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React Native Apps for iOS and Android

Ship to both app stores from one JavaScript codebase, reuse your React know-how, and push fixes faster with over-the-air updates.

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OrdersScreen.tsx
// One codebase, rendered as native views on iOS and Android
export function OrdersScreen() {
// Cached, deduplicated fetching with background refresh
const { data = [], isFetching, refetch } = useQuery({ queryKey: ["orders"], queryFn: api.orders })
// FlatList virtualises long lists; pull-to-refresh is built in

iOS

Android

React Native development that respects native quality

React Native lets one team build iOS and Android apps in JavaScript or TypeScript while rendering real native components. With the new architecture and Expo tooling, apps start quickly, scroll smoothly and can still call Swift or Kotlin code when a feature needs it. For companies that already run a React web app, the shared language, libraries and business logic make hiring and maintenance much simpler.

React Native is a strong fit for marketplaces, booking apps, fintech dashboards, social and content apps, and internal tools. It is less suited to graphics-heavy games or apps built mostly around advanced camera and AR work, where native code wins. Compared with Flutter, React Native makes the most sense when your team already writes React, wants to share validation and API code with the website, and prefers a large JavaScript library ecosystem over custom-drawn widgets.

At Nexzem we use TypeScript, Expo where it fits, and native modules where it does not. We set up EAS builds, over-the-air updates and crash reporting from the start, so small fixes reach users without waiting on app store review. Releases follow a predictable two-week rhythm, and you own all code, store accounts and build credentials from day one.

One component, two native feels

Pick a control. The same React Native code renders the iOS and Android version each platform's users expect.

What we build with React Native

One React Native codebase for iOS and Android, sharing logic and skills with your React web team.

  1. 01

    New React Native Apps

    Full iOS and Android apps built in TypeScript with Expo or bare React Native, including navigation, state management, authentication and API integration.

  2. 02

    Custom Native Modules

    Swift and Kotlin modules for features JavaScript cannot reach alone, such as custom Bluetooth devices, background location or specialised SDKs.

  3. 03

    Web and Mobile Code Sharing

    Shared hooks, validation, API clients and design tokens between your React or Next.js web app and the mobile app, reducing duplicate work.

  4. 04

    Over-the-Air Updates

    EAS Update or self-hosted update server pipelines that ship JavaScript fixes to users within hours, with release channels and safe rollback for bad builds.

  5. 05

    Migration to React Native

    Gradual move from two separate native apps or an old hybrid app to React Native, screen by screen, while the existing app keeps running.

  6. 06

    New Architecture Upgrades

    Upgrades of older React Native projects to current versions, which run only on the New Architecture with Fabric and TurboModules, replacing incompatible libraries and fixing the build errors that come with them.

  7. 07

    Performance Audits

    Profiling of slow lists, heavy re-renders, large bundles and slow native module calls, followed by targeted fixes and a written report for your team.

Why teams pick Nexzem for React Native

The checks every engagement has to pass before we call it done.

.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md5/5 checked

  • - [x] One codebase, two stores

    Most features are written once and ship on iOS and Android together, which shortens timelines and keeps behaviour consistent.

  • - [x] Easier hiring

    React developers are widely available, so growing or replacing the team later is simpler than finding separate Swift and Kotlin specialists.

  • - [x] Faster fixes

    Over-the-air updates let you correct copy, logic and minor bugs without a full store release for every change.

  • - [x] Native where it counts

    We drop into Swift or Kotlin for performance-critical features, so you are not limited by what JavaScript libraries happen to offer.

  • - [x] Honest tech advice

    If React Native is the wrong tool for your app, we say so in the consultation and suggest native or Flutter instead.

How we structure a React Native codebase

New projects start with Expo and TypeScript, using Expo Router for file-based navigation and development builds so custom native code is always possible. Code is organized by feature rather than by file type, with shared folders for the design system, API client and utilities. When a web app exists, we place shared types, validation and business logic in packages within a monorepo so both apps use the same rules.

Server state is handled with TanStack Query, local state with lightweight stores such as Zustand, and native capabilities through Expo modules or custom modules written with the Expo Modules API in Swift and Kotlin. EAS Build produces signed binaries in CI, and EAS Update channels deliver JavaScript fixes to staging and production separately.

  • Strict TypeScript with an API client generated from the backend schema.
  • Feature folders with screens, hooks and tests kept together.
  • Unit and component tests with Jest and React Native Testing Library.
  • End-to-end flows tested with Maestro or Detox on real devices.
  • Environment configuration through app config, never hardcoded keys.
  • Error monitoring with Sentry or a similar service from the first build.
  • Feature flags for risky changes that may need a quick switch off.

Common performance pitfalls and fixes

Most slow React Native apps suffer from a few recurring issues: long lists rendered with components that are not optimized, unnecessary re-renders from state that changes too often, large images decoded at full size, animations driven from JavaScript and heavy work done during startup. Each has a well-known fix once it is measured rather than guessed.

