Argent React Native App Workflow

This is a comprehensive workflow guide for React Native development that enforces good habits most developers skip. It makes you check the project's actual build configuration before running any commands, which prevents the usual "why isn't this working" cycle when projects have custom scripts or monorepo setups. The skill walks through starting Metro, running on iOS simulator or Android emulator, debugging port conflicts, and deciding when to reload versus rebuild. It also knows when to stop and ask the user instead of burning through failed build attempts. The mandatory configuration check and device selection rules are the standout pieces here. If you work on multiple React Native codebases with different build setups, this will save you from relearning each project's quirks every time.

skills.sh installs: 30K
GitHub stars: 3.2K
last updated: Aug 21, 2026

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Install

$ npx -y skills add software-mansion/argent --skill argent-react-native-app-workflow --agent claude-code

Installs into .claude/skills of the current project.

Files

Physical iPhone (kind: "device"): Metro debugging and profiling tools reject it. Use a simulator.

react-native-macos app: start Metro (§1.2), then follow argent-macos-app-interact instead of run-macos.

1. Starting the React Native App

1.1 Read the project's configuration first

Before running commands, read the project's build and run setup: every package.json script (custom scripts such as start:local, start:dev, ios, build:ios or flavors take priority over the defaults) and metro.config.js (a non-default port or watchFolders). Do NOT default to npx react-native … or npx expo … without checking. Before the first build, install dependencies if node_modules or ios/Pods is missing.

If the project structure is convoluted, ask the user before proceeding.

Once you know how the project starts Metro, builds and runs the app, and what environment setup it needs, save that to project memory so you don't need to rediscover it each time.