React Native for Beginners: Create React Native App in 5 Steps

React Native is one of the hottest tools right now for building mobile apps that are super responsive and interactive. Think of apps like Facebook and Instagram – they're always changing and reacting to what you do, right? That's the kind of magic React Native can help you create.

While we don't know exactly how much Meta used React Native for their apps, they've definitely leaned on it in some parts. Basically, React Native gives you a bunch of tools and libraries to quickly build mobile apps using web technologies.

It lets you create dynamic apps. Don’t know what they are? Your Favorite apps – Facebook and Instagram – are an example of dynamic mobile apps. Instead of loading the whole app every time you tap a button or scroll a page, these apps update the specific parts you're interacting with. This keeps your app running smoothly, even if it's packed with features. React Native is one of the technologies that help them achieve this dynamic nature.

If you're looking to build a single-page app with lots of dynamic elements, React Native is a great choice. But it's not just for social media apps – you can use it to build all sorts of mobile experiences.

In this article, we'll guide you step-by-step through the process of building your first mobile app with React Native.

A Guide to Create React Native App

Before we start, in this five-step guide, we will know how you can start your React Native development journey. This guide is for those who are just starting with React Native and provides an overview of react native mobile app development.

Let’s get started.

1. Solidify Your Foundation

React Native is a JavaScript-based framework that enables experts in web development technologies to create modern and native-like mobile apps. You will need a team that is proficient in JavaScript-based technologies.

They should know the core concepts of React, such as JSX, state, and props. We have highlighted these features of React Native in one of our articles, “What is React Native?” In addition, there are some other concepts, such as understanding ES6+ syntax and asynchronous programming.

You will also need to know layout systems (Flexbox and Yoga) and platform-specific APIs.

This first step is to solidify the foundation and concept that you need to work with React Native.

If the developers are familiar with the basics, it may take around 3-6 months to learn React Native and build an app. Outsourcing is a popular approach today where businesses can hire expert React native developers to build an app.

Brilworks is a top-rated React Native development company, a house to expert react native development, providing developers for hire. If you are looking to hire expert and experienced React Native developers to build your app, you can hire developers on different models such as per project, pay per hour fixed price, or dedicated for an indefinite time. Are you curious about the cost to build React Native app from scratch? Check out our comprehensive guide on "React Native Development Costs" to get all the details.

Let’s come to the point. What else will you need to create React native app?

2. Choose Your Development Environment

If you're familiar with the React Native concept, you'll need to set up a development environment. In simpler terms, you'll need an editor, a platform, and some services to run React Native apps on your system.

To get started,

You'll need to install Node.js on your computer, which is essential for creating React Native apps.

Additionally, you'll need to install the Expo CLI and a code editor like Visual Studio Code. These are the fundamental tools required to build a React Native app.

The first step is to install Node.js, followed by the Expo CLI. Once the Expo CLI is installed, you can create your first project by running a command:

npx create-expo-app@latest MyApp

This will create a new project folder named "MyApp" containing the basic files and code for your app.

After creating the project, open it in Visual Studio Code. As you write code in the editor, the Expo CLI will monitor for changes. Whenever you save your code, Expo will automatically update your app on your device or simulator. This way, you can see the changes in real time.

If you're comfortable with the basics and want to build more advanced features, you can use the React Native CLI. It provides more flexibility and control for custom, complex apps.

So, you have two primary options: Expo for speed and simplicity, or React Native CLI for depth and control.

3. Design Your App's Architecture

App architecture is critical for scalability. If you neglect it, it can become an obstacle when you add new features or app scales. Software architecture is what helps you maintain the software’s quality attributes. If you put your efforts into making solid architecture

Component-based architecture is a popular and effective approach for React Native mobile app development. In this paradigm, developers create reusable components that can be reused anytime during development. This architectural style is so popular because it streamlines code maintenance for large-scale projects.

app/

│

├── _layout.tsx # Root layout (global layout for the app)

│

├── tabs/ # Tab-based navigation

│ └── _layout.tsx # Layout for tabs

│

├── home/ # Home tab content

│ ├── _layout.tsx # Home layout

│ ├── index.tsx # Matches route '/'

│ ├── details.tsx # Matches route '/details'

│

├── components/ # Reusable UI components

│ ├── Button.tsx

│ ├── TabSelector.tsx

│ ├── Header.tsx

│ ├── Avatar.tsx

│ └── ... # More components

└── settings.tsx # Matches route '/settings’

3.1 Props and State

Ensure a clear flow of data within your designed architecture. For this, use props to pass data to child components and manage state within components using the useState hook. For more complex state management, consider lifting state up to the nearest common ancestor or using a context.

