Create Native Apps for Android and iOS Using React

React Native is written with a blend of JXL and JavaScript. JXL is a unique markup code similar to XML. The framework can communicate with JavaScript-based threads and native app threads. React Native utilizes a “bridge” for communication. Although it writes Native and JavaScript threads in totally different languages, React Native’s bridge feature makes bi-directional communication a reality. 

To help users create native apps for Android and iOS, React Native also combines the great parts of native development with React—a top, best-in-class JavaScript library needed to build UIs. So with React Native, you can build a brand new mobile app from scratch, and you’ll get to see how in this article.

8 React Native App Development Benefits

Developers use React Native for a lot of reasons. For one, it is lightweight, provides high and impressive performance, and is superb for quickly-changing data. What’s more, React Native’s component structure that encourages software and app developers to write modular, reusable code naturally is a plus. If you’re still wondering why use React, here are some benefits to React Native App development:

#1. Faster Development and Reusable Codes

One of React Native’s strongest and biggest benefits is its effective development for multiple platforms simultaneously. When you use the same code for different platforms, you get quicker development, cheaper and easier maintenance with eyes on one code base and a stress-free onboarding process for new developers.

With the hot reloading feature, React Native allows developers to view modifications in the code in a live preview. They do not need to refresh anything constantly, and this alone can enhance the React Native development process because it offers feedback in real-time to changes made in the code.

#2. Performance

Thanks to React Native’s revolutionary bridge concept, it trumps other cross-platform development solutions. RN apps help users use natively written code, and when they do so, it isn’t as laggy as some web-based cross-platform frameworks.

#3. It Gives a Solid Developer Experience

Developers can count on Reactive Native to give a stronger developer experience compared to other standard iOS and Android development. Since the apps are predominantly JavaScript, developers benefit from web development. The intelligent error reporting tool is a stand-out feature that makes React Native mobile app development stressless. There are also JavaScript debugging tools developers can utilize.

#4. It Supports Code Push

In the list of many benefits of why use React Native for app development, developers appreciate that React Native supports Code Push. Code Push is Microsoft’s cloud service. It allows React Native developers to deploy application updates directly to the devices of users without needing them to update the app from the app store.

#5. React Native is Cost-Efficient

One of the major reasons developers go for cross-platform development is cost-efficiency. The simple fact that you can reuse code on several platforms and only need a smaller team to deliver projects makes it all the more enticing. With native mobile app development, you may need to set up two separate teams to bring out two operating products that are similar instead of just one.

#6. It Augments Existing Apps Seamlessly

If you have an existing application that you want to augment more cheaply, you’ve got to consider React Native. For starters, you can place React Native UI components into that existing app without needing to rewrite the app. This is a massive option when you are just looking to augment an app and not fully rewrite it.

#7. React Native is Open Source and has an Enthusiastic Developer Community

As an open-source framework, React Native has attracted an enthusiastic and thriving community of developers. What’s more, the involvement of Facebook in consistently working on much-needed elements and improvements is helping to widen the framework. 

So if you are a new user and encounter an issue, the chances are that there is a solution online from someone who’s had the same problem. If the solution doesn’t exist yet, you have a community of enthusiastic users eager to assist you while making the framework stable and comprehensive.

#8. Faster Publication of App Updates

Before React Native came to the scene, publishing updates was a nail-biting experience as it took too much time. Developers had to rely on another build process with every app separately, which could be frustrating.

With React Native for app development, the cumbersome process is now a more streamlined process. Developers can update both applications simultaneously in a faster and easier process too. So as app owners and businesses set out to effect updates and improvements for your users, developers will implement them via over-the-air (OTA) updates. This update occurs as users are using the app, so the next time they run the app, the app is up to date and ready for use.

13 Reasons to Use React Native For Mobile App Development

Being a User Interface-focused framework helps React Native Development to be relatively quick, efficient, and easy to handle. Besides, apps load faster, and users get a smooth feel when they use applications that went through React Native for app development. Here are 13 reasons to switch to React Native for mobile app development:

