# Configuring the Build Cache for React Native in local builds

You can use the Bitrise Build Cache for local React Native builds too. Your local builds then read from the same cache as your CI builds, so native code your CI already compiled doesn't have to be compiled again on your machine.

A React Native project builds through three native toolchains, and the Bitrise Build Cache CLI covers all of them: Gradle for Android, Xcode for iOS, and `ccache` for C++ native modules. For an overview of what each one caches, see [Build Cache for React Native overview](/bitrise-build-cache/build-cache-for-react-native/build-cache-for-react-native-overview).

You can also set this up with an AI coding agent instead of following the steps manually. See [Getting started with AI](/bitrise-build-cache/getting-started-with-the-build-cache/getting-started-with-ai).

## Before you start

Ensure you have:
- A working React Native project on your machine, with Xcode 26 or later for the iOS side. Earlier versions don't expose the compilation cache flags the CLI needs, and the wrapper does nothing there.
- A Bitrise workspace with the Build Cache enabled. Check it on the [Build Cache page](https://app.bitrise.io/build-cache/).
- Network access to the Bitrise hosts the Build Cache uses, if your machine is behind a VPN, a firewall, or an outbound proxy. See [Network endpoints for firewalls and VPNs](/bitrise-build-cache/getting-started-with-the-build-cache/network-endpoints-for-firewalls-and-vpns).

## Installing the CLI and ccache

**Homebrew**

```bash
brew install bitrise-io/bitrise-build-cache/bitrise-build-cache
brew install ccache
```

**curl**

Install the CLI with the installer script and [download `ccache`](https://ccache.dev/download.html) manually:

```bash
curl --retry 5 -sSfL \
  'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/bitrise-io/bitrise-build-cache-cli/main/install/installer.sh' \
  | sh -s -- -b ~/.local/bin
```

Make sure both install locations are on your `PATH`, then check the installs:

```bash
bitrise-build-cache --version
which ccache
```

## Activating the cache

Run the interactive wizard:

```bash
bitrise-build-cache activate --interactive
```

The wizard asks for the following:

1. **Sign in to Bitrise**: opens your browser for authentication on the first run. The CLI stores the credentials in the OS keychain and refreshes them automatically, so later runs skip this step.
1. **Select a workspace**: pick the workspace whose Build Cache you want to use. The CLI selects it automatically if you only have access to one.
1. **Which build tools should I set up**: ensure **Gradle**, **Xcode**, and **ccache (C/C++)** are selected. Use space to toggle an option and enter to confirm.
1. **Cache for all projects, or only opted-in ones?**: keep the default **Always** unless several projects live on this machine and you only want a subset to use the cache. See [Per-project cache scoping](/bitrise-build-cache/getting-started-with-the-build-cache/per-project-cache-scoping).
1. **Display name for this machine's local invocations**: the name your local builds show up under in the Build Cache dashboard, for example `local-<yourhandle>`.
1. **Enable cache push**: keep the default **Yes, push too**. See [Cache push mode](#cache-push-mode).
1. **Keep the cache proxies running in the background**: select **Yes, install + start**. This registers the helper processes with the OS so they survive shell restarts.

:::important[Open a new terminal afterwards]

Activating Xcode prepends `~/.bitrise-xcelerate/bin` to your `PATH` by writing a line to your shell rc file. Your current shell hasn't picked that up yet, so builds started in it still run without the `xcodebuild` wrapper — and `doctor` won't warn you about it.

:::

Open a new terminal, or run `source ~/.zshrc`, then confirm that the wrapper is in place:

```bash
which xcodebuild
# → /Users/<you>/.bitrise-xcelerate/bin/xcodebuild
```

## Verifying the setup

Run the CLI's health check:

```bash
bitrise-build-cache doctor
```

It reports the status of every part of the local setup — credentials, backend connectivity, helper processes, and log directories — and ends with an overall verdict:

```bash
Bitrise Build Cache - doctor
CLI version: 3.x.y

Healthy:
  ✓ auth                   OAuth login (keychain) (workspace <id>), token valid until <iso-timestamp>
  ✓ keychain-smoke         Set/Get/Delete round-trip OK
  ✓ auth-backend           latency <ms>, source=keychain, workspace=<id>
  ✓ project-scope          mode=always; cache_push=true (machine config); no .bitrise-build-cache.json found in <cwd> or parents.; would gate this directory: no
  ✓ ccache-binary          found at /opt/homebrew/bin/ccache
  ✓ xcelerate-proxy        running (/var/folders/…/T/xcelerate-proxy.sock)
  ✓ xcelerate-enrichment   no enrichment attempts yet
  ✓ ccache-helper          running (~/.local/state/ccache/ccache.sock)
  ✓ log-dirs               all log dirs present + writable

Overall: ok
```

`xcelerate-enrichment` changes from `no enrichment attempts yet` to `healthy` after your first build. To let the CLI repair the issues it can fix on its own, run `bitrise-build-cache doctor --fix --interactive`.

## Running an Android build

1. Clean the project's local build outputs first, so the build has to fetch from the remote cache. Pass `--no-daemon` as well: a Gradle daemon started before the activation doesn't pick up the new configuration.

