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React Native lets you build native mobile apps for Android, iOS, and other platforms using React. UI is described in JavaScript but rendered with real native platform components, not a webview.
React Native lets you build native mobile apps for Android, iOS, and other platforms using React. UI is described in JavaScript but rendered with real native platform components, not a webview.Is this a UI library or something more, like a full app framework?It is a core framework: it provides native UI primitives, a JS-to-native bridge (Native Modules), and the rendering architecture, but it's not a complete toolbox by itself — the project recommends pairing it with a higher-level framework like Expo for routing, native dependency management, and tooling.
It is a core framework: it provides native UI primitives, a JS-to-native bridge (Native Modules), and the rendering architecture, but it's not a complete toolbox by itself — the project recommends pairing it with a higher-level framework like Expo for routing, native dependency management, and tooling.How do I start a new React Native app?The recommended path is to use Expo: run 'npx create-expo-app@latest' and follow Expo's getting started guide. You can also skip a framework and follow the 'Getting Started Without a Framework' guide, or integrate React Native into an existing native app.
The recommended path is to use Expo: run 'npx create-expo-app@latest' and follow Expo's getting started guide. You can also skip a framework and follow the 'Getting Started Without a Framework' guide, or integrate React Native into an existing native app.Do I need native mobile dev tools installed too?Yes — since React Native renders to real native UI and ships with Native Modules for calling platform code, you'll need the standard Android/iOS toolchains (Android Studio/Gradle, Xcode/CocoaPods) alongside Node/JavaScript tooling.
Yes — since React Native renders to real native UI and ships with Native Modules for calling platform code, you'll need the standard Android/iOS toolchains (Android Studio/Gradle, Xcode/CocoaPods) alongside Node/JavaScript tooling.Is it better to just use this without any framework?The maintainers explicitly discourage going frameworkless for most people: navigation, native dependencies, and platform tooling are considered already-solved problems in the Expo ecosystem, so skipping it means solving those yourself.
The maintainers explicitly discourage going frameworkless for most people: navigation, native dependencies, and platform tooling are considered already-solved problems in the Expo ecosystem, so skipping it means solving those yourself.Which platforms does it target?Android and iOS are the primary targets, with the tagline promising 'native apps for Android, iOS, and more' via a learn-once-write-anywhere approach.
Android and iOS are the primary targets, with the tagline promising 'native apps for Android, iOS, and more' via a learn-once-write-anywhere approach.What happens when I edit JavaScript code during development?Fast Refresh applies JS changes in seconds without rebuilding the native app, so you see local changes almost instantly.
Fast Refresh applies JS changes in seconds without rebuilding the native app, so you see local changes almost instantly.Does the UI actually use native components, or is it a webview?It renders to real native platform UI primitives, so gestures, text scaling, and accessibility behave exactly as users expect on each OS, not through an embedded browser.
It renders to real native platform UI primitives, so gestures, text scaling, and accessibility behave exactly as users expect on each OS, not through an embedded browser.Can I add React Native to an app I already have?Yes, the 'Integration with Existing Apps' guide covers adopting React Native incrementally inside an existing native codebase.
Yes, the 'Integration with Existing Apps' guide covers adopting React Native incrementally inside an existing native codebase.What if I need functionality React Native doesn't provide out of the box?You can write Native Modules to call platform code directly from JavaScript (synchronous and type-safe), or use one of thousands of existing community libraries.
You can write Native Modules to call platform code directly from JavaScript (synchronous and type-safe), or use one of thousands of existing community libraries.What are similar projects?expo, ng-native, react-native-swiper, flutter, weex, morphlet, capacitor, kivy
expo, ng-native, react-native-swiper, flutter, weex, morphlet, capacitor, kivyWhich topics is it in?app-framework, native, react-native, mobile-development, app, mobile-app, sdk, c++, mobile, ui, ios, android
app-framework, native, react-native, mobile-development, app, mobile-app, sdk, c++, mobile, ui, ios, android