  errorText: {
    color: 'red',
  },
  responseContainer: {
    marginTop: 20,
    padding: 15,
    backgroundColor: '#e8f4f8',
    borderRadius: 8,
  },
  responseLabel: {
    fontWeight: 'bold',
    fontSize: 16,
    marginBottom: 10,
  },
  responseText: {
    fontSize: 14,
    lineHeight: 20,
  },
});

export default ChatDemo;

Step 8: Build and Run

iOS

npx react-native run-ios

Or open ios/YourApp.xcworkspace in Xcode and build from there. Note: Test on physical devices for accurate performance. Simulators may not reflect real-world behavior.

Android

Start Metro bundler:

npx react-native start

In a new terminal, run:

npx react-native run-android

Important: For LLM testing, increase emulator RAM to 4GB+ in AVD Manager.

Using BareResourceFetcher Features

Loading Models from Different Sources

import { useLLM } from 'react-native-executorch';

// 1. From remote URL
const llm1 = useLLM({
  model: {
    modelSource: 'https://huggingface.co/your-model/model.pte',
    tokenizerSource: 'https://huggingface.co/your-model/tokenizer.bin',
    tokenizerConfigSource: 'https://huggingface.co/your-model/tokenizer_config.json',
  },
});

// 2. From local assets
const llm2 = useLLM({
  model: {
    modelSource: require('./assets/model.pte'),
    tokenizerSource: require('./assets/tokenizer.bin'),
    tokenizerConfigSource: require('./assets/tokenizer_config.json'),
  },
});

// 3. From local filesystem
const llm3 = useLLM({
  model: {
    modelSource: 'file:///path/to/model.pte',
    tokenizerSource: 'file:///path/to/tokenizer.bin',
    tokenizerConfigSource: 'file:///path/to/tokenizer_config.json',
  },
});

Managing Downloads

import { BareResourceFetcher } from '@react-native-executorch/bare-resource-fetcher';

// Download with progress tracking and background support
const downloadModel = async () => {
  const modelUrl = 'https://example.com/model.pte';

  try {
    const paths = await BareResourceFetcher.fetch(
      (progress) => {
        console.log(`Download progress: ${Math.round(progress * 100)}%`);
      },
      modelUrl
    );
    console.log('Downloaded to:', paths);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Download failed:', error);
  }
};

// Pause download
await BareResourceFetcher.pauseFetching(modelUrl);

// Resume download
await BareResourceFetcher.resumeFetching(modelUrl);

// Cancel download
await BareResourceFetcher.cancelFetching(modelUrl);

Note: Background downloads continue even when the app is backgrounded, thanks to react-native-background-downloader.

Managing Storage

import { BareResourceFetcher } from '@react-native-executorch/bare-resource-fetcher';

// List all downloaded files
const files = await BareResourceFetcher.listDownloadedFiles();
console.log('Downloaded files:', files);

// List only model files (.pte)
const models = await BareResourceFetcher.listDownloadedModels();
console.log('Model files:', models);

// Check total size
const totalSize = await BareResourceFetcher.getFilesTotalSize(
  'https://model1.pte',
  'https://model2.pte'
);
console.log(`Total size: ${totalSize / 1024 / 1024} MB`);

// Delete unused models
await BareResourceFetcher.deleteResources('https://old-model.pte');

File Storage Location

BareResourceFetcher stores files in:

iOS: {DocumentDirectory}/react-native-executorch/
Android: {DocumentDirectory}/react-native-executorch/

Files persist across app restarts but are deleted when the app is uninstalled.

