Mobile — React Native (Deep)

This page goes deeper than Mobile (Native) — RN/Expo, which is the orientation page. Here we cover the runtime details that matter when you're shipping real apps in 2026: New Architecture (now default), Hermes, Bridgeless, Expo's SDK and EAS, and the libraries that have crystallized as the obvious picks.

The 2026 RN baseline

• ★ New Architecture default — Fabric (renderer) + TurboModules (native modules) + Codegen + Bridgeless mode have all become the default in RN 0.76+ through 0.78. New Expo SDKs assume New Arch.
• ★ Hermes — RN's bundled JS engine; the default since 2022; only path on New Arch.
• Yoga 3 — flexbox layout engine; gap support, cleaner percentage handling.

Two "starts here" options

• ★ Expo (managed/prebuild) — by far the default in 2026. Free for indie projects.
• Bare RN (npx @react-native-community/cli init) — drops you straight into Xcode/Android Studio control. Use when you have a deep custom native module need that prebuild can't handle.

Routing / navigation

• ★ Expo Router — file-based on top of React Navigation. Universal app routing (iOS/Android/Web).
• ★ React Navigation 7 — the underlying library. Stack / tabs / drawer; native-stack uses real platform navigation.
• react-native-navigation (Wix) — full-native navigation; less common in Expo era.

State / data

• Zustand, Jotai, Valtio — all fine in RN.
• TanStack Query — server state; the default.
• Legend State, Signals — fine-grained reactive state.
• Redux Toolkit — still used in larger teams.
• ★ MMKV (react-native-mmkv) — fast KV; replaces AsyncStorage in 2026.
• AsyncStorage — built-in; slower than MMKV.

Storage / databases

• ★ op-sqlite — fast SQLite for RN; New Arch-friendly.
• expo-sqlite — Expo's official; fine for most apps.
• WatermelonDB — local-first reactive DB; good for big offline apps.
• Drizzle + expo-sqlite — typed local DB.
• PowerSync RN, ElectricSQL RN — Postgres ↔ SQLite sync.
• See Mobile — Databases & Storage.

Styling

• ★ NativeWind v4 — Tailwind for RN; mature.
• ★ Tamagui — universal RN/Web styled-components; very fast at runtime.
• gluestack-ui v2 — universal component library; NativeBase successor.
• React Native Paper — Material 3 components.
• unistyles — performance-oriented styled API.
• See Mobile — UI Component Libraries.

Animation / gestures

• ★ react-native-reanimated 3 — UI-thread animations; the default.
• ★ react-native-gesture-handler 2 — gestures; pairs with Reanimated.
• moti — Framer-shaped wrapper over Reanimated.
• lottie-react-native — Lottie playback.
• react-native-skia — 2D graphics (Shopify); great for canvases, charts, custom rendering.

Native modules / interop

• Expo Modules API — Swift/Kotlin module API; the recommended way to write native modules in 2026.
• Nitro Modules (Margelo) — newer, very fast TurboModule-based codegen path.
• TurboModules / Codegen raw — for those without Expo Modules.

Builds / OTA

• ★ EAS Build / Submit / Update — Expo's hosted build + OTA pipeline. Free hobby tier; paid for teams.
• Re.Pack — Webpack-shape bundler alternative to Metro for module-federation-shape apps.
• Metro — RN's default bundler; still primary.
• Hermes Inspector — JS debugging.
• See Mobile — CI/CD & Build Tools for non-EAS options.

Debugging

• Expo Dev Tools / Atlas — bundle visualization.
• Reactotron — third-party RN inspector; still excellent.
• Hermes Debugger / Chrome DevTools protocol — built in.
• Flipper — Meta deprecated it in 2024; do not start new projects on Flipper.
• See Mobile — Debugging Tools.

Testing

• Jest — unit/component tests.
• react-native-testing-library — component tests.
• ★ Maestro — E2E UI flows; cross-platform; the default in 2026.
• Detox — long-running RN E2E; still maintained, less hot than Maestro.
• See Mobile — Testing Frameworks.

Pick this if…

• Default new RN app: Expo + Expo Router + NativeWind/Tamagui + EAS + MMKV + Reanimated.
• Need deepest native control: bare RN or Expo prebuild + custom Expo Module.
• Don't want EAS pricing: Codemagic / Bitrise / GitHub Actions + Fastlane.
• Server-driven UI / huge app: consider Re.Pack + module federation.
• Hate JS: Flutter or native.