react-native-wifi-aware

An open-source React Native library for a modern, capability-aware Wi-Fi Aware (NAN) abstraction.

The project uses a TypeScript TurboModule API with Kotlin on Android and an Objective-C++ bridge for a future Apple implementation. It supports bare React Native; Expo development builds can consume native code, while Expo Go cannot.

Status

The repository is intentionally early-stage. Android capability, discovery, follow-up messaging, and secure data paths are physically verified on two Android devices. Apple iOS-26 discovery, pairing, and network-connection code is provisional: its source and static checks are present, and simulator compilation passed; entitlement signing and two-device runtime validation remain pending. File transfer and Android-to-Apple interoperability are not implemented. Android's current app-managed PSK data path is Android-only; Stage 9 adds the Android 17 framework-paired path required for an Apple-compatible connection. See the roadmap, architecture, and research notes before relying on it.

Installation

npm install react-native-wifi-aware

Native Android permissions supplied by the library merge into the consuming app. Platform availability remains a runtime capability question.

Initial API

The current API provides a synchronous Android capability snapshot plus Android API-26+ attachment and basic discovery. Discovery needs the platform's runtime nearby-Wi-Fi permission; this library declares the relevant manifest permissions but deliberately does not prompt for them.

import { getCapabilities } from 'react-native-wifi-aware';

const { isSupported, isAvailable } = getCapabilities();

import { attach, closeSession, subscribe, onPeerFound } from 'react-native-wifi-aware';

const session = await attach();
await subscribe(session, { serviceName: 'com.example.demo' });
const subscription = onPeerFound(({ discoverySessionHandle, peerHandle }) => {
  // Opaque native handles; peerHandle is scoped to discoverySessionHandle.
});

subscription.remove();
await closeSession(session);

On Android API 24-25 and devices without Wi-Fi Aware, both capability fields are false. On API 26 and above, isSupported reports the hardware feature and isAvailable reports current service availability. On Apple iOS 26+, both fields reflect Apple's supported-feature snapshot; Apple has no Android-equivalent mutable availability query, so individual operations remain authoritative. The Apple implementation has passed its simulator compiler gate; signing and physical-device gates remain pending.

On Apple iOS 26, the host application must add the Wi-Fi Aware capability with the Publish and/or Subscribe entitlement values and declare every service in its own Info.plist under WiFiAwareServices. Apple service names are static, fully-qualified _name._tcp or _name._udp values; pass that exact declared name to publish or subscribe. Apple rejects undeclared or role-mismatched names and never converts Android names. Use presentPairing(discoveryHandle) to present the system pairing UI; resolving only means that UI was shown, not that pairing or a connection succeeded.

Development

yarn
yarn typecheck
yarn lint
yarn prepare

The example app lives in example/. For Android device testing, start Metro with yarn example start, ensure adb reverse tcp:8081 tcp:8081 for a USB-connected device, then run yarn example android.

Contributing

• Development workflow
• Sending a pull request
• Code of conduct

License

MIT

---

Made with create-react-native-library