What is React Native And When to Use It For Your App

Several businesses have embraced React Native, and some of the most well-known applications in the world, like Facebook, Uber, and Pinterest, have done so. What makes it so popular? One of the key contributors to its success is undoubtedly the ability to employ a single codebase that works across various platforms.

Before you decide to utilize React Native in one of your applications, read our guide to understand how it works and decide whether it fits your unique needs appropriately.

What is React Native?

An open-source JavaScript framework called React Native allows developers to create apps for several operating systems, including iOS, Android, and the web, all from a single source of code. It is based on React and brings all its splendor to creating mobile apps.

Facebook gave existence to the ReactJS (web) and React Native frameworks. The goal of the Hackathon project React Native was to eliminate the largest pain point for the company—maintaining two code bases for their app. What is the drawback of managing two code bases for such a large app? Duplication of effort and, occasionally, approaching the same issue from two separate angles. A simple solution to these issues is React Native.

While leveraging native-OS views, React Native compiles the app's user interface in JavaScript. It permits code implementation in OS-native languages for more complicated functionality (Swift and Objective-C for iOS and Java and Kotlin for Android).

What is cross-platform development?

Using a single codebase, cross-platform development enables developers to produce software that works across several platforms or gadgets. Instead of creating separate mobile apps for Android and iOS, many platforms are supported by a single codebase. Due to the reduction of resources and time, efficiency necessarily rises.

Through cross-platform development, developers may create platforms utilizing their favorite frameworks, such as JavaScript. From a business standpoint, cross-platform development leads to faster time-to-market and cheaper development and maintenance expenses. These features make it a highly sought solution from a technical and financial standpoint.

React vs. React Native

React is a free JavaScript toolkit to create dependable and quick user interfaces for online applications. It is heavily reliant on reusable parts.

As previously noted, Facebook created React in 2011 as a direct response to their scalability issues, just like React Native did a few years later. Facebook advertisements were at their peak then, and the platform's continuous UI modifications made it noticeably slower. React found a solution to this issue. In 2012, after Facebook purchased Instagram, it was also utilized in the app's timeline.

A logical outcome of React was React Native, which was created by Facebook and powered by React. It is a mobile framework enabling JavaScript developers to create native apps.

The final word? Although they are closely linked, the two frameworks have quite distinct goals. Web development uses React, whereas mobile development uses React Native, which does not need HTML.

How does React Native work?

As said, JavaScript is used by React Native to create the app's UI. React Native doesn't rely on reviews as its rivals (like Ionic) do; instead, it uses the real materials offered by native platforms. It can use natively written code, provide API access to OS-specific functionality inside the app, and has built-in access to native views and components. How precisely does that happen is the question.

React Native uses the "bridge" idea, which enables asynchronous communication between JavaScript and Native components. The flexibility of React Native is rooted in the bridge concept. However, being entirely separate technologies, native and JavaScript components can nonetheless communicate.

This design style has the advantage of utilizing many OS native functions. Still, it also has substantial drawbacks, such as the potential performance impact of continuously employing bridges within an application. React Native might not be the greatest choice if you're developing an app with lots of data, numerous events, etc. See more below about it.

What’s new for React Native in 2023?

When you choose React Native, you can anticipate ongoing upgrades and enhancements that will boost your app's functionality and speed. Key improvements for 2022 include the following:

• The 0.68 version marked the debut of the new architecture. This features TurboModules, a new native modules system, and Fabric Renderer, a new rendering engine. These modules improve the interaction between JavaScript and native code. Also, a brand-new renderer created in C++ and shared by all platforms makes it simpler to adapt React Native to various operating systems.
• Hermes has been set as the default engine as of version 0.70, which reduces the size of the APK (Android) file and speeds up application startup time. Despite a possible modest increase in IPA (iOS) file size, memory use has decreased.

What does it mean for your app?

In essence, the upgrades increase the effectiveness of your application. Long-term user engagement and satisfaction can be increased through faster loading times and decreased memory use.

Pros of React Native

Code reusability

The largest and most compelling benefit of React Native is its ability to create effectively for several platforms at once. Further advantages of using a single code base across various platforms include quicker app development and speed to market, simpler and less expensive maintenance (you just have to worry about one code base instead of many), and easier onboarding for new engineers. If both utilize React Native, the same code may be used for online and mobile applications.

Hot Reloading

Thanks to the hot reloading capability, developers may view changes to their code in real-time without refreshing anything. Because it gives developers immediate feedback on any changes made to the code, this ostensibly tiny change may significantly enhance the development process and increase productivity. Moreover, it is possible to speed up entire compilations by reloading particular code sections.