Platform-Specific Configuration

iOS: Increase Memory Limit

For large models, you may need to increase the memory limit in Xcode:

Open ios/YourApp.xcworkspace
Select your target
Go to “Signing & Capabilities”
Add “Increased Memory Limit” capability (if available)

Android: Increase Heap Size

Edit android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml:

<application
  android:name=".MainApplication"
  android:largeHeap="true"
  ...>
</application>

Edit android/gradle.properties:

org.gradle.jvmargs=-Xmx4096m -XX:MaxPermSize=512m

Troubleshooting

Native Module Not Found

If you see “Native module not found” errors:

Clean and rebuild:

iOS:

cd ios
rm -rf Pods Podfile.lock
pod install
cd ..
npx react-native run-ios

Android:

cd android
./gradlew clean
cd ..
npx react-native run-android

Reset Metro cache:

npx react-native start --reset-cache

Resource Fetcher Not Initialized

Error: ResourceFetcherAdapterNotInitialized Solution: Ensure initExecutorch() is called before using any hooks:

import { initExecutorch } from 'react-native-executorch';
import { BareResourceFetcher } from '@react-native-executorch/bare-resource-fetcher';

initExecutorch({
  resourceFetcher: BareResourceFetcher,
});

Background Download Not Working

If background downloads aren’t working: iOS: Verify UIBackgroundModes in Info.plist Android: Check permissions in AndroidManifest.xml

New Architecture Issues

If you encounter architecture-related errors:

Verify newArchEnabled=true in android/gradle.properties
Verify :fabric_enabled => true in ios/Podfile
Clean and rebuild both platforms

Example: Complete Chat Application

Here’s a complete chat application example:

import React, { useState, useEffect } from 'react';
import {
  View,
  Text,
  TextInput,
  FlatList,
  TouchableOpacity,
  StyleSheet,
  KeyboardAvoidingView,
  Platform,
  SafeAreaView,
} from 'react-native';
import { useLLM, LLAMA3_2_1B, Message } from 'react-native-executorch';

function ChatApp() {
  const llm = useLLM({ model: LLAMA3_2_1B });
  const [input, setInput] = useState('');
  const [displayMessages, setDisplayMessages] = useState<Message[]>([]);

  useEffect(() => {
    if (llm.messageHistory.length > 0) {
      setDisplayMessages(llm.messageHistory);
    }
  }, [llm.messageHistory]);

  const handleSend = async () => {
    if (!input.trim() || !llm.isReady || llm.isGenerating) return;

    const userMessage = input;
    setInput('');

    // Show user message immediately
    setDisplayMessages(prev => [
      ...prev,
      { role: 'user', content: userMessage },
    ]);

    try {
      await llm.sendMessage(userMessage);
    } catch (error) {
      console.error('Error sending message:', error);
    }
  };

  const renderMessage = ({ item }: { item: Message }) => (
    <View
      style={[
        styles.messageBubble,
        item.role === 'user' ? styles.userBubble : styles.aiBubble,
      ]}
    >
      <Text style={styles.messageRole}>
        {item.role === 'user' ? 'You' : 'AI'}
      </Text>
      <Text style={styles.messageText}>{item.content}</Text>
    </View>
  );

  return (
    <SafeAreaView style={styles.container}>
      <View style={styles.header}>
        <Text style={styles.headerTitle}>AI Chat</Text>
        {!llm.isReady && (
          <Text style={styles.headerStatus}>
            Loading model... {Math.round(llm.downloadProgress * 100)}%
          </Text>
        )}
        {llm.error && (
          <Text style={styles.headerError}>Error: {llm.error.message}</Text>
        )}
      </View>

      <FlatList
        data={displayMessages}
        renderItem={renderMessage}
        keyExtractor={(_, index) => index.toString()}
        contentContainerStyle={styles.messageList}
        inverted={false}
      />