3.2 Choose a State Management Library

To build React Native app that manage state effectively, use React’s built-in useState and useContext. They are excellent for simple apps. However, as applications grow in complexity, you can switch to libraries like Redux or Zustand.

3.3 Organize State Logic

Organizing state logic separately from UI components keeps your codebase clean and easier to maintain. For Redux, create a dedicated redux directory with actions and reducers. By doing so, you will create React Native app, which is simpler to debug.

3.4 Choose a Navigation Library

React Navigation makes it easy to handle moving between different screens in your app. It’s flexible and helps you manage things like screen transitions and deep linking without extra effort. Use React Navigation for robust and flexible navigation handling. You can install it via npm:

npm install @react-navigation/native

npm install @react-navigation/native-stack

And if you are building your with Expo, choose Expo Router. It provides a file-based routing system using which you can simply navigation setup. You don’t need to worry about configuration issues, as it integrates seamlessly with Expo. You can rapidly set Navigation.

Expo Router is perfect for Expo-based projects where ease of use and minimal setup are key. However, if you're working on a non-Expo project or need more flexibility, you might want to explore libraries like React Navigation or Reach Router, which offer more customization options.

3.5 Set Up Navigation

Here’s how you can set up navigation with Expo Router. First, you need to install Expo Router, if you haven't, install the necessary packages.

expo install expo-router

Create the app directory: Expo Router uses the app directory to manage screens and routes. Create a new directory in your project root called app.

Define your screens: Inside the app directory, create your screen components by naming them after the route you want. For example, for a home screen and an about screen:

app/index.js (for the home screen):

import { Text, View } from 'react-native';

export default function HomeScreen() {

return (

<View>

<Text>Home Screen</Text>

</View>

);

}

app/about.js (for the about screen):

import { Text, View } from 'react-native';

export default function AboutScreen() {

return (

<View>

<Text>About Screen</Text>

</View>

);

}

Add navigation links: To link between these screens, you can use the Link component provided by Expo Router.

Example (inside app/index.js):

import { Link } from 'expo-router';

import { Text, View } from 'react-native';

export default function HomeScreen() {

return (

<View>

<Text>Home Screen</Text>

<Link href="/about">

<Text>Go to About Screen</Text>

</Link>

</View>

);

}

Run your app: Now, you can run your app to see the navigation in action.

expo start

Expo Router automatically handles routing based on the file structure in the app directory, so if you want to add more screens, simply create new files and use Link to navigate between them. This method provides a clean and easy-to-use navigation system.

3. 6 Manage Navigation State

Use navigation props to pass parameters between screens and manage navigation state effectively. You can use Expo Router; however, it doesn’t include state management option. Here’s how you can do it in simple ways.

3.6.1 Set up Folder-based Routing

Expo Router uses a file-based routing system where the structure of your app’s files defines the routes. To use this, create a folder structure inside the app directory, with each folder corresponding to a screen or a route.

app/

├── index.js (Home Screen)

├── profile.js (Profile Screen)

3.6.2 Navigation State with Link

To navigate between screens, use the Link component provided by Expo Router. It automatically handles navigation state.

import { Link } from 'expo-router';

const HomeScreen = () => {

return (

<View>

<Text>Welcome to the Home Screen</Text>

<Link href="/profile">Go to Profile</Link>

</View>

);

};

3.6.3 Access Navigation State

To access and manage the navigation state, use hooks like useNavigation and useRoute provided by Expo Router. Example of using useRoute to get route params:

import { useRoute } from 'expo-router';

const ProfileScreen = () => {

const route = useRoute();

const { userId } = route.params; // Assuming userId is passed in navigation

return (

<View>

<Text>Profile of User: {userId}</Text>

</View>

);

};

3.6.4 Navigate Programmatically

If you need to navigate programmatically, use the useRouter hook to access the router and navigate. Example:

import { useRouter } from 'expo-router';

const GoToProfileButton = () => {

const router = useRouter();

const navigateToProfile = () => {

router.push('/profile'); // Navigate to the Profile screen

};

return <Button title="Go to Profile" onPress={navigateToProfile} />;

};

By using Expo Router, you can manage the navigation state more intuitively through file-based routes, making your React Native app easier to navigate and maintain.

Read the full article here.