What is React Native?

React Native is a mobile development framework that creates native iOS and Android interfaces from JavaScript or TypeScript code written with React patterns. Instead of embedding a website inside a WebView, it uses platform-native components such as View, Text, and ScrollView.

Developers build screens with React components and use the familiar state and props model. Device capabilities such as navigation, camera, location, notifications, or payments rely on native modules. Tools such as Expo can simplify the start; custom native integration may require lower-level configuration.

When It Fits

React Native is strong when iOS and Android should share most of the product experience, the team already knows React, and time to market matters. Fully platform-specific animation, heavy graphics, or complex device integrations may still benefit from native development for maximum control.

Business Use

E-commerce apps, customer portals, field operation tools, appointment apps, and loyalty apps can be built with React Native. Project success does not depend only on code sharing; release process, crash monitoring, offline behavior, push notifications, and store policies also need planning.

React knowledge makes React Native easier to adopt, while Flutter pursues a similar cross-platform goal with a different language and rendering model.