---
title: "Native Crash Reporting"
description: "Learn how Sentry captures and processes native crashes from Electron processes."
url: https://docs.sentry.io/platforms/javascript/guides/electron/features/native-crash-reporting/
---

# Native Crash Reporting | Sentry for Electron

Sentry can process Minidumps created when any Electron process crashes. The SDK uploads these files when the application restarts (or immediately after a renderer crash). All event metadata, including user information and breadcrumbs, is included in these uploads.

Due to [macOS App Store sandbox restrictions](https://electronjs.org/docs/tutorial/mac-app-store-submission-guide#limitations-of-mas-build), native crashes can't be collected in Mac App Store builds. Native crash handling is automatically disabled in these environments.

A word on data privacy

Minidumps are memory snapshots of a process at the moment it crashes. They may contain sensitive information, such as environment variables, local path names, or even in-memory data from input fields, including passwords. **Sentry does not store these memory dumps**. Once processed, Sentry immediately deletes them and strips all sensitive information from the resulting Issues.

##### Known issue

It's currently not possible to send events from native code (such as a C++ extension). However, crashes will still be reported to Sentry if they happen in a process where the SDK has been configured. Additionally, crash reports from sub-processes may not be reported automatically on all platforms. This feature will be added in a future SDK update.

## [Symbolication](https://docs.sentry.io/platforms/javascript/guides/electron/features/native-crash-reporting.md#symbolication)

To allow Sentry to process native crashes and fully provide symbolicated stack traces, you need to upload *Debug Information Files* (sometimes also referred to as *Debug Symbols* or just *Symbols*). Without these symbols, crash reports will show memory addresses instead of function names and file locations.

For standard Electron apps, enable the built-in Electron Symbol Server in Sentry:

1. Go **Project Settings > Debug Files**
2. Select `Electron` from the **Built-in Repositories**
3. Add symbol servers for the platforms you're deploying to (if needed)

### [Custom Code and Extensions](https://docs.sentry.io/platforms/javascript/guides/electron/features/native-crash-reporting.md#custom-code-and-extensions)

If your application contains custom native extensions or you wish to symbolicate crashes from a spawned child process, upload their debug information manually during your build or release process.

For detailed instructions on uploading and managing debug symbols, see the [Debug Information Files](https://docs.sentry.io/platforms/javascript/guides/electron/data-management/debug-files.md) documentation.

## [Child Processes](https://docs.sentry.io/platforms/javascript/guides/electron/features/native-crash-reporting.md#child-processes)

The SDK relies on the [Electron crashReporter](https://electronjs.org/docs/api/crash-reporter) to capture crash dumps. To receive crash reports for child processes, make sure the crash reporter is activated by either the SDK or manually (see [Manual Crash Reporting below](https://docs.sentry.io/platforms/javascript/guides/electron/features/native-crash-reporting.md#manual-crash-reporting)).

Once active, the SDK automatically captures native crashes for the following processes:

|                             | `event.process` tag | macOS | Windows | Linux |
| --------------------------- | ------------------- | ----- | ------- | ----- |
| Electron `main` process     | `browser`           | ✓     | ✓       | ✓     |
| Electron `renderer` process | `renderer`          | ✓     | ✓       | ✓     |
| Electron `utilityProcess`   | `utility`           | ✓     | ✓       | ✓ 1   |
| `child_process.fork`        | `node`              | ✓     | ✓       |       |
| `child_process.exec/spawn`  | `unknown`           | ✓     |         |       |

1 Not supported in Electron v29.4.6.

## [Manual Crash Reporting](https://docs.sentry.io/platforms/javascript/guides/electron/features/native-crash-reporting.md#manual-crash-reporting)

You can also capture native crashes by manually starting the [Electron `crashReporter`](https://electronjs.org/docs/api/crash-reporter). This approach provides symbolicated stack traces and system information, but doesn't include Electron-specific metadata, breadcrumbs, or context information.

This is useful when you can't use the full Electron SDK:

```javascript
const { crashReporter } = require("electron");
crashReporter.start({
  companyName: "YourCompany",
  productName: "YourApp",
  ignoreSystemCrashHandler: true,
  submitURL: "___MINIDUMP_URL___",
});
```