react-native-dev

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React Native and Expo development guide covering components, styling, animations, navigation, state management, forms, networking, performance optimization, testing, native capabilities, and engineering (project structure, deployment, SDK upgrades, CI/CD). Use when: building React Native or Expo apps, implementing animations or native UI, managing state, fetching data, writing tests, optimizing performance, deploying to App Store/Play Store, setting up CI/CD, upgrading Expo SDK, or configuring Tailwind/NativeWind.

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Sourceminimax-ai/skills

Added on2026-03-26

NPX Install

npx skill4agent add minimax-ai/skills react-native-dev

SKILL.md Content

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React Native & Expo Development Guide

A practical guide for building production-ready React Native and Expo applications. Covers UI, animations, state, testing, performance, and deployment.

References

Consult these resources as needed:

references/navigation.md — Expo Router: Stack, Tabs, NativeTabs (
```
headerLargeTitle
```
,
```
headerBackButtonDisplayMode
```
), links, modals, sheets, context menus
references/components.md — FlashList patterns,
```
expo-image
```
, safe areas (
```
contentInsetAdjustmentBehavior
```
), native controls, blur/glass effects, storage
references/styling.md — StyleSheet, NativeWind/Tailwind, platform styles, theming, dark mode
references/animations.md — Reanimated 3: entering/exiting, shared values, gestures, scroll-driven
references/state-management.md — Zustand (selectors, persist), Jotai (atoms, derived), React Query, Context
references/forms.md — React Hook Form + Zod: validation, multi-step, dynamic arrays
references/networking.md — fetch wrapper, React Query (optimistic updates), auth tokens, offline, API routes, webhooks
references/performance.md — Profiling workflow, FlashList +
```
memo
```
, bundle analysis, TTI, memory leaks, animation perf
references/testing.md — Jest, React Native Testing Library, E2E with Maestro
references/native-capabilities.md — Camera, location, permissions (
```
use*Permissions
```
hooks), haptics, notifications, biometrics
references/engineering.md — Project layout (
```
components/ui/
```
,
```
stores/
```
,
```
services/
```
), path aliases, SDK upgrades, EAS build/submit, CI/CD, DOM components

Quick Reference

Component Preferences

Purpose	Use	Instead of
Lists	`FlashList` ( `@shopify/flash-list` ) + `memo` items	`FlatList` (no view recycling)
Images	`expo-image`	RN `<Image>` (no cache, no WebP)
Press	`Pressable`	`TouchableOpacity` (legacy)
Audio	`expo-audio`	`expo-av` (deprecated)
Video	`expo-video`	`expo-av` (deprecated)
Animations	Reanimated 3	RN Animated API (limited)
Gestures	Gesture Handler	PanResponder (legacy)
Platform check	`process.env.EXPO_OS`	`Platform.OS`
Context	`React.use()`	`React.useContext()` (React 18)
Safe area scroll	`contentInsetAdjustmentBehavior="automatic"`	`<SafeAreaView>`
SF Symbols	`expo-image` with `source="sf:name"`	`expo-symbols`

Scaling Up

Situation	Consider
Long lists with scroll jank	Virtualized list libraries (e.g. FlashList)
Want Tailwind-style classes	NativeWind v4
High-frequency storage reads	Sync-based storage (e.g. MMKV)
New project with Expo	Expo Router over bare React Navigation

State Management

State Type	Solution
Local UI state	`useState` / `useReducer`
Shared app state	Zustand or Jotai
Server / async data	React Query
Form state	React Hook Form + Zod

Performance Priorities

Priority	Issue	Fix
CRITICAL	Long list jank	`FlashList` + memoized items
CRITICAL	Large bundle	Avoid barrel imports, enable R8
HIGH	Too many re-renders	Zustand selectors, React Compiler
HIGH	Slow startup	Disable bundle compression, native nav
MEDIUM	Animation drops	Only animate `transform` / `opacity`

New Project Init

bash

# 1. Create project
npx create-expo-app@latest my-app --template blank-typescript
cd my-app

# 2. Install Expo Router + core deps
npx expo install expo-router react-native-safe-area-context react-native-screens

# 3. (Optional) Common extras
npx expo install expo-image react-native-reanimated react-native-gesture-handler

Then configure:

Set entry point in
```
package.json
```
:
```
"main": "expo-router/entry"
```
Add scheme in
```
app.json
```
:
```
"scheme": "my-app"
```
Delete
```
App.tsx
```
and
```
index.ts
```
Create
```
app/_layout.tsx
```
as root Stack layout
Create
```
app/(tabs)/_layout.tsx
```
for tab navigation
Create route files in
```
app/(tabs)/
```
(see navigation.md)

For web support, also install:

npx expo install react-native-web react-dom @expo/metro-runtime

Core Principles

Consult references before writing: when implementing navigation, lists, networking, or project setup, read the matching reference file above for patterns and pitfalls.

Try Expo Go first (

npx expo start

). Custom builds (

eas build

) only needed when using local Expo modules, Apple targets, or third-party native modules not in Expo Go.

Conditional rendering: use

{count > 0 && <Text />}

not

{count && <Text />}

(renders "0").

Animation rule: only animate

transform

and

opacity

— GPU-composited, no layout thrash.

Imports: always import directly from source, not barrel files — avoids bundle bloat.

Lists and images: before using

FlatList

or RN

Image

, check the Component Preferences table above —

FlashList

and

expo-image

are almost always the right choice.

Route files: always use kebab-case, never co-locate components/types/utils in

app/

.

Checklist

New Project Setup

```
tsconfig.json
```
path aliases configured
```
EXPO_PUBLIC_API_URL
```
env var set per environment
Root layout has
```
GestureHandlerRootView
```
(if using gestures)

contentInsetAdjustmentBehavior="automatic"

on all scroll views

```
FlashList
```
instead of
```
FlatList
```
for lists > 20 items

Before Shipping

Profile in
```
--profile
```
mode, fix frames > 16ms
Bundle analyzed (
```
source-map-explorer
```
), no barrel imports
R8 enabled for Android
Unit + component tests for critical paths
E2E flows for login, core feature, checkout

Flutter development → see

flutter-dev

skill. iOS native (UIKit/SwiftUI) → see

ios-application-dev

skill. Android native (Kotlin/Compose) → see

android-native-dev

skill.

React Native is a trademark of Meta Platforms, Inc. Expo is a trademark of 650 Industries, Inc. All other product names are trademarks of their respective owners.