#Getting Started

The MLC provider enables you to run large language models directly on-device in React Native applications. This includes popular models like Llama, Phi-3, Mistral, and Qwen that run entirely on-device for privacy, performance, and offline capabilities.

#Installation

Install the MLC provider:

npm install @react-native-ai/mlc

While you can use the MLC provider standalone, we recommend using it with the Vercel AI SDK for a much better developer experience. The AI SDK provides unified APIs, streaming support, and advanced features. To use with the AI SDK, you'll need v5 and required polyfills:

npm install ai

#Requirements

• React Native New Architecture - Required for native module functionality
• Increased Memory Limit capability - Required for large model loading

#Running Your Application

#Configuration

#Expo Config Plugin

For Expo projects, add the MLC config plugin to automatically configure the increased memory limit capability:

{
  "expo": {
    "plugins": [
      "@react-native-ai/mlc"
    ]
  }
}

The plugin automatically adds the com.apple.developer.kernel.increased-memory-limit entitlement to your iOS app, which is required to run large language models that exceed the default memory limits.

After adding the plugin, run:

npx expo prebuild --clean

#Manual Installation

If you're not using Expo or prefer manual configuration, add the "Increased Memory Limit" capability in Xcode:

1. Open your iOS project in Xcode
2. Navigate to your target's Signing & Capabilities tab
3. Click + Capability and add "Increased Memory Limit"

#Basic Usage

Import the MLC provider and use it with the AI SDK:

import { mlc } from '@react-native-ai/mlc';
import { generateText } from 'ai';

const model = mlc.languageModel("Llama-3.2-3B-Instruct");

await model.download();
await model.prepare();

const result = await generateText({
  model,
  prompt: 'Explain quantum computing in simple terms'
});

#Next Steps

• Model Management - Complete guide to model lifecycle, available models, and API reference
• Generating - Learn how to generate text and stream responses

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