      <KeyboardAvoidingView
        behavior={Platform.OS === 'ios' ? 'padding' : 'height'}
        keyboardVerticalOffset={Platform.OS === 'ios' ? 90 : 0}
      >
        <View style={styles.inputContainer}>
          <TextInput
            style={styles.textInput}
            value={input}
            onChangeText={setInput}
            placeholder="Type your message..."
            editable={llm.isReady && !llm.isGenerating}
            multiline
            maxLength={500}
          />
          <TouchableOpacity
            style={[
              styles.sendButton,
              (!llm.isReady || llm.isGenerating || !input.trim()) &&
                styles.sendButtonDisabled,
            ]}
            onPress={handleSend}
            disabled={!llm.isReady || llm.isGenerating || !input.trim()}
          >
            <Text style={styles.sendButtonText}>
              {llm.isGenerating ? '•••' : 'Send'}
            </Text>
          </TouchableOpacity>
        </View>
      </KeyboardAvoidingView>
    </SafeAreaView>
  );
}

const styles = StyleSheet.create({
  container: {
    flex: 1,
    backgroundColor: '#ffffff',
  },
  header: {
    padding: 16,
    borderBottomWidth: 1,
    borderBottomColor: '#e0e0e0',
    backgroundColor: '#f8f9fa',
  },
  headerTitle: {
    fontSize: 20,
    fontWeight: '600',
  },
  headerStatus: {
    fontSize: 12,
    color: '#666',
    marginTop: 4,
  },
  headerError: {
    fontSize: 12,
    color: '#d32f2f',
    marginTop: 4,
  },
  messageList: {
    padding: 16,
  },
  messageBubble: {
    maxWidth: '75%',
    padding: 12,
    borderRadius: 16,
    marginBottom: 12,
  },
  userBubble: {
    alignSelf: 'flex-end',
    backgroundColor: '#007AFF',
  },
  aiBubble: {
    alignSelf: 'flex-start',
    backgroundColor: '#e8e8e8',
  },
  messageRole: {
    fontSize: 10,
    fontWeight: '600',
    marginBottom: 4,
    opacity: 0.7,
  },
  messageText: {
    fontSize: 14,
    lineHeight: 20,
  },
  inputContainer: {
    flexDirection: 'row',
    padding: 12,
    borderTopWidth: 1,
    borderTopColor: '#e0e0e0',
    backgroundColor: '#ffffff',
  },
  textInput: {
    flex: 1,
    borderWidth: 1,
    borderColor: '#d0d0d0',
    borderRadius: 20,
    paddingHorizontal: 16,
    paddingVertical: 8,
    marginRight: 8,
    maxHeight: 100,
    fontSize: 14,
  },
  sendButton: {
    backgroundColor: '#007AFF',
    borderRadius: 20,
    paddingHorizontal: 20,
    justifyContent: 'center',
    alignItems: 'center',
  },
  sendButtonDisabled: {
    backgroundColor: '#cccccc',
  },
  sendButtonText: {
    color: '#ffffff',
    fontWeight: '600',
    fontSize: 14,
  },
});

export default ChatApp;

Next Steps

Explore available models
Learn about Performance Optimization
Understand Memory Management
Check the Troubleshooting Guide
Learn about Custom Models

Getting Started

Core Concepts

Large Language Models

Computer Vision

Speech & Audio

Text Embeddings

Advanced

Guides

​Prerequisites

​Minimum Version Requirements

​Step 1: Create or Update React Native Project

​Create a New Project

​Update Existing Project

​Step 2: Install Dependencies

​Step 3: Link Native Dependencies

​iOS Setup

​Android Setup

​Step 4: Configure Native Dependencies

​Configure react-native-fs

​Configure react-native-background-downloader

​iOS Configuration

​Android Configuration

​Step 5: Enable New Architecture

​iOS (New Architecture)

​Android (New Architecture)

​Step 6: Initialize Resource Fetcher

​Step 7: Run Your First Model

​Step 8: Build and Run

​iOS

​Android

​Using BareResourceFetcher Features

​Loading Models from Different Sources

​Managing Downloads

​Managing Storage

​File Storage Location

​Platform-Specific Configuration

​iOS: Increase Memory Limit

​Android: Increase Heap Size

​Troubleshooting

​Native Module Not Found

​Resource Fetcher Not Initialized

​Background Download Not Working

​New Architecture Issues

​Example: Complete Chat Application

​Next Steps

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