• The True Native Feel: Components on React Native map 1:1 with the native development ones, allowing developers to draw interfaces quicker. They also increase the app’s agility and create a more original and native feel. Besides, as mentioned, React Native is native software-compliant, meaning that it can easily integrate with existing codes, making it perfect for adding quick functional extensions to existing native apps.
• Changes Preview: React Native allows developers to use the time-saving feature of previewing changes. This is all thanks to fast iteration cycles that remove the need to rebuild the app to see changes. To refresh the application, you only need to press the Command+R combo on a macOS.
• Time-saving: React Native gives developers effortless work and a stressless developer experience. There are several rich, useful, and time-saving tools.
• Minimalist Approach: React Native takes a minimalistic approach to mobile app development. Developers don’t have to work in Android Studio or Xcode to build separate applications.
• Already-made Components: When you use React Native for app development, you don’t have to write the whole thing from scratch. There are plenty of open-source libraries that will help boost your productivity when you use them.
• Smart Debugging Tools: RN has many intelligent and smart debugging tools. These tools combine with an error reporting mechanism to allow developers to focus on building their apps. React Native also uses Flipper by default to debug easily.
• Chances of Building a Demo: Demos are a necessary part of mobile app development. Using Expo means you can build a demo for customers without moving the app to Google Store or Testflight. Just simply have the Expo App on your mobile device.
• You Get Live Reloading: Live reloading works a treat when using React Native for app development. You can compile and read your file from where you made changes, and simulators also help in reading files.   
• You Can Transform Web Projects into Mobile Applications: You should use React Native development because the jobs you do with it are easy to understand. But most importantly, developers will find it easier to take over web projects even though they weren’t originally involved.
• Compatible With 3rd-Party Plugins: React Native is compatible with third-party plugins, and users can add external plugins without worrying about high memory.
• Over the Air Updates: OTA allows developers to push quickly fixed updates straight to the mobile app users. Users don’t even need Google Play or AppStore to accept the changes. 
• Fast and Smooth UI: If you need a framework to give you a smoother and faster user interface, React Native is for you. Interfaces built on the framework are responsive and faster than some classic hybrid types.
• One Codebase, Multiple Platforms: With React Native mobile app development, have the possibility of using a single codebase for web browser, iOS, and Android. There’s no need to chop and change.

Native Development For Everyone

React Native is open source and is free to use by anyone regardless of their experience. The framework lets you build truly native applications, and you don’t have to compromise UX for the quality and speed it gives.

Also, it offers a core range of platform-agnostic native components that developers find very helpful, such as Image, Text, and View. These components map directly to the native user interface building blocks.

Getting Started With React Native App Development

React Native is a great framework because a single team can maintain two platforms and share similar technology with them. You get to use the same source code to run on Android and iOS devices and forego hiring separate developers to write different codes. 

People who use React Native for app development save development costs and time while maintaining high performance and quality. No wonder companies like Facebook (Meta) and Airbnb use React Native for app development.

React Native’s Popularity and Perspective

React Native is regarded as the cross-platform with the largest community—a testament to its popularity. The best part about an open-source framework having such strong community support is that help is readily available to developers. 

New users can get assistance from community experts and find solutions in libraries of useful information needed for React Native mobile app development. There are also tons of tutorials about the framework and the Reactiflux Chat if you need immediate answers to burning questions.

Besides, the number of JavaScript frameworks and libraries is also growing steadily. Every year, there’s always a new one that is touted for its better performance, fewer bugs, or better performance. While we can stop this process, we can always monitor it to avoid an outdated stack and other murky situations that could arise.

Via Statista

The graph above shows the current state of the market for cross-platform mobile frameworks between 2019 and 2021. Despite React Native’s brilliant features, extensive libraries, and enthralling community, Flutter is the most popular cross-platform mobile framework globally that developers prefer.

However, one-third of mobile application developers utilize cross-platform frameworks or tech, while the rest rely on native tools. In 2020, React Native became a rising solution, and a market leader in cross-platform frameworks, as 42% of software developers relied on React Native for app development.

Flutter was a close 2nd on the list, taking in 39% of the market share. However, in 2021, just about 38% of software developers used React Native, while 42% of developers turned to Flutter. The percent of Stack Overflow questions shows that Flutter has had more inquiries than React Native.

Via NPM Trends

However, these figures only tell one side of the story. In the past 1 year, React Native has had more downloads than Flutter, and as of April 2022, this figure stands at a massive 751,376. In the end, developers choose between two top alternatives to the native mobile development approach that allows them to create a single code base that works for both Android and iOS devices.

Basic Steps to Develop React Native App

Before you start using React Native for app development, you ne00ed to set up the necessary dependencies and environment needed for running React Native. Android Studio is great for some core android app development. Some developers, however, only need SDKs for Android, and they can carry out the development with editors like VScode.

Here’s how to set up React Native Project Without Android Studio on Linux

1. First, you need to install npm and node. Try installing a version manager nvm.

   sudo apt install curl

    curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.35.3/install.sh | bash

    source ~/.bashrc

    nvm install vxx.x.x

2. Next, try installing Java SDK 8 on your computer

   sudo apt-get openjdk-8-jdk

3. After installing Java SDK 8, you need to install React Native cli.

   npm i -g react-native-cli

4. Next, download the tools for Android SDK: You can download the current SDK tools and proceed to find an SDK manager for your operating system on the Command line tools section of the website.

