All You Need to Know About React Native

All You Need to Know About React Native

Introduction

React Native has been widely adopted by numerous companies worldwide, including Uber, Microsoft, and Facebook, and is utilized across various industries.

Before fully committing to React Native, it’s essential to understand its functionality and determine if it’s the right fit for your project.

What are its key advantages and potential drawbacks? How does it compare to other cross-development platforms? Additionally, what should your developers know before embarking on their React Native journey?

In the following blog, we will address these questions and more, enabling you to make an informed decision about whether React Native is the best choice for your business.

1. What is React Native?

React Native (RN) is a widely used mobile app framework based on JavaScript, enabling the creation of natively rendered applications for both iOS and Android using a single codebase. 

Launched by Facebook as an open-source project in 2015, it quickly became a leading choice for mobile development. Notable apps like Instagram, Facebook, and Skype utilize React Native for their mobile platforms.

React Native’s global success can be attributed to several key factors:

First, it allows companies to write code once and deploy it on both iOS and Android with some platform-specific adjustments, resulting in significant time and resource savings.

Second, React Native is built on React, a popular JavaScript library, which made it accessible to many developers when it was released. We will explore the differences between React and React Native in more detail later.

Third, the framework empowered frontend developers, who previously focused on web technologies, to create robust, production-ready mobile applications.

1.1 The History of React Native

When Facebook aimed to make its service available on mobile, it initially opted for a mobile webpage using HTML5 rather than developing a native app like many competitors. This approach proved inadequate, and in 2012, Mark Zuckerberg acknowledged that “the biggest mistake we made as a company was betting too much on HTML instead of native.”

In 2013, Facebook developer Jordan Walke discovered a way to generate UI elements for iOS apps using JavaScript, which led to a Hackathon focused on exploring mobile development with JavaScript.

Thus, React Native was created, initially for iOS, with Android support added shortly after. The framework was made public in 2015.

2. What is Cross-Platform Development?

Cross-platform development involves creating software that works on multiple hardware platforms, such as Windows, Linux, and macOS. Examples include web browsers and Adobe Flash. Tools like React Native allow developers to build mobile apps that mimic native performance using familiar programming languages.

This approach is beneficial as it enables a single codebase to run on various platforms, saving time and costs. Key advantages include:

  • Wider Audience: Cross-platform apps reach both iOS and Android users, expanding the user base.
  • Platform Consistency: Shared codebases help maintain a consistent brand identity across platforms.
  • Reusable Code: Developers can write one codebase for both platforms, reducing the need for separate teams.
  • Quicker Development: A unified codebase accelerates the development process, allowing faster releases.
  • Reduced Costs: Cross-platform development can be up to 30% cheaper than native app development due to code reuse and efficiency.

However, there are challenges, such as:

  • Performance Expertise: High performance requires skilled developers to match native app standards.
  • Complex Code Design: Adapting to different devices complicates coding, necessitating more exceptions.
  • Longer Feature Release Times: Updates for new features take longer to implement across both platforms compared to native apps.

3. How Does React Native Work?

As mentioned, React Native is built using a combination of JavaScript and JSX, a markup language similar to XML. The framework can effectively communicate with JavaScript-based and native app threads.

So, how does this communication function? React Native employs a mechanism known as a “bridge.” Although JavaScript and native threads are written in entirely different languages, the bridge allows for bidirectional communication between them.

If you already have a native iOS or Android app, you can still leverage its components or transition to React Native development. Furthermore, React Native allows developers to create platform-specific versions of their apps for different mobile platforms, improving performance and enhancing the user experience on each device.

3.1 Expo with React Native

Expo is an open-source framework designed to streamline the creation of universal native applications using React Native. It offers a comprehensive set of tools and libraries that facilitate the app development process across Android, iOS, and the web. Many developers and organizations prefer Expo due to its user-friendly nature, making it suitable for rapid prototyping and development.

Key Features of the Expo-

  • Developer Tooling: Expo provides a powerful suite of developer tools that boost productivity, including file-based routing and a standard library of native modules.
  • EAS (Expo Application Services): This optional service suite assists developers throughout the entire app development lifecycle, from building to deployment.
  • Community Support: With an active community on platforms like GitHub and Discord, Expo offers valuable resources and assistance for developers.

