diff --git a/native/.gitignore b/native/.gitignore
--- a/native/.gitignore
+++ b/native/.gitignore
@@ -58,7 +58,6 @@
 android/app/.cxx/
 codegen/dist
 
-facts/network.json
 facts/alchemy.json
 
 # Expo
diff --git a/native/app.config.js b/native/app.config.js
--- a/native/app.config.js
+++ b/native/app.config.js
@@ -15,7 +15,21 @@
   if (COMM_NAT_DEV_HOSTNAME) {
     return COMM_NAT_DEV_HOSTNAME;
   }
-  return ip.v4.sync();
+  const autodetectedHostname = ip.v4.sync();
+
+  // we only want to show this warning once, but this expo config file is
+  // evaluated multiple times, so we use a flag to make sure it's only shown
+  // once
+  if (!autodetectedHostname && !process.env._HOSTNAME_WARNING_SHOWN) {
+    console.warn(
+      'Failed to autodetect `natDevHostname`. Please provide it manually ' +
+        'by setting the `COMM_NAT_DEV_HOSTNAME` environment variable: ' +
+        '`COMM_NAT_DEV_HOSTNAME=${hostname} yarn dev`',
+    );
+    process.env._HOSTNAME_WARNING_SHOWN = true;
+  }
+
+  return autodetectedHostname;
 }
 
 export default {
diff --git a/native/utils/dev-hostname.js b/native/utils/dev-hostname.js
--- a/native/utils/dev-hostname.js
+++ b/native/utils/dev-hostname.js
@@ -13,35 +13,19 @@
   return detectedHostname;
 }
 
-function readHostnameFromNetworkJson(): string {
-  try {
-    // this is your machine's hostname in the local network
-    // usually it looks like this: 192.168.1.x
-    // to find it you may want to use `ifconfig | grep '192.168'`
-    // command in the terminal
-    // example of native/facts/network.json:
-    // { "natDevHostname": "192.168.1.x" }
-    // $FlowExpectedError: It's a conditional require so the file may not exist
-    const hostname: string = require('../facts/network.json').natDevHostname;
-    warnNatDevHostnameUndefined = false;
-    return hostname;
-  } catch (e) {
-    return defaultNatDevHostname;
-  }
-}
-
-const natDevHostname: string =
-  readHostnameFromExpoConfig() ?? readHostnameFromNetworkJson();
-
 function checkForMissingNatDevHostname() {
   if (!warnNatDevHostnameUndefined) {
     return;
   }
   console.warn(
-    'Failed to autodetect natDevHostname. ' +
-      'Please specify it manually in native/facts/network.json',
+    'Failed to read `natDevHostname` from Expo config. ' +
+      'Please provide it manually by setting the `COMM_NAT_DEV_HOSTNAME` ' +
+      'environment variable: `COMM_NAT_DEV_HOSTNAME=${hostname} yarn dev`',
   );
   warnNatDevHostnameUndefined = false;
 }
 
+const natDevHostname: string =
+  readHostnameFromExpoConfig() || defaultNatDevHostname;
+
 export { natDevHostname, checkForMissingNatDevHostname };
diff --git a/patches/@expo+cli+0.4.10.patch b/patches/@expo+cli+0.4.10.patch
--- a/patches/@expo+cli+0.4.10.patch
+++ b/patches/@expo+cli+0.4.10.patch
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 diff --git a/node_modules/@expo/cli/build/src/start/interface/interactiveActions.js b/node_modules/@expo/cli/build/src/start/interface/interactiveActions.js
-index 9ab8961..ab012c0 100644
+index 9ab8961..27b9cc2 100644
 --- a/node_modules/@expo/cli/build/src/start/interface/interactiveActions.js
 +++ b/node_modules/@expo/cli/build/src/start/interface/interactiveActions.js
 @@ -45,12 +45,17 @@ class DevServerManagerActions {
@@ -21,10 +21,10 @@
                  // TODO: if development build, change this message!
                  Log.log((0, _commandsTable).printItem("Scan the QR code above with Expo Go (Android) or the Camera app (iOS)"));
 diff --git a/node_modules/@expo/cli/build/src/start/server/BundlerDevServer.js b/node_modules/@expo/cli/build/src/start/server/BundlerDevServer.js
-index 0a601bd..2c0a210 100644
+index 0a601bd..c4dbd20 100644
 --- a/node_modules/@expo/cli/build/src/start/server/BundlerDevServer.js
 +++ b/node_modules/@expo/cli/build/src/start/server/BundlerDevServer.js
-@@ -255,6 +255,23 @@ class BundlerDevServer {
+@@ -255,6 +255,16 @@ class BundlerDevServer {
              return `${location.protocol}://localhost:${location.port}`;
          }
          var _url;
@@ -36,14 +36,7 @@
 +              return `${location.protocol}://${ip}:${location.port}`;
 +            }
 +          } catch(e) {}
-+          // fall back to facts/network.json
-+          try {
-+            const { natDevHostname } = require('../../../../../../../native/facts/network.json');
-+            if (natDevHostname != null) {
-+              return `${location.protocol}://${natDevHostname}:${location.port}`;
-+            }            
-+          } catch(e) {}
-+          // if everithing else fails, fall back to localhost
++          // if the above fails, fall back to localhost
 +        }
          return (_url = location.url) != null ? _url : null;
      }