1. Extract the file you’ve downloaded. You will find that it has a folder cmdline-tools although the contents may vary with later versions.
2. Copy the contents inside the cmdline-tools folder and paste to /opet/android by

*sudo cp -r . bin lib /opt/android/cmdline-tools/latest

3. Once done the copy, update the .bashrc in your home folder for setting path.

This is what your Android studio cmd-line path should look like:

   export ANDROID_HOME=/opt/android

    export PATH=$PATH:$ANDROID_HOME/emulator

    export PATH=$PATH:$ANDROID_HOME/cmdline-tools/latest

    export PATH=$PATH:$ANDROID_HOME/cmdline-tools/latest/bin

    export PATH=$PATH:$ANDROID_HOME/platform-tools

4. Once you’re done updating the .bashrc file, try to run source ~/.bashrc to reflect the changes.
5. Next, run the SDK manager you downloaded in the terminal so you can initialize it.
6. Now you can install the needed dependencies for the React Native environment, although versions may vary in the future.

sudo sdkmanager “platform-tools” “platforms;android-29” “tools” “patcher;v4”   “build-tools;29.0.2”

7. If the sudo SDKmanager shows the command, you can always directly access your SDKmanager via this path.

sudo/opt/android/cmdline-tools/latest/bin/sdkmanager

8. After that, you can now list all the installed dependencies by sdkmanager –list

5. Connect an android device and enable debugging via USB. 

You should also check the connected device by ADB devices and make sure file transfer is selected on the android devices you connect.

   In Settings -> About phone

    Continuously tap the Build Number

    Go to Settings -> Developer options

    Enable USB debugging

6. Create and build a React Native application

   react-native init projectname

    cd projectname

    react-native start

7. You now need to run the app you created on an android device

   react-native run-android

8. If your process leading up to this step goes smooth and well, the app should load into your phone.

Here’s how to set up React Native Project Without Android Studio on macOS

1. First, you need to install nvm

   sudo apt install curl

    curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/creationix/nvm/v0.31.3/install.sh | bash

    source ~/.bashrc

    nvm install vxx.x.x

2. Next, try Installing react native cli.

   npm i -g react-native-cli

3. Install Homebrew and install watchman service

   sudo curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh | bash

    brew install watchman 

4. Set up Xcode

Once you’ve installed the Xcode, install Xcode’s cmd line tools under Xcode =>preference =>locations.

5. Now you can create and build your React Native

   react-native init projectname

    cd projectname

    react-native start

6. The next involves trying to run your application on an iPhone to see how it works

   react-native run-ios

Now you’ve got the setup for iOS and Android, but after setting up, know that you can still use the same source code for another React Native mobile app development for iOS and Android.

When to Use React Native for Mobile App Development

The choice of tech or framework for any mobile app project needs serious consideration, and you need to consider your estimated budget, needs, and available time. More often than not, after all these considerations, React Native is the top choice that comes to mind. Here’s when to choose and consider React Native for your projects:

• If you’re working with a limited budget: You need more than an idea to create value. And if you’re working with a limited budget, you may want to consider a cross-platform framework like React Native to build a functional app in little to no time.
• If you want to scale quickly: If you want to scale your business quickly, you need to hire or train React Native developers to develop apps. Saling your app is simple with the help of component-driven development that React Native provides.
• If you have specified and short deadlines, you will need to make constant changes as fast as possible and under strict deadlines in building or creating a product. React Native helps you accomplish that, keeping you one step ahead of the competition.
• If you need to build MVP fast: React Native is the ideal framework when you need to build a functioning Minimum Viable Product or application. With it, you can easily get feedback from reals users and make an effort to adapt it.
• When you already have native apps: You can choose to use React Native when you already have native apps, and you don’t need to re-write an entire code to make the switch to React Native either. The entire process is straightforward and smooth.

Conclusion on React Native—When to Choose

Whether you are a startup or a very successful business person, React Native has diverse ways it can benefit you; you just need to know when to choose. You can use React Native for Rapid app development in short iterations, Projects with simple functionality, Building apps based on JavaScript, Projects with efficient interfaces and beautiful design.

Nowadays, mobile app development is an in-demand skill and useful addition to any business looking for long-term growth. If you want the opportunity for your business or client’s business to build unique mobile apps differently and seamlessly, you need React Native. 

So if you’re a current mobile app developer or aspiring to be one, mastering a mobile app development framework like React Native might be what you need to kickstart your career to new heights.