React Native App Setup Guide (for Android)

Welcome! This guide will help you set up and run this already-initialized React Native project (from GitHub) on your Windows or macOS computer for Android development.

---

✅ Prerequisites

Before we begin, make sure you have the following installed:

1. Node.js

• Download and install from: https://nodejs.org
• After install, open a terminal or command prompt and run:

node -v
npm -v

You should see version numbers if it worked.

2. Java Development Kit (JDK)

*R eact Native also requires Java SE Development Kit (JDK), which can be installed using Chocolatey.

• Open an Administrator Command Prompt (right click Command Prompt and select "Run as Administrator"), then run the following command:

choco install -y microsoft-openjdk17

• If you have already installed Node on your system, make sure it is Node 18 or newer. If you already have a JDK on your system, we recommend JDK17. You may encounter problems using higher JDK versions.

3. Android Studio

• Download from: https://developer.android.com/studio

• During installation, select these:

  • Android SDK
  • Android SDK Platform
  • Android Virtual Device (AVD)

4. React Native CLI

Note: This guide is for React Native CLI, not Expo.

Install it globally:

npm install -g react-native-cli

---

🚀 How to Set Up and Run the Project (Android)

Step 1: Clone the project from GitHub

Open a terminal or command prompt and run:

git clone https://github.com/VoicenterTeam/opensips-react-native-demo.git
cd opensips-react-native-demo

Replace the GitHub link with your actual repo URL.

Step 2: Install dependencies

Inside the project folder, run:

yarn

or

npm install

This will install all required packages listed in package.json.

Step 3: Set up Android environment variables (Windows only)

Add the following to your environment variables:

• ANDROID_HOME = C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk

• Add these to your System PATH:

  • %ANDROID_HOME%\emulator
  • %ANDROID_HOME%\tools
  • %ANDROID_HOME%\tools\bin
  • %ANDROID_HOME%\platform-tools

On macOS, this step is usually handled automatically by Android Studio.

Step 4: Start Android emulator or connect a device

• Open Android Studio
• Go to Tools > Device Manager
• Launch a virtual device (or connect your Android phone with USB debugging enabled)

Step 5: Run the app on Android (via Terminal)

In the terminal (inside the project folder), run:

yarn run android

or

npx react-native run-android

This will build and install the app on your emulator or connected device.

✅ Alternative: Run the App from Android Studio

If you prefer using the graphical interface of Android Studio:

1.In the terminal (inside the project folder), run:

yarn start

or

npx react-native start

2. Open Android Studio
3. Click File > Open and select the android folder from the cloned project
4. Wait for the Gradle sync to complete (may take a few minutes)
5. On the top toolbar, select a running device or emulator
6. Click the green "Run" ▶️ button (or press Shift + F10)

This will build and run the app using Android Studio.

---

🛠 Common Fixes

"SDK location not found"

Ensure ANDROID_HOME is set correctly and tools are added to your system PATH.

"Could not connect to development server"

• Try running npx react-native start in a new terminal.
• Make sure the emulator or your phone is connected and recognized.

---

🔄 Helpful Commands

• Start Metro bundler: yarn start
• Clean Android build: cd android && gradlew clean (Windows) or ./gradlew clean (macOS/Linux)
• Re-run the app: yarn run android

---

📦 How to Build an APK (Android Installer)

You can generate a standalone APK file to install manually or share with others:

Step 1: Go to the Android directory

cd android

Step 2: Build the APK

./gradlew assembleRelease   # for macOS/Linux

gradlew assembleRelease     # for Windows

This may take a few minutes. When it's done, your APK file will be here:

android/app/build/outputs/apk/release/app-release.apk

You can now copy that file to your Android device or share it with others.

Note: To avoid errors, make sure you’ve set up signing configs or comment out the signingConfig in android/app/build.gradle if you're just testing.

---

🎉 Done!

If everything is set up correctly, you should now see the app running on your Android device.

If you have any issues, check the React Native documentation or search online using the error message.