17 December 2024 Leave a comment Tech-Help
Encountering a “Could not connect to development server” error while running your React Native application on Android can be a frustrating experience. This guide provides effective solutions to help you troubleshoot and fix this common issue.
Understanding the Error
When you run react-native run-android, you might see an error message indicating a failure to connect to the development server. This can happen due to various reasons, such as network configuration issues, security policies, or incorrect setup in your development environment.
Solutions to the Connection Error
1. Use the ADB Reverse Command
This method is highly effective if your device is connected via USB and doesn’t support the adb reverse command.
adb reverse tcp:8081 tcp:8081This command reroutes the port from the development server to your Android device, allowing the app to connect successfully.
2. Enable Cleartext Traffic
Starting with Android 9.0 (API level 28), cleartext support is disabled by default. To enable it:
- Open your
AndroidManifest.xml. - Add the following attribute to the
<application>node:
<application
android:usesCleartextTraffic="true">
</application>
3. Configure Network Security
For a more secure and recommended approach, you can define a network security configuration:
- Create a file named
network_security_config.xmlinapp/src/debug/res/xml/. - Add the following content to the file:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<network-security-config>
<domain-config cleartextTrafficPermitted="true">
<domain includeSubdomains="true">localhost</domain>
<domain includeSubdomains="true">10.0.2.2</domain>
<domain includeSubdomains="true">10.0.3.2</domain>
</domain-config>
</network-security-config>
Finally, apply this configuration in your AndroidManifest.xml:
<application
android:networkSecurityConfig="@xml/network_security_config">
</application>
4. Connect via Wi-Fi
If you prefer a wireless setup, you can connect your device to the development server over Wi-Fi:
- Ensure both your device and development machine are on the same Wi-Fi network.
- Find your machine’s IP address using
ifconfig(Linux/Mac) oripconfig(Windows). - Open your app and access the Developer menu.
- Go to Dev Settings → Debug server host for device and enter your machine’s IP followed by
:8081. - Select Reload JS from the Developer menu.
Enhancing Your Development Workflow with Repeato
While resolving connectivity issues enhances your development experience, integrating automated testing can further streamline it. Repeato, a no-code test automation tool, offers a seamless way to create, run, and maintain tests for your React Native apps. By leveraging computer vision and AI, Repeato ensures that your testing process is both efficient and effective, allowing you to focus more on developing features rather than debugging.
For more in-depth information on testing and automation, visit our documentation page.