Advantages-

  • Rapid Development: Expo enables developers to swiftly build and iterate on applications, making it particularly advantageous for startups and MVPs.
  • Access to Native APIs: With Expo, you can leverage device features such as the camera, notifications, and location services without the need for extensive native coding.
  • Over-the-Air Updates: You can deploy updates to your app instantly, bypassing the app store review process.
  • No Native Code Required: For many scenarios, you can develop apps without writing any native code, simplifying the overall development experience.

4. Examples of Mobile Apps Built with React Native

Here are some notable mobile apps developed using React Native:

  • Facebook: As the creator of React Native, Facebook utilized it to develop its Ads Manager app for both iOS and Android, allowing for quick iterations and a unified development team.
  • Skype: In 2017, Skype announced a complete redesign of its app using React Native, enhancing user experience with a new interface and improved functionality across mobile and desktop platforms.
  • Instagram: Instagram integrated React Native into its existing app, starting with the Push notification view, which significantly improved developer efficiency by 85-99%.
  • Walmart: Walmart completely rewrote its iOS and Android apps in React Native, achieving nearly native performance and sharing 95% of the codebase. This transition resulted in faster updates and improved user experience.
  • SoundCloud Pulse: SoundCloud chose React Native to develop its Pulse app for music creators, finding it quick and efficient for prototyping and development, which led to a positive overall experience.
  • Shine: Shine, a wellness app focused on meditation and stress management was launched using React Native, allowing for simultaneous development for both iOS and Android.
  • UberEats: UberEats used React Native to enhance its Restaurant Dashboard, improving communication and user experience for restaurants while integrating smoothly into its existing tech stack.
  • Pinterest: Pinterest tested React Native by building a prototype for its Topic Picker feature, resulting in significant time savings and improved performance, leading to its permanent inclusion in their mobile development framework.

These examples showcase how React Native has been successfully adopted by various high-profile companies to streamline app development and enhance user experience.

5. Benefits of React Native

Now, let’s explore the advantages of React Native development and why it should be your go-to solution for building mobile apps.

React Native offers developers a streamlined experience with rapid iteration cycles, sophisticated debugging tools, and the use of familiar development environments. This framework encourages code reuse and knowledge sharing across both iOS and Android platforms, enabling quicker iterations and more efficient resource management.

Additionally, the demand for React Native developers is increasing, with competitive salaries, a wealth of job openings, and a positive job outlook reflecting anticipated growth in this field.

This makes React Native not only a powerful development tool but also an excellent career choice for developers aiming to specialize in a vibrant and evolving area of software development.

5.1 Large Developer Community

React Native is an open-source JavaScript framework that encourages developers to share their expertise in its development, making it accessible to everyone. If developers encounter issues while building an app, they can seek assistance from the community. 

5.2 Cost Efficiency

Another key advantage of React Native development is its cost efficiency. As previously mentioned, developers can utilize the same codebase to create applications for both iOS and Android. This means you won’t need to hire separate teams for each platform; a smaller team can effectively manage the project. Consequently, the cost of developing apps with React Native is significantly lower compared to those built with languages that don’t support cross-platform development.

5.3 Fast Refresh

The Fast Refresh feature enables developers to run the app while simultaneously updating it to new versions and modifying the UI. Changes are immediately visible, eliminating the need to rebuild the entire app. This results in two major benefits: time savings, as programmers spend less time on compilation, and increased productivity since they don’t lose any state while making updates.

5.4 Simple UI

React Native leverages React JavaScript to create the app’s interface, resulting in a more responsive and faster experience with reduced load times. This enhances the overall user experience. Thanks to its reactive UI and component-based architecture, the framework is well-suited for building apps with both simple and complex designs.

5.5 Fast Applications

Some may argue that React Native code can negatively impact app performance. However, while JavaScript may not run as quickly as native code, this difference is often imperceptible to users. To illustrate this point, we conducted a test comparing two versions of a simple application—one built in React Native and the other in Swift—and found that both achieved similar performance results.

5.6 Future-Proof

Given the rapid adoption of the framework and its straightforward approach to addressing development challenges, the future of React Native for cross-platform apps looks promising. Despite some drawbacks, which we will discuss in the next section, its speed and ease of development more than compensate for these issues.

