Expo and React Native errorExpo and React Native: “Unable to resolve module”

Read the module name, then pick the fix

1. 01

   Metro is the one looking

   “Read on if you're writing a custom resolver, debugging an "Unable to resolve module" error, or working out why Metro picked a particular file.” Metro, Resolution

   The error comes from Metro’s resolver: it tried node_modules, your aliases and the relative path, and found nothing. The module name in the message tells you which of the fixes below applies, and the from path tells you which file has the import.

2. 02

   A package that isn’t installed

   “Install and update packages that work with the version of react-native in your project” Expo, Expo CLI

   An AI tool or a copied snippet imports a package that was never added to package.json, or it was installed on one machine and never committed. Install it with Expo’s command, which picks a version that matches your SDK, and commit package.json with the lockfile so EAS and teammates get it too.

   npx expo install react-native-svg
   git add package.json package-lock.json

3. 03

   A path alias the project doesn’t define

   “Restart Expo CLI after modifying tsconfig.json to update path aliases.” Expo, Using TypeScript: path aliases

   Imports like @/components/Button only work when tsconfig.json maps @/* to a folder. Add the mapping, then stop and restart the dev server: a running one doesn’t pick up the change.

   {
     "extends": "expo/tsconfig.base",
     "compilerOptions": {
       "baseUrl": ".",
       "paths": {
         "@/*": ["src/*"]
       }
     }
   }

4. 04

   A file name that differs in case

   import Button from './components/button' finds Button.tsx on a Mac, where file names ignore case by default, and fails on a Linux build machine, where they don’t. If it works locally and fails on EAS or in CI, compare the import with the file name letter by letter, and rename with git mv so git records the change.

5. 05

   A stale cache after moving files or switching branches

   “Clearing a cache sometimes can help you work around issues related to stale or corrupt data and is often useful when troubleshooting and debugging.” Expo, Clear bundler caches on macOS and Linux

   If the file and package are where the import says, try npx expo start --clear first. If that doesn’t help, run the full reset. These are the npm steps from Expo’s troubleshooting page for macOS and Linux; Windows has its own page:

   rm -rf node_modules
   npm cache clean --force
   npm install
   watchman watch-del-all
   rm -fr $TMPDIR/haste-map-*
   rm -rf $TMPDIR/metro-cache
   npx expo start --clear

Checked against the vendor’s docs on November 7, 2026: Metro docs: Resolution; Expo docs: Expo CLI (npx expo install); Expo docs: Using TypeScript (path aliases); Expo docs: Clear bundler caches on macOS and Linux.

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