React Native for macOS App Development in 2025

This blog explains how developers can build macOS apps using React Native for Build macOS App in 2025. It highlights the latest tools, improvements in the framework, and how React Native now supports desktop platforms like macOS.

The article also covers key features, setup steps, and reasons why it’s a good fit for multi-platform development. If you're planning to build a desktop app without writing separate code for each platform, this guide can help you start with React Native for macOS.

#ReactNativeforBuildmacOSApp

1. BuildingmacOSApplicationswith
ReactNativein2025
BuildingmacOSApplicationswithReactNativein2025
BuildingappsformacOShasbecomeeasierin2025.ThankstotheimprovementsinReact
NativeanditssupportformacOS,developerscannowcreatehigh-qualitydesktopapplications
withoutswitchingtonativelanguageslikeSwiftorObjective-C.
Inthisblog,we’llgothroughtheprocessofbuildingmacOSapplicationsusingReactNative.
You’llalsolearnwhyReactNativeisastrongoptionfordesktopsoftwareandhowitfitsinto
modernmacOSSoftwareDevelopmentServices.

2. WhyReactNativeIsNowaSeriousOptionformacOS
WhyReactNativeIsNowaSeriousOptionformacOS
ReactNativestartedwithafocusonmobileapps.Overtime,theframeworkexpanded.Now,
withofficialmacOSsupportviareact-native-macos,developerscanbuildformacOS
alongsideiOSandAndroid.
ReactNativeformacOSismaintainedbyMicrosoft.It’sbasedonthesamecorecodebaseas
mobileReactNative,whichallowsforsharedcomponentsandlogic.
Ifyouhaveaproductthatneedstoworkonmultipleplatforms,thiscansavetimeandeffort.
YoucanwriteonceandrunyourcodeonmacOS,iOS,andevenWindowswithsomeminor
adjustments.

3. What'sNewinReactNativemacOSfor2025
What'sNewinReactNativemacOSfor2025
ReactNativemacOShasmaturedalot.ItnowsupportsthelatestmacOSversionslikemacOS
Sonoma.DeveloperscanaccessnativemacOSfeatureswithoutleavingJavaScript.Somekey
updatesin2025include:
●BetterperformancewithAppleSilicon.
●Improvedkeyboardandtrackpadsupport.
●Nativewindowmanagementsupport.
●Built-inmenubarintegration.
●SupportforXcode15andSwift5.10.
ThesefeaturesbringtheReactNativemacOSexperienceclosertowhatusersexpectfroma
nativeapp.

4. SettingUpYourmacOSDevelopmentEnvironment
Beforewritingcode,makesureyoursystemisready.You’llneedaMacrunningthelatest
macOS,preferablyanM1orM2chipforbetterbuildtimes.
1.InstallNode.js,Watchman,andHomebrew
OpenyourterminalandinstallHomebrew:
bash
/bin/bash-c"$(curl-fsSL
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
TheninstallNode.jsandWatchman:
bash
brewinstallnodewatchman
2.InstallXcode
DownloadandinstallXcodefromtheAppStore.Openitatleastoncetocompletethe
installation.
3.CreateaReactNativeProject
UsetheReactNativeCLI:
bash
npxreact-native@latestinitMyMacApp
4.AddmacOSSupport
NavigateintoyourprojectandaddmacOSsupport:
bash

5. npxreact-native-macos-init
ThiscommandaddsthemacOSfolderwithrequiredfiles.
BuildingaSimplemacOSApp
Let’screateasimpleappthatdisplayssysteminfoandupdatesinrealtime.
ProjectStructure
AfteraddingmacOSsupport,yourfolderwillincludeamacosdirectory.Itcontainsnativefiles
likeAppDelegate.mm,Info.plist,andXcodeprojectfiles.
UsingPlatform-SpecificCode
ReactNativeletsyoudetecttheplatformeasily:
js
import{Platform}from'react-native';
if(Platform.OS==='macos'){
//WritemacOS-specificlogic
}
AddingUIComponents
YoucanusestandardReactNativecomponentssuchas:
●View
●Text
●TextInput
●FlatList

6. TheseworkoutoftheboxonmacOS.
AddingNativemacOSFeatures
macOShasfeaturesthatmobileplatformsdon't.ReactNativeletsyouconnecttothemusing
nativemodules.
1.MenuBarIntegration
YoucancreatenativemenuitemsusingmacOS-specificAPIs.Thisisusefulfordesktopapps
thatrelyonkeyboardshortcutsormenuactions.
2.Keyboard&MouseEvents
ReactNativemacOSgivesaccesstonativeinputdevices.Youcanhandle:
●Right-clickevents
●Scrollgestures
●Keyboardinput
3.FileSystemAccess
Accesstothelocalfilesystemisimportantindesktopapps.Youcanusereact-native-fsto
readandwritefiles.
DebuggingYourmacOSApp
ReactNativeprovidesgooddebuggingtoolsfordesktopplatformstoo.
UsingFlipper
FlipperworkswithmacOSbuildsaswell.Itshowslogs,networkrequests,layoutdetails,and
performancemetrics.
ConsoleLogs
Useconsole.log()statementstoprintdebugmessagesdirectlyintoyourterminalorFlipperlogs.

