Best tools for debugging React Native on iOS

Here is a detailed guide on the most recommended tools for React Native iOS debugging in 2025, explaining their features, use cases, and how they complement each other.

Xcode: Native iOS Debugging

Xcode is Apple's official integrated development environment (IDE) for iOS development. Since React Native apps on iOS eventually run native code (Objective-C or Swift), Xcode is essential for debugging native iOS issues within your React Native app. This is particularly useful for problems happening in the native modules, performance issues, memory leaks, or layout bugs that React Native JavaScript tools cannot show.

Key Features:
- Console Output: View native logs and error messages generated by iOS at runtime.
- Memory Debugging: Track and diagnose memory usage and leaks in the native layer.
- Network Inspector: Monitor native network requests and responses.
- View Hierarchy Debugger: Inspect the native UI view hierarchy, invaluable for layout issues.
- Breakpoints: Set breakpoints in native code to step through Objective-C/Swift execution.

Xcode requires a Mac to run, which means Windows users will need a macOS environment or a remote Mac setup to use these powerful native debugging features.

Flipper: The Modern React Native Debugger

Flipper is a free, open-source desktop application developed by Meta (Facebook) designed as a versatile debugging platform for React Native apps on both iOS and Android. It provides an extensible plugin-based ecosystem to debug your application comprehensively.

Key Features:
- Layout Inspector: Visualize and inspect the React Native component hierarchy in real-time.
- Network Inspector: View and analyze all incoming and outgoing API requests and responses.
- React DevTools Integration: Examine React component trees, props, and hooks.
- Database Browser: Inspect local storage such as AsyncStorage or SQLite databases.
- Log Viewer: Centralize both JavaScript and native logs for easier debugging.
- Plugin API: Extend Flipper with custom plugins tailored to specific debugging needs.

Flipper is tightly integrated with React Native starting from version 0.62 and is widely regarded as essential. It connects directly to your app, allowing live inspection without interrupting the app's runtime. Installation involves adding the `react-native-flipper` package and configuring native iOS project files accordingly. It supports both emulators and real devices. Common setup challenges include ensuring matching versions on Flipper and plugins and guaranteeing network connection between device and development machine.

React Native Debugger: Chrome-based JavaScript Debugging

React Native Debugger is a popular standalone debugging tool that bundles Chrome DevTools with Redux DevTools for state management inspection. This tool specifically targets the JavaScript side of React Native apps.

Key Features:
- JavaScript Debugging: Supports breakpoints, stepping through code, and variable inspection using familiar Chrome DevTools.
- Redux Debugging: Inspect Redux stores, actions, and states — crucial for apps using Redux.
- Component Hierarchy Inspection: Visualize the React component tree.
- Network Inspection: View network traffic initiated by JavaScript.

React Native Debugger is free and works well alongside other native tools for a full debugging experience. It's particularly helpful for issues related to JavaScript logic, app state, and UI component rendering.

Safari Developer Tools for iOS

Safari's developer tools offer the ability to debug React Native apps running on iOS devices or simulators by connecting to the Web Inspector in Safari.

Key Features:
- JavaScript Debugging: Set breakpoints, step through code, and inspect variables running in the JavaScript thread.
- Console Access: View console logs directly from the device.
- Network Inspection: Track API requests made by the app.

This tool is especially useful for developers who prefer a browser-based debugging experience for the JavaScript part of React Native on iOS. The setup involves enabling Web Inspector on the iOS device and connecting Safari on the Mac to that device.

Reactotron: Powerful State and API Debugger

Reactotron is an open-source desktop app designed to enhance debugging React and React Native applications. It is particularly favored for tracking application state (Redux, MobX) and inspecting API requests and responses.

Key Features:
- State Inspection: View the current state and state changes easily.
- Action Monitoring: Track Redux actions dispatched in real-time.
- Custom Commands: Run custom debugging commands inside your app.
- Snapshot & Restore: Save the current state and restore it later to reproduce bugs.
- Network Tracking: Monitor requests and responses from the app.

Reactotron is lightweight and easily integrated with React Native apps. It complements Flipper by focusing more on state and API debugging rather than native iOS internals.

Hermes Debugger

Hermes is an open-source JavaScript engine optimized for React Native that improves app startup time and performance. The Hermes Debugger is designed to debug JavaScript running on Hermes, which is becoming a common default for React Native apps on iOS.

Key Features:
- Faster Startup: Hermes reduces app launch time.
- Direct Debugging: Unlike Chrome debugging that uses a proxy, Hermes Debugger can debug JavaScript directly.
- Performance Insight: Helps diagnose performance bottlenecks in JavaScript code.

To use this debugger, Hermes must be enabled in your React Native iOS project, followed by integration with Flipper or standalone Hermes debugging tools. This provides more efficient and reliable debugging, especially for performance-critical apps.

Metro Bundler

Metro is the JavaScript bundler for React Native. While primarily a build tool, Metro also includes live reloading and hot module replacement features that help during debugging by allowing instant updates without restarting the app.

Key Attributes:
- Combines JavaScript files into a single bundle.
- Ensures quick app reloads during development.
- Supports source maps for better stack traces.

While Metro is not an interactive debugger, its fast bundling and reload capabilities greatly enhance debugging speed during development.

Radon IDE: VSCode Integration (New in 2025)

Radon IDE, developed by Software Mansion, is a new debugging environment integrated with Visual Studio Code aimed at React Native developers who prefer minimal setup and an all-in-one development experience.

Key Features:
- Seamless VSCode debugging integration with zero configuration.
- React Native and Expo support including Hermes compatibility.
- Built-in AI assistant trained on React Native documentation to help diagnose errors interactively.
- Breakpoint and exception debugging that pauses precisely where issues occur.
- Support for both iOS and Android platforms.

Radon IDE is ideal for developers who want an enriched debugging experience inside their familiar VSCode environment with AI-assisted error analysis.

Remote Redux DevTools

Remote Redux DevTools is a remote debugging tool that allows developers to inspect Redux state stores on devices without needing direct emulator or device connections. It is useful for React Native apps that rely heavily on Redux for state management.

Features:
- Remote connection to Redux stores.
- Examine state, actions, and history.
- Undo and redo dispatched actions to replicate bugs.
- Useful for debugging live devices or remotely connected testing environments.

This tool enhances debugging flexibility, especially for complex state-driven React Native apps on iOS devices.

Summary: Choosing the Right Tools

For effective React Native debugging on iOS, developers usually combine several tools because React Native apps involve both JavaScript and native layers:

- Use Flipper as the primary debugging platform for a rich and integrated experience covering native and React-specific debugging.
- Use Xcode for deep native debugging (memory, breakpoints, native logs, view hierarchy) that JavaScript tools cannot access.
- Use React Native Debugger or Safari Developer Tools for robust JavaScript debugging with breakpoints, state inspection, and console access.
- Use Reactotron for advanced state management inspection and API debugging.
- Enable Hermes Debugger for faster and more reliable JavaScript debugging on Hermes-enabled React Native apps.
- Use Metro for fast reloads to accelerate the debug cycle.
- Consider Radon IDE for a modern, integrated VSCode debugging experience.
- For Redux-centric apps, add Remote Redux DevTools for remote state debugging.

This combination ensures thorough inspection and diagnosis of problems, from UI bugs and performance bottlenecks to network issues and native crashes in iOS React Native apps. Mastery of these tools substantially improves development efficiency and app quality.