We profile with the React Native DevTools and Hermes profiler, replace long lists with optimized list components such as FlashList, memoize expensive components, move animations to the UI thread with Reanimated, use caching image components and defer non-critical startup work. Testing on mid-range Android phones, not only on new iPhones, reveals problems real users will see.

Bundle size and startup deserve the same attention. Audit dependencies for heavy libraries, keep fonts and images optimized, and measure time to the first interactive screen on a real budget phone after every major release, since small regressions add up quickly over many updates.

Keeping a React Native app healthy over time

React Native and its ecosystem move quickly, and app stores raise their own requirements every year: new Xcode versions, Android target API levels and privacy rules. Apps that skip upgrades for two years face painful jumps with many breaking changes at once. A regular cadence, upgrading Expo SDK or React Native versions a few times a year, keeps each step small.

Before adding a library, check its maintenance activity, New Architecture support and native code quality, since abandoned dependencies are the most common cause of upgrade pain. Keep a short list of approved libraries and remove unused ones regularly. Budget a few days each quarter for this work.

How React Native projects run

$ git log --graph --oneline main..delivery

  1. bb69dc1

    feat: scope and architecture

    We confirm features, choose Expo or bare workflow, and plan shared code with any existing web app.

  2. 317297f

    feat: design system setup

    Figma screens and a component library that adapts to iOS and Android conventions where they differ.

  3. dac5628

    feat: build and preview

    Sprint-based development with preview builds on both platforms after every sprint for you to test.

  4. 36d88d1

    feat: release pipeline

    EAS or CI builds, store submissions and an over-the-air update channel configured before launch.

  5. d4dcd56

    merge: iterate after launch

    Crash reports and analytics guide the next set of improvements under a maintenance or dedicated team plan.

What teams build with React Native

  • Shared web and mobile SaaS product

    A SaaS company runs its React web app and React Native mobile app from one monorepo, sharing types, API clients and validation, so features ship to web and mobile in the same sprint with consistent rules.

  • Ecommerce app with same-day hotfixes

    A retailer's shopping app receives JavaScript bug fixes and content tweaks through over-the-air updates within hours, while native releases follow a regular store schedule, keeping sale days safe from slow review cycles.

  • Adding React Native screens to a native app

    A company with mature native iOS and Android apps builds new features in React Native and embeds them as screens, letting one team deliver to both platforms without rewriting the existing native code.

  • Fintech app with native SDKs

    A lending app integrates vendor SDKs for KYC, bank statement analysis and payments through custom native modules, keeping the main interface in React Native while meeting security requirements on both platforms.

  • Conference app with offline schedule

    Attendees browse sessions, build personal agendas and get reminders even without venue Wi-Fi, while organizers push room changes and schedule updates instantly through over-the-air updates and push notifications to every attendee.

Where React Native sits in your stack

The tools we pair it with, layer by layer. Select a layer to see what it is responsible for.

Technologies often used with React Native

All 32 technologies

More in Mobile

React Native development FAQs

Something else on your mind? Ask a consultant and get a reply within one business day.

When should we choose React Native over Flutter or native?

Choose React Native when your team already uses React, when you want to share logic with a web app, and when the app is mostly forms, lists, maps and API calls. Choose Flutter for highly custom UI across many platforms, and native when hardware access or peak graphics performance matter most.

What affects the cost of a React Native app?

Number of screens, backend scope, native modules, third-party integrations, design complexity and whether you need an admin panel all drive cost. After a free consultation we provide a fixed quote with a feature-level breakdown.

Will a React Native app feel slower than a native one?

For most business and consumer apps users cannot tell the difference. Slowness usually comes from poor list handling or heavy re-renders, which we design out from the start and catch through profiling before release.

Can you take over our existing React Native app?

Yes. We start with a code and dependency audit, fix build and upgrade issues, then continue feature work. You get a written summary of risks and priorities before we change anything major.

How is our app code kept secure?

Code lives in private repositories, secrets stay out of the JavaScript bundle, sensitive data uses secure device storage, and API calls run over HTTPS. We sign an NDA on request and you own all code and IP.

Can React Native share code with our React website?

Yes, partly. Business logic, types, validation, API clients and state management can be shared through a monorepo, and some UI can be shared with libraries that target both platforms. Most teams still build platform-specific screens, sharing the logic underneath them.

Can we add React Native to an existing native app?

Yes. React Native can be embedded in existing iOS and Android apps, rendering selected screens or flows while the rest stays native. This lets teams adopt it gradually, though it requires careful setup of navigation, builds and shared data between native and JavaScript code.

We work with clients across the USA, UK, Australia, UAE, New Zealand and India.

Where we work

Tell us what you're building.

A solutions consultant replies within one business day with a recommended stack, a rough estimate and a suggested team.

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