The Apple SDK supports native macOS apps through the same MentraBluetoothSDK Swift package used on iOS. The npm package exposes that implementation to react-native-macos through Expo Modules.
Native macOS support is new on the dev branch. Until a coordinated SDK release containing this change is published, use the local source overrides below. Older published packages are iOS-only.

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Native macOS Versus iOS On Mac

The iOS example distributed through TestFlight can run on compatible Apple silicon Macs. That is an iOS app running on Mac, not an AppKit or react-native-macos build. It continues to use the iOS SDK implementation. Use the native examples below when building a macOS application. CoreBluetooth, camera requests, OTA commands, status, and events share the existing Apple SDK implementation. The Mac adapters use CoreAudio for host microphone input and ImageIO for image decoding instead of iOS-only APIs.

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Swift: AppKit Or SwiftUI

Requirements: macOS 13 or newer, Xcode with Swift 5.9 or newer, and a Mac with Bluetooth for device testing. Add the MentraBluetoothSDK product to your macOS app target from:
The repository keeps its existing name for compatibility; it supplies both Apple platforms. For unpublished changes, add this folder as a local package in Xcode instead:
The Swift connection API is unchanged. Own the SDK on the main actor in your AppKit controller or SwiftUI model, observe its delegate, and call invalidate() when the owning session ends. Do not configure AVAudioSession or UIBackgroundModes in a native Mac app.

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Permissions And Sandbox

Add usage descriptions to your app’s Info.plist:
For a sandboxed app, enable these capabilities in the app target, not the SDK:
Audio input is only needed for the Mac microphone. Network server access is only needed when hosting a local photo receiver or OTA server. Request host microphone permission from your app, for example with await AVCaptureDevice.requestAccess(for: .audio), before enabling that input. The SDK checks permission but does not show a microphone permission dialog. For local HTTP photo webhooks, allow local networking with NSAppTransportSecurity.NSAllowsLocalNetworking. Prefer HTTPS for remote servers.

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Run The AppKit Example From Source

From the Starter Kit dev branch:
The script builds and ad-hoc signs a sandboxed .app with usage descriptions. Running the raw SwiftPM executable is not equivalent to running this app bundle. The focused sample demonstrates scan/connect, photo upload and preview, and OTA availability checking. It does not duplicate the complete phone example OTA UI.

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React Native macOS

Use examples/react-native-macos in the Starter Kit, not expo run:ios and not the phone example’s generated project. This native Mac host currently pairs React Native macOS 0.81 with React Native 0.81 and Expo Modules from Expo SDK 54; it requires macOS 14 or newer. Keep the native host, React Native, and Expo versions compatible when upgrading them.
Use the same source override in both the pod install shell and the Metro shell. After the native-macOS SDK is published, remove the override to use the package pinned in package.json. The example’s Podfile enables Expo Modules autolinking for the macOS target, sets MENTRA_BLUETOOTH_SDK_INCLUDE_EXPO_ADAPTER=1, and uses the react-native-macos native dependency scripts. Its Metro configuration resolves react-native to react-native-macos. The existing JavaScript imports and SDK React hooks are unchanged:
Expo Go and Expo’s iOS/Android prebuild plugin do not generate this Mac host. Microsoft documents Expo Modules support on react-native-macos as experimental. This is support for the Bluetooth SDK, not a claim that all Mentra Engine dependencies or arbitrary Expo packages support native macOS.

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Platform Differences

  • Bluetooth testing requires a real Mac. Sleeping the Mac can interrupt the connection; reconnect through the normal SDK lifecycle after wake.
  • Select the Mac’s Bluetooth audio output in System Settings. The SDK does not change the system-wide audio route. Host microphone selection uses CoreAudio for the SDK’s own recording engine. Bluetooth microphone modes use the Bluetooth input selected in System Settings > Sound > Input, not the first connected headset. Internal microphone mode uses a built-in input only. Input changes are observed while recording; glasses audio availability is tracked independently of the selected output.
  • macOS has no iOS AVAudioSession audio-focus contract. The SDK tracks explicit own-app playback, but does not detect every other app’s playback to suspend the glasses microphone. A host app must coordinate simultaneous audio use.
  • A playback device reconfiguration rejects pending PCM stream operations; reopen the stream after selecting the new route.
  • iOS ANCS notification relay is not available on native macOS.
  • Optional MentraOS local STT/TTS, Vuzix, and Mentra Nex dependencies are not part of this native macOS package.
  • Glasses Wi-Fi/hotspot commands work through the shared SDK. Joining that hotspot from the Mac remains a host/system Wi-Fi action. The Android-only otaLocalNetwork scoped networking adapter remains unavailable on macOS.
  • Source-built SDKs do not gain a production OTA pin. Use the existing debug.setOtaVersionUrl(...) override when deliberately testing OTA from source, and use a published coordinated SDK for its matching release pin.