How to solve the "unrecognized command run-ios" error with React Native

A quick guide to how I solved a confusing React Native error

I was starting a new React Native project and I ran the command

npx react-native run-ios

to start it.

I got an error back with this line in it:

unrecognized command "run-ios"

I could not figure this out, until I realized I was running this command in my home folder.

Instead, this needs to be run from inside the project’s folder.

cd into the React Native project, and this error should go away and your React Native app should start successfully

Written on Oct 20, 2020

→ Get my React Beginner's Handbook

I wrote 21 books to help you become a better developer:

HTML Handbook
Next.js Pages Router Handbook
Alpine.js Handbook
HTMX Handbook
TypeScript Handbook
React Handbook
SQL Handbook
Git Cheat Sheet
Laravel Handbook
Express Handbook
Swift Handbook
Go Handbook
PHP Handbook
Python Handbook
Linux Commands Handbook
C Handbook
JavaScript Handbook
Svelte Handbook
CSS Handbook
Node.js Handbook
Vue Handbook

...download them all now!

Also, JOIN MY CODING BOOTCAMP, an amazing cohort course that will be a huge step up in your coding career - covering React, Next.js - next edition February 2025