React Native: Native Mobile Apps from JavaScript

Facebook introduced React Native — a framework for building native iOS and Android applications in JavaScript. We analyze the architecture, advantages, and limitations of this approach.

Learn Once, Write Anywhere¶

React Native is not “write once, run anywhere” like PhoneGap. Facebook deliberately chose the philosophy of learn once, write anywhere. You share knowledge and parts of the codebase, but respect platform conventions.

Unlike hybrid solutions running in a WebView, React Native renders actual native components. A <View> maps to UIView (iOS) or android.view.View.

Architecture: Bridge Between JS and the Native World¶

The core of React Native is an asynchronous bridge between the JavaScript thread and the native UI thread. The React tree is serialized into JSON messages sent across the bridge.

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

const App = () => (
  <View style={styles.container}>
    <Text style={styles.title}>Hello, React Native!</Text>
  </View>
);

const styles = StyleSheet.create({
  container: { flex: 1, justifyContent: 'center', alignItems: 'center' },
  title: { fontSize: 24, fontWeight: 'bold' },
});

Performance is surprisingly good — for most UI operations you cannot tell the difference from a fully native application.

When React Native Makes Sense¶

React Native excels in applications with a lot of business logic and standard UI. It is ideal for:

• Enterprise applications (CRM, ERP mobile clients)
• Content and e-commerce applications
• Prototyping and MVPs
• Teams with strong JavaScript expertise

It is less suitable for graphically demanding games, applications requiring tight hardware integration, or performance-critical scenarios.

The Future of Cross-Platform Development¶

React Native changes the economics of mobile development. Instead of two separate teams (iOS + Android), one team with JavaScript knowledge is sufficient. Facebook itself uses React Native in production applications — Facebook Ads and Facebook Groups.

The community is growing rapidly and the library ecosystem expands every week. For enterprise projects we recommend monitoring API stability and the maturity of required native modules.

Conclusion: A Revolution in Mobile Development¶

React Native represents a fundamental shift in cross-platform mobile development. The combination of native performance with JavaScript productivity and the React paradigm is compelling. We recommend a pilot project for every team considering more efficient mobile development.