React Native
By Meta
React Native is an open-source framework from Meta that lets developers build native iOS and Android apps using React's component model and JavaScript, rendering to real native UI components rather than a webview.
Definition
React Native is an open-source framework from Meta that lets developers build native iOS and Android apps using React's component model and JavaScript, rendering to real native UI components rather than a webview.
Overview
Released by Facebook in 2015, React Native extended React's component-based approach from the web to mobile, promising a "learn once, write anywhere" workflow. Unlike hybrid frameworks that render inside a webview, React Native maps components to actual native views — a UIView on iOS or a corresponding native widget on Android. Application logic runs in JavaScript, historically communicating with native code across an asynchronous bridge; the newer "New Architecture" replaces this with JSI (JavaScript Interface) and the Fabric renderer for more direct, synchronous communication and better performance. The Hermes JavaScript engine is optimized specifically for React Native's startup time and memory footprint on mobile devices, and Fast Refresh lets developers see UI changes near-instantly during development. Expo builds a managed toolchain on top of React Native that simplifies builds, over-the-air updates, and access to native device APIs. Because it shares React's component and Hooks model, teams with existing web React skills can transfer them directly to mobile, often paired with TypeScript for type safety. It's commonly weighed against Flutter as the two leading options for building one codebase that targets both iOS and Android; SkillVeris covers it in the React Native course.
Key Features
- Single JavaScript/TypeScript codebase compiling to native iOS and Android UI
- Component and Hooks model shared with React for the web
- Fast Refresh for near-instant iteration during development
- Native modules and the JSI-based New Architecture for accessing platform APIs
- Hermes JavaScript engine optimized for mobile startup time and memory use
- Expo tooling for managed builds, OTA updates, and simplified native access
Use Cases
Frequently Asked Questions
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