   ```bash
   cd path/to/your/rn/project/android
   ./gradlew clean --no-daemon
   ```

1. Run the build:

   ```bash
   cd ..
   bitrise-build-cache react-native run -- npx react-native build-android
   ```

A build that hits a warm cache ends like this:

```bash
> Task :app:compileDebugKotlin FROM-CACHE

BUILD SUCCESSFUL in 22s
149 actionable tasks: 71 executed, 78 from cache

[Bitrise Analytics] 155 tasks uploaded. Check invocation at
    https://app.bitrise.io/build-cache/invocations/gradle/<uuid>
```

## Running an iOS build

Run the build through the CLI's wrapper command:

```bash
bitrise-build-cache react-native run -- npx react-native build-ios
```

Or call `xcodebuild` directly if you want full control over the destination and configuration:

```bash
xcodebuild \
  -workspace ios/<yourproject>.xcworkspace \
  -scheme <yourscheme> \
  -configuration Debug \
  -sdk iphonesimulator \
  -destination 'generic/platform=iOS Simulator' \
  CODE_SIGNING_ALLOWED=NO clean build
```

Expect a `CompilationCacheMetrics` line with non-zero hits and a `[Bitrise Analytics] Invocation saved` link at the end of the output. Native modules compile through `ccache`, and their stats are included in the same invocation.

For more about which commands to wrap and why, see [Wrapping native build commands](/bitrise-build-cache/build-cache-for-react-native/wrapping-native-build-commands).

## Checking that it worked

| Signal | Where to find it | What success looks like |
|---|---|---|
| `FROM-CACHE` and the `Y from cache` summary | Android build output | A non-zero `from cache` count |
| `CompilationCacheMetrics N / M (P%)` | iOS build output | Non-zero hits |
| `[Bitrise Analytics] Invocation saved` | Last lines of the build output | An invocation link is printed |
| Dashboard | [Build Cache page](https://app.bitrise.io/build-cache/) | One row per iOS build and one per Android build, under your display name |
| `bitrise-build-cache doctor` | Your shell | `xcelerate-proxy`, `xcelerate-enrichment`, and `ccache-helper` are all healthy |

:::note[Explicit module build warnings]

A few `swift compiler caching requires explicit module build` warnings can appear even though the wrapper sets `SWIFT_ENABLE_EXPLICIT_MODULES=YES`. Xcode emits them before the wrapper's build settings apply, and they are safe to ignore. The cache hit numbers confirm that caching is working.

:::

Some projects can't build under explicit modules at all, and fail with `unable to resolve module dependency`. Activate with `--no-swift-cache` there: it caches clang and Objective-C compilation only, leaving Swift uncached. The wizard doesn't ask about this, so use the non-interactive activate command:

```bash
bitrise-build-cache activate react-native --no-swift-cache
```

## Cache push mode

The setup in this guide activates the Build Cache with cache push enabled: your Android, iOS, and native module builds all read from and write to the shared cache. Everything your machine compiles becomes an entry your teammates and CI can reuse, and your activity shows up on the [Build Cache page](https://app.bitrise.io/build-cache/).

If you'd rather have your local builds only read from the cache, see [Opting into pull-only mode](#opting-into-pull-only-mode) below.

## Opting into pull-only mode

If your team already populates the cache from CI and you want your local builds to only read from it, turn cache push off. The trade-off is that your local builds contribute nothing, so if CI doesn't run yet the Android build keeps reporting `0 from cache` and the iOS build `0 / N (0%)`.

Re-run the wizard and answer **No, pull only** at the cache push prompt:

```bash
bitrise-build-cache activate --interactive
```

This covers all three backends at once, so your Android, iOS, and native module builds stop writing to the cache.

If a build doesn't behave as expected, re-run the wizard with debug logging:

```bash
bitrise-build-cache activate --interactive --debug
```

## Troubleshooting

Start with the CLI's health check. It inspects every part of the local setup and repairs the issues it can fix on its own:

```bash
bitrise-build-cache doctor --fix --interactive
```

If you're still experiencing issues, check the following table:

| Issue | Fix |
|---|---|
| The wizard reports that it needs a terminal | Run `TERM=dumb bitrise-build-cache activate --interactive` for line-based mode. |
| `which xcodebuild` still points to `/usr/bin/xcodebuild` | Open a new terminal, or run `source ~/.zshrc`. |
| The iOS build shows no cache activity at all | Check that you ran it from a terminal and not from Xcode.app, which bypasses the wrapper. |
| Your Android build ignores the new configuration | Stop any running Gradle daemons with `./gradlew --stop`, or pass `--no-daemon`. |
| `doctor` reports a problem it can't fix | Re-run it with `--debug` for the full context. |
| The build can't reach the cache, or the cache calls time out | Your VPN, firewall, or proxy may block the Bitrise hosts. Check them against [Network endpoints for firewalls and VPNs](/bitrise-build-cache/getting-started-with-the-build-cache/network-endpoints-for-firewalls-and-vpns). |