If you’re developing on React Native or Android on macOS and suddenly the build fails with a long Gradle error, it’s very likely that the problem is not your code.
This is one of the most common messages:
org.gradle.api.UncheckedIOException: java.io.IOException: No space left on device
Although it may seem like an internal error of Gradle, the real cause is much simpler: your disk is full..
In this tutorial I will explain:
The error usually appears during an Android build and points to paths such as:
android/.gradle/8.x/fileHashes/fileHashes.bin
or native libraries of the type:
librnscreens.so
This usually leads to thinking:
Nothing more than a mile away from reality.
In macOS, especially with APFS, it may happen that the system “seems” to have space, but the important partition is at the limit.
Check with:
df -h
If you see something like this:
/System/Volumes/Data 100%
The diagnosis is clear:
Xcode accumulates over time:
Each version of iOS can occupy between 6 and 10 GB, and they are not automatically deleted.
The typical routes are:
~/Library/Developer/CoreSimulator ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData
Safe Cleaning (recommended)
This command removes outdated simulators safely:
xcrun simctl delete unavailable
For a full cleanup (recommended if you don’t use Xcode daily):
rm -rf ~/Library/Developer/CoreSimulator/*
Delete DerivedData from Xcode
Totally safe, Xcode regenerates it when needed:
rm -rf ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData
Clean Android and React Native Environment
After releasing space, it’s convenient to clean up build caches:
rm -rf ~/.gradle/caches rm -rf android/.gradle rm -rf node_modules
Luego reinstala y limpia el proyecto:
npm install cd android ./gradlew clean
If you use Docker (very common)
Docker is another big silent disk consumer.
Use:
docker system df
And clean up everything that is not in use:
docker system prune -a
This can free up dozens of GB.
To work with Android and React Native on macOS:
The errors in the build will reappear with less space again.
If you see an error related to caching or disk writing from a Gradle:
In most cases, the issue is not Gradle, but rather macOS accumulating development trash.
