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Editor Not Opening

Troubleshooting when the editor doesn't open after tapping a component.

Quick Checklist​

  1. ✅ Metro dev server is running
  2. ✅ Editor command is in PATH
  3. ✅ File path is correct
  4. ✅ No firewall blocking localhost

Check Metro Logs​

Look for errors in the Metro terminal:

npx react-native start --verbose

You should see logs like:

[RN Dev Inspector] Opening: /path/to/file.tsx:10:5 in code

Verify Editor Command​

Test in Terminal​

# VS Code
code --version

# Cursor
cursor --version

# WebStorm
webstorm --version

If the command isn't found, install it:

VS Code / Cursor​

  1. Open the editor
  2. Cmd+Shift+P (Mac) or Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows)
  3. "Shell Command: Install 'code' command in PATH"

JetBrains IDEs​

  1. Open the IDE
  2. Tools > Create Command-line Launcher

Set Editor Explicitly​

Environment Variable​

export REACT_EDITOR=cursor
npx expo start

In Metro Config​

metro.config.js
module.exports = withInspector(config, {
  editor: 'cursor',
});

In Inspector Component​

<Inspector editor="cursor">
  <App />
</Inspector>

Check File Paths​

Relative vs Absolute Paths​

The inspector uses both. Check Metro logs to see which path is being used.

Working Directory​

Ensure the cwd option in your metro config matches your project:

// metro.config.js
module.exports = withInspector(config, {
  cwd: __dirname,
});

URL Scheme Fallback​

If Metro endpoints fail, the inspector falls back to URL schemes.

Enable URL Schemes​

VS Code (macOS)​

Already enabled by default.

Sublime Text​

Install the "Sublime URL Protocol" package.

JetBrains​

  1. Preferences > Tools > Web Browsers
  2. Enable "Built-in Preview"

Network Issues​

Firewall​

Ensure localhost:8081 isn't blocked:

# Test connection
curl http://localhost:8081/status

Android Emulator​

Android uses a different IP for localhost:

const devUrl = Platform.OS === 'android'
  ? 'http://10.0.2.2:8081'
  : 'http://localhost:8081';

<Inspector devServerUrl={devUrl}>

Custom Port​

If Metro runs on a different port:

<Inspector devServerUrl="http://localhost:3000">

Debug the Endpoint​

Test the endpoint directly:

curl "http://localhost:8081/__inspect-open-in-editor?file=/path/to/App.tsx&line=10"

Should return:

{"success": true}

Common Error Messages​

"File not found"​

The file path is incorrect. Check:

  • Metro plugin cwd option is set correctly
  • File exists at the specified path

"Failed to launch editor"​

The editor command failed. Check:

  • Editor is installed
  • Command is in PATH
  • Try setting REACT_EDITOR explicitly

"ECONNREFUSED"​

Metro server isn't running or wrong port:

npx expo start

Still Not Working?​

  1. Enable verbose logging (if you're debugging the package)
  2. Check browser console in React Native Debugger
  3. Open an issue with:
    • React Native version
    • Editor name
    • OS (macOS, Windows, Linux)
    • Error messages from Metro