diff --git a/js/react_native/android/src/main/java/ai/onnxruntime/reactnative/OnnxruntimeModule.java b/js/react_native/android/src/main/java/ai/onnxruntime/reactnative/OnnxruntimeModule.java
index fd085f9533..707a356b94 100644
--- a/js/react_native/android/src/main/java/ai/onnxruntime/reactnative/OnnxruntimeModule.java
+++ b/js/react_native/android/src/main/java/ai/onnxruntime/reactnative/OnnxruntimeModule.java
@@ -199,6 +199,12 @@ public class OnnxruntimeModule extends ReactContextBaseJavaModule implements Lif
     if (modelData != null && modelData.length > 0) {
       // load model via model data array
       ortSession = ortEnvironment.createSession(modelData, sessionOptions);
+    } else if (uri.startsWith("file://") || uri.startsWith("/")) {
+      // load model from local
+      if (uri.startsWith("file://")) {
+        uri = uri.substring(7);
+      }
+      ortSession = ortEnvironment.createSession(uri, sessionOptions);
     } else {
       // load model via model path string uri
       InputStream modelStream =