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Native Platform

React Native macOS is very similar to React Native on iOS, so you can write native modules and components the same way—just use AppKit instead of UIKit!

note

Please refer to the React Native docs on Native Platform developement for the iOS docs

Add macOS support to your iOS library​

Suppose you have an existing native module or component you would like to bring to macOS. The steps are fairly straightforward:

  1. Update your Podspec

Add macOS as a supported platform in your .podspec file:

s.platforms = { :ios => "15.0", :osx => "12.0" }
  1. Port Your Native Code

You have two main options:

  • Use #if TARGET_OS_OSX (or similar preprocessor macros) to share code between iOS and macOS, switching imports and logic as needed. 
    #if !TARGET_OS_OSX // iOS
    #import <UIKit/UIKit.h>
    #else // macOS
    #import <Appkit/Appkit.h>
    #endif

    ...
  • Or, maintain separate codebases for iOS and macOS if the implementations are very different.
  1. Update Directory Structure

If you keep your iOS and macOS code in the same files with ifdefs, consider renaming your ios directory to apple to better reflect this code is no longer iOS specific.

  • src/ios/myNativeView.swift --> src/apple/myNativeView.swift

Similarily, you may want to update any "iOS" prefixes or suffixes in classnames to "Apple".

  • IOSPlatformContext.mm --> ApplePlatformContext.mm

With these steps, you can write native modules and components that work on both iOS and macOS, making it easier to share code and maintain your library.

Examples of Community Modules with macOS Support​

Many popular React Native community modules already support macOS. Here are some examples:

These modules can serve as references for adding macOS support to your own libraries.