Performance 

React Native's "bridge" idea is considered groundbreaking compared to existing cross-platform development approaches. React Native apps are faster than web-based cross-platform solutions since they may use natively developed code. React Native's explicit claim is that it performs "native-like," although this claim is not always accurate; the most accurate term is "near-native" experience.

Cost efficiency

Cross-platform programming is mostly done for cost-effectiveness. You often require a smaller team to complete the project because code may be reused across numerous platforms, unlike native development, which requires two teams to provide essentially two equivalent operational solutions instead of one.

Growing developer community

The community behind the open-source framework React Native is thriving and growing. Facebook's involvement is important because they try to expand and enhance the framework. This implies that even if you encounter a problem that React Native hasn't yet addressed, you can discover a group of individuals willing to assist you because they care about making the framework more robust and reliable.

Constantly Evolving

React Native is a relatively young framework that has grown in consumer acceptance. This implies that it is always changing and improving, with new features and updates being provided regularly. We may anticipate seeing approaches to creating quicker and more effective apps. It's a fantastic option for the quick-paced mobile app development sector because of the vibrant environment.

Cons of React Native

A relatively young technology (but improving with time)

React Native is still a young technology. As we just discussed, it undoubtedly has certain drawbacks, kinks, and problems that must be fixed. Because certain custom modules are missing from the framework, it could take developers longer to construct and design brand-new ones from scratch. Your partner firm or developers should tell you of this throughout the app estimate phase.

The need for native mobile developers

React Native's most advantageous feature—implementing native code for improved performance—means that occasionally React Native developers may require assistance from native mobile app developers. The same applies to the app's publication on the Google Play Store and iTunes. Native mobile developers typically have a better understanding of the process and supporting documentation for a successful launch.

Suppose you're working with an agency with existing native mobile developers that could assist the React Native team. In that case, this might not be a problem. When working exclusively with your cross-platform team, though, it is undoubtedly something to consider.

React Native does not go well with complex designs & interactions.

When faced with challenging UI design considerations, intricate animations, and intensive interactions, React Native's performance is pitiful. This is due to the bridge notion once more; all native modules must connect with the JavaScript portion of the app, and too many of these interactions may cause the program to become sluggish and unusable.

Reliance on Facebook

Depending on a third-party open-source technology has its drawbacks on its own. Facebook's decision to stop using the technology might also lead to others stopping. Nothing implies this turn of events yet, although Facebook uses React Native in the main Facebook app and Instagram, Facebook Analytics, and the Ads Manager app. The community surrounding the framework continually grows, and more significant businesses enter the fray.

Still, this is something to be careful of. In this regard, native solutions provide far greater support and backward compatibility than any cross-platform alternative.

Near-native performance is still lesser than native.

Although we've spoken about how React Native's speed is better than other cross-platform options, it is still somewhat slower than developing native apps. It is advisable to address React Native's effect on your app's performance with your development team. Most applications have a slight bump that is nearly undetectable; however, if the app handles a lot of data or "bridges," the bump may get larger.

React Native - what is it used for?

Regarding using React Native, there aren't any actual limitations based on the industry. The important point is that it is a sufficient foundation for any customer-facing apps that do not substantially rely on OS-specific capabilities and integrations, such as augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR), or that do not require elaborate design or animations to build competitive advantage. React Native makes them faster to create and gives adequate functionality and modules to construct a robust application. Another benefit is that it is simpler to create a React Native mobile app when your online app is written in React.

Why choose React Native

TL;DR: Go for React Native if:

• You need to reach your audience on multiple platforms and fast.
• Your app idea is a consumer-facing app with a straightforward use case (e.g., an MVP).
• Your competitive advantage relies not mostly on OS-specific features (background video player, access to utility features) of heavy animations.

The majority of organizations have access to multiple benefits from React Native. Compared to alternative cross-platform solutions, it necessitates fewer UI concessions in addition to the speed and cost of the app's delivery and maintenance. The number of case studies from businesses (large and small) demonstrates that the performance is close to native, and it appears to meet all the requirements for both customers and the businesses themselves.

Your project's scalability plans (handling a lot of data may greatly impair the speed of the React Native app), the complexity of the user interface design, and the number of modules that have not yet been produced in React Native are the main React Native problems to take into account (they can take up a lot more time from your development team). You may check with your software development partner to see if there are any in the backlog for your app.

Keep in mind that the success of your app greatly depends on the knowledge and experience of the developers. Choose a partner to help you construct your cross-platform app who can calculate all the risks and possible gains associated with the chosen technology. It is advantageous if your partner has some background in developing native apps using React Native.