React npm start 127.0.0.1 instead of localhost on windows

Question

So i am trying to launch my react application using 127.0.0.1 instead of localhost.

Here is what i tried:

1. in scripts i put the following for start

   "start": "set HOST=127.0.0.1 && react-scripts start"
   

   This yields following error:

   Attempting to bind to HOST environment variable: 127.0.0.1
   If this was unintentional, check that you haven't mistakenly set it in your shell.
   Learn more here: 
   node:events:346
      throw er; // Unhandled 'error' event
      ^
   Error: getaddrinfo ENOTFOUND 127.0.0.1
    at GetAddrInfoReqWrap.onlookup [as oncomplete] (node:dns:69:26)
   Emitted 'error' event on Server instance at:
    at GetAddrInfoReqWrap.doListen [as callback] (node:net:1493:12)
    at GetAddrInfoReqWrap.onlookup [as oncomplete] (node:dns:69:17) {
   errno: -3008,
   code: 'ENOTFOUND',
   syscall: 'getaddrinfo',
   hostname: '127.0.0.1 '
   

I also tried updating my hosts file to have following line: localhost 127.0.0.1

Note that i can launch 127.0.0.1 in launch.json but that only applies to when i am debugging