5.7 Code Reusability – Cross-Platform Development

One of the most significant advantages of React Native is its ability to facilitate code reuse, allowing apps to function effectively across multiple platforms. This is a feature that CEOs and Product Owners particularly value.

6. React Native: Risks and Drawbacks

Here are the four main potential drawbacks to consider before deciding to develop a React Native app.

6.1 Limitations of Custom Modules

Although React Native has been around for several years, some custom modules may either require improvement or may be absent. This could lead to the necessity of maintaining three separate codebases (for React Native, iOS, and Android) instead of just one. However, this is not a frequent issue. Unless you’re building your app from scratch or modifying an existing one extensively, you’re unlikely to encounter these challenges.

6.2 Compatibility and Debugging Challenges

Developers may face various issues related to package compatibility and debugging tools. If your team lacks proficiency in React Native, this can hinder development as they may spend considerable time troubleshooting these issues.

6.3 Scalability Concerns

Generally, React Native performs well, even as your app evolves into a complex, sophisticated solution. Many companies, including Facebook and Skype, have successfully utilized the framework for years. However, some organizations have opted to move away from React Native.

For example, Airbnb initially adopted the framework for its mobile app when it was a startup. Over time, they found React Native inadequate for their growth needs and transitioned to developing two separate native apps. With the latest advancements in React Native and the right architectural decisions, scalability challenges can be effectively managed.

6.4 Need for Native Developer Expertise

React Native employs a “bridging” feature that connects JavaScript with native mobile code. This means that if a developer without native mobile development experience is tasked with the project, they may struggle to integrate native code into the React Native codebase.

7. React Native – Differences in Development for Android and iOS Platforms

Returning to React Native, you might be curious about how development differs between Android and iOS. Indeed, from a user perspective, there are notable differences between the two platforms, with the user interface being the most obvious.

Here are key areas where the development process varies between Android and iOS:

Operating System
When developing your React Native app, it’s advisable to use a macOS device rather than Windows. Why is this important? Because Windows does not allow for efficient testing of iOS applications. On Windows, you can only run tests for your Android app, and the sole official testing tool available is Android Studio. Currently, there are no official iOS testing tools compatible with Windows.

This limitation arises because Windows cannot run Xcode, the development environment created by Apple for building apps for iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS. 

While you can develop your React Native app on either operating system, only macOS provides the necessary tools to ensure that both your Android and iOS versions function correctly.

Native Elements
Since Android and iOS apps have distinct appearances and functionalities and utilize different components, this means that when you leverage the React Native library, you may observe different outcomes for iOS and Android, even when using the same component.

Specific Styles
The styling of React Native elements differs between iOS and Android. Shadowing is just one example of an area that requires manual configuration. Other UI elements that vary between iOS and Android include specific fonts, the status bar, and GIF images, which are not natively supported on Android.

Despite the differences we’ve highlighted in iOS and Android development, we still strongly recommend using React Native. While you may need to manually configure certain UI components or link libraries, the time saved by avoiding the need to develop two separate applications is significant. Overall, React Native offers a streamlined approach that can greatly enhance your development efficiency.

8. Conclusion: Is React Native Right for Your Project?

React Native is an excellent choice for developing applications that operate seamlessly across various platforms and systems. This framework is favored by both businesses and developers for its ability to save significant time and reduce costs, leading to a quicker development process. By enabling the creation of a single app that serves both Android and iOS users, React Native allows for synchronized launches. It offers an efficient solution for businesses looking to develop for multiple platforms while managing costs.

Several outstanding products, such as Skype, Facebook, Pinterest, and UberEats, have been built using React Native, underscoring its credibility as a viable framework for app development. While native solutions for iOS and Android remain the top choice for projects that demand a flawless user interface and exceptional performance, React Native presents a compelling alternative for those with budget constraints, where a satisfactory user experience is sufficient.

Additionally, React Native is a smart option for those working with a limited budget, as it streamlines development and reduces costs.

Ready to see how React Native can change your mobile app development? Whether you’re a startup creating your first app or a business wanting to improve your mobile presence, it’s important to know the pros and cons of React Native.

Contact our team of experts today for a consultation! We’ll help you decide if React Native is the right choice for your project and guide you through the process. Get in touch now to start!

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