7. XcodeDebugger
Openyour.xcworkspacefileandrunyourappinsideXcode.Youcanthenusebreakpoints
andstep-throughdebuggingonthenativeside.
ImprovingAppSpeedandResponsiveness
WhileReactNativeisefficient,youshouldfollowbestpracticestomaintainfastperformanceon
macOS.
●Avoidrenderingtoomanycomponentsatonce.
●UseFlatListinsteadofScrollViewforlonglists.
●Minimizere-renderswithReact.memo()anduseCallback.
●Offloadheavylogictonativemodulesifneeded.
macOSappsusuallydemandhigherspeed.So,alwaystestyourperformanceunderrealuse.
TopLibrariesCompatiblewithmacOS
HerearesomelibrariesthatworkwellinReactNativemacOSapps:
Library Purpose
react-navigation
Screen
routing
react-native-fs
Fileaccess
react-native-device-
info
Systeminfo
react-native-vector-
icons
Icons

8. react-native-paper
UI
components
Beforeinstalling,alwayschecktheofficialdocumentationtoseeifmacOSissupported.
WhoShouldUseReactNativeformacOSDevelopment
ReactNativeformacOSisgreatfor:
●Teamsbuildingcross-platformproducts.
●SaaStoolsneedingdesktopversions.
●Internalbusinesstoolswithsharedlogic.
●DevelopersalreadyusingReactNativeformobile.
IfyourteamhasexperiencewithJavaScriptandReact,switchingtoReactNativeformacOS
makesperfectsense.
Alsoread:WhichProgrammingLanguageIsBestformacOSDevelopment?
KeyLimitationstoConsider
AlthoughReactNativemacOShasimproved,it’sstillnotperfect.Beawareof:
●Somethird-partylibrariesstilllackmacOSsupport.
●DebuggingnativeissuesmayneedXcodeknowledge.
●AppswithheavygraphicsmightstillrequireSwift.
So,evaluateyourprojectbeforefinalizingyourstack.
Real-WorldUseCasesforReactNativeonmacOS
ReactNativemacOSisalreadybeingusedinrealapps.Someexamplesinclude:
●MicrosoftCodePushClient:Across-platformupdatertoolthatworksonmacOS.

9. ●SlackInternalTools:Slack’sinternalteamhasusedReactNativeforpartsoftheir
dashboard.
●Open-sourcenoteapps:likeNotionclonesarebeingbuiltusingReactNative+
macOS.
ThisshowstherealdemandformacOSSoftwareDevelopmentServicesthatsupportReact
Native-basedworkflows.
Alsoread:MymacOSDevelopmentEnvironmentandHowIt’llChangeintheFuture
macOSSoftwareDevelopmentServices:WhyIt’sWorth
Investing
BusinessesarenowincludingmacOSaspartoftheirplatformstrategy.Withtheriseofremote
workanddesktop-firsttools,desktopappsremaincritical.
ReactNativeallowsfastertime-to-marketforcompaniesthatneedappsonbothdesktopand
mobile.Itcutsdownthecostofbuildingandmaintainingseparateapps.
ThisiswhereprofessionalmacOSSoftwareDevelopmentServicescanmakeadifference.
Experiencedteamscanhelpyouwriteclean,maintainablecodewhileusingtherighttoolsand
libraries.
Ifyourbusinessplanstoreleaseadesktopversionofanapp,considerchoosingapartnerthat
alreadyunderstandsbothReactNativeandthemacOSecosystem.
Alsoread:10IndustriesThatCanBenefitFromCustommacOSApps
HowShivTechnolabsCanHelp
ShivTechnolabsoffersexpertmacOSSoftwareDevelopmentServiceswithastrongfocuson
moderntoolslikeReactNative.Whetheryou'rebuildingaproductivitytooloracustominternal
dashboard,ourteamcansupportyourvisionfromstarttofinish.
Weprovide:
●DedicatedmacOSappdevelopers
●Cross-platformappdevelopmentwithsharedcode
●IntegrationwithAPIs,databases,andthird-partyservices

10. ●Post-launchsupportandversionupgrades
Ifyou’replanningamacOSappusingReactNativein2025,we’rereadytohelpyoumove
forward.Contactustodaytodiscussyourproject.
Conclusion
ReactNativeisnolongerjustamobiletool.Ithasgrownintoamatureframeworkthatnow
powersmacOSappstoo.WithsupportfromMicrosoftandanactivecommunity,it’sagreat
optionformodernappdevelopment.
ByusingReactNativeformacOS,businessescansavetime,reducecosts,andreachawider
audience.Itfitswellintocurrentcross-platformstrategies,especiallyforstartupsandSaaS
companies.
Ifyou'researchingformacOSSoftwareDevelopmentServices,ShivTechnolabshastheright
skillsandexperiencetoturnyourideaintoarealproduct.Reachouttoourteamandbuildyour
nextmacOSappwithconfidence.