In this blog post, I will guide you on how to solve the “EMFILE: too many open files, watch” error that occurs when working with React Native on macOS. This error can be quite confusing, but fear not, I have found a solution that worked for me.

When starting a React Native project on my MacBook Air, I encountered the following error while running the command:

npx react-native start

The error message contained this specific line:

Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch

Naturally, I attempted different approaches to resolve the issue. After some trial and error, I came across a suggestion to install the watchman utility using Homebrew.

To install watchman, follow these steps:

  1. Open your terminal.

  2. Run the following command:

    brew install watchman

By installing watchman, React Native can utilize its functionalities to watch file changes. This is particularly useful for implementing hot reloading, which enables the app to refresh automatically when a file is modified.

Comparatively, it seems that watchman is more efficient than the built-in file watch system, as it resolved the “EMFILE: too many open files, watch” error for me.

Now you can continue working on your React Native project without any hindrance.

Tags: React Native, macOS, error handling, troubleshooting, watchman, file watch system, Homebrew