React Native: Cannot run program “node” error=2, No such file or directory

🛠️ Fix Node.js Not Found in Android Studio by Using $ open -a "Android Studio.app"

If you’re building a React Native app on macOS and see this error in Android Studio:

It usually means Android Studio can’t find your Node.js installation because it was launched without inheriting your shell environment (like nvm or Homebrew path).

✅ The Fix (1 Line):

Instead of opening Android Studio from Launchpad or Dock, run this in Terminal:

This makes Android Studio inherit the correct PATH, including access to node.

💡 Why it works:

When opened via Terminal, macOS passes your shell environment (including nvm, brew, etc.) to Android Studio. This allows Gradle to locate the node binary during the React Native build.

🧠 Tip:

You can even make a small shell alias to make it faster:

Add that to your ~/.zshrc or ~/.bash_profile, and next time just run:

Done!