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How I Solved the Sandbox Permission Error in Expo for iOS πŸš€

While working on my React Native project with Expo, I encountered this unexpected error when trying to run the iOS app:

❌  error: Sandbox: bash(46816) deny(1) file-read-data /Users/jay/Projects/refeed/thechium/mobile-app/ios/Pods/Target Support Files/Pods-app/expo-configure-project.sh (in target 'app' from project 'app')

At first, this error left me puzzled, but after some trial and error, I finally found the solution. Here’s how I approached it and what ultimately fixed the issue.

Initial Troubleshooting Steps

I initially thought the issue was related to caching problems, so I tried the following steps:

✅ Step 1: Clear Expo Cache Manually

expo start -c

This command clears the Metro bundler cache, which can resolve many caching-related issues.

✅ Step 2: Clear Derived Data (Xcode Cache)

rm -rf ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData

Clearing Xcode’s derived data helps remove old build artifacts that might interfere with the current build.

✅ Step 3: Clear npm/Yarn Cache

For npm:

npm cache clean --force

For Yarn:

yarn cache clean

Clearing the package manager’s cache ensures there are no corrupted dependencies.

✅ Step 4: Clean and Reinstall CocoaPods

cd ios
rm -rf Pods Podfile.lock
pod deintegrate
pod install --repo-update
cd ..

This step ensures that the iOS dependencies are properly reinstalled.

✅ Step 5: Rebuild the iOS App

expo run:ios

Despite performing all these steps, the error persisted. πŸ˜•

🎯 The Solution: Disable User Script Sandboxing in Xcode

After hours of debugging, I discovered the root cause: Xcode’s user script sandboxing settings.

πŸš€ Here’s how to fix it:

  1. Open your project in Xcode.
  2. Go to Build Settings.
  3. Scroll down to Build Options.
  4. Locate ENABLE_USER_SCRIPT_SANDBOXING.
  5. Set it to No.

After making this change, I ran the app again:

expo run:ios

And it worked perfectly! πŸŽ‰

Why This Works:

ENABLE_USER_SCRIPT_SANDBOXING is a security feature in Xcode designed to restrict file access for user scripts. While it enhances security, it can interfere with build scripts like expo-configure-project.sh that require broader file access. Disabling it removes this restriction, allowing the build process to complete successfully.

Key Takeaways:

  • Don’t assume every issue is cache-related — sometimes it’s a simple Xcode setting.
  • Always check Xcode’s Build Settings when facing unusual iOS build errors.
  • Document your troubleshooting process. It helps you (and others) in the future.

If you found this helpful, feel free to share your experiences or additional tips in the comments below! πŸš€


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