React Native in 2025 is a completely different beast than it was even two years ago. With the New Architecture fully stable, Fabric renderer, and TurboModules, performance is on par with native development for most use cases.
Why React Native?
- Single codebase for iOS and Android (70-90% code sharing)
- Huge ecosystem of libraries and tools
- Hot reloading for rapid development
- Native performance with the New Architecture
- Web support via React Native Web
Project Setup
Start with Expo for most projects. Expo has evolved beyond a simple wrapper — it's now the recommended way to build React Native apps, even for complex applications.
- Expo Router for file-based navigation
- EAS Build for cloud-based CI/CD
- Expo Modules for custom native code when needed
Navigation
Use Expo Router (built on React Navigation) for type-safe, file-based routing. It mirrors Next.js conventions, making it easy for web developers to transition.
State Management
- React Query (TanStack Query) for server state
- Zustand for lightweight client state
- Jotai for atomic state when you need fine-grained reactivity
Performance Tips
1. Use FlashList Instead of FlatList
FlashList from Shopify is a drop-in replacement that's up to 5x faster for large lists. It uses cell recycling, similar to native UICollectionView / RecyclerView.
2. Optimize Images
Use expo-image (built on SDWebImage / Glide) instead of the default Image component. It handles caching, progressive loading, and format optimization automatically.
3. Reduce Bridge Traffic
With the New Architecture and TurboModules, bridge traffic is mostly eliminated. But for legacy modules, batch your native calls and avoid sending large objects across the bridge.
Testing & Deployment
- Jest + React Native Testing Library for unit and integration tests
- Detox for end-to-end testing on real devices
- EAS Submit for automated App Store and Play Store submissions
React Native is the best choice for teams that want to ship quality mobile apps fast without maintaining two separate codebases.