The popularity of React Native continues to be high among mobile app developers. It has stayed as one of the top cross-platform frameworks for the last three years. But what is React Native? And what is the secret to its success? Find out in this article.

Most people use mobile apps developed using the React Native mobile framework gadgets throughout the day. They often cross platforms without even knowing it when they move from their smartphone to tablet and vice versa. They do not notice because the platform makes the switch seamless.

React Native is one of the most-used frameworks by cross-platform developers today. According to Statista, React Native captured 42% of the market in 2019 and holds 38% in 2021.

The framework is facing stiff competition from relative newcomer Flutter. However, React Native continues to be a favorite six years after its launch. That is quite impressive in itself.

What is React Native?

React Native is a framework based on Facebook’s React, a JavaScript library for building the user interface.

React targets web browsers while React Native aims to build natively rendering mobile apps on all devices. Because it is open-source, the mobile new framework benefited from the input of the developer community as well.

React Native uses a special markup language called JXL. JXL helps developers use React with native platform capabilities, hence the name. Some companies that use the new platform for their mobile apps include Facebook, Instagram, Tesla, Walmart, Microsoft, and Uber.

Definition of Terms

• React – Free, open-source JavaScript library for building UI components and interfaces; based on FaxJS, which Facebook software engineer Jordan Wilke developed in 2011
• Native platform – Software that allows the development of applications to run on a specific type of device, i.e., Android
• JXL – A special markup code similar to XML

Why is React Native so popular?

The popularity of anything in the development world rests on making life easier for developers. Software development is a long process with many dependencies. Anything can go wrong, and anything does. If you can make that process shorter or simpler, you should.

Typically, app development requires the skills and knowledge of several developers to build, assess, and test the software. The aim is to ensure a smooth and satisfying user experience.

Therefore, a platform that minimizes the time to bring an app idea to fruition will gain a big slice of the market. How well does this platform tick all the relevant boxes for developers? Consider the following features.

Cross-Platform Support

Have you ever been bummed to learn that a fantastic new app does not work on your mobile phone? The reason for this is the development team used a native platform, e.g., Swift for iOS.

Because of this, the app will not work on non-iOS devices. The app owner will need to build separate Android or Windows versions.

As you can imagine, doing the work over on different platforms is tedious. Most developers would like to avoid that. They can do so using a cross-platform framework, which is the top reason many developers prefer it.

The platform allows JavaScript and Native app threads to communicate, removing the need for separate teams to write duplicate code on different Native platforms. The fact that it has cross-platform support leads to the next reason on the list.

Cost Efficiency

React Native makes it possible for one development team to build a mobile app that works on all platforms. App owners thus avoid the cost of having two or three development teams working on native platforms. The result is less time and money needed to bring an app from idea to market.

For developers, having one team do everything means efficiency. When different teams are working on the same project, there is a high risk of miscommunication. With just one team working on everything, they can develop higher-quality software faster.

From a business perspective, that means more money for the bottom line. It also means more money to invest in development teams to produce even better apps.

Ease of Use

Another thing that makes React Native so popular is familiarity. Based on JavaScript and working in the same way as native codes, React Native is an old friend to many developers.

Developers do not require special training at all to build a high-quality mobile app. Anyone with a working knowledge of mobile components and JavaScript can use React Native.

Additionally, the code has reusable elements. Developers can use components such as stylized buttons and drop-down menus several times in-app and across various projects.

React Native is also flexible and straightforward, something that developers appreciate. It simplifies the adoption of the technology, and many include it in their tool kits. Because of this, a large pool of developers is now adept at using it.

Quick Development

React Native uses a single codebase for all mobile platforms. Using a common code means there is no need to adjust features or layouts. The single codebase makes development go faster, bringing the app to market that much quicker.

Other things that the platform speeds up are the testing and quality control phases. Developers can quickly identify any bugs or issues in the code because it is in one codebase. Debugging is possible, even desirable, at any stage of the development. Doing so will cut down on the time looking for and fixing issues at the end.

Speed is not the only yardstick with which developers measure this platform. React Native lets developers build robust, dynamic, and interactive apps on any platform without compromising its quality.

Responsiveness

User frustration with a buggy and slow app is never good. A smooth user experience is always the primary goal of any developer, which is why they use React Native. Apps developed on the platform have a simple and responsive interface, which users want.

React Native delivers this smooth user experience because it uses similar code for user and server sides. As a result, the app loads faster. The app’s responsiveness proves the smooth integration of JavaScript and native code on the platform that significantly improves the app’s performance.

React Native Mobile Development Made even Easier

React Native is popular because it makes development much easier. You can make mobile development using React Native even more effortless by having a professional team of mobile developers working for you.

Full Scale is an all-in-one platform for meeting all your staffing needs. We can build IT teams quickly and affordably for you, and we will not tie you down to long contracts. You decide how long you want to work with us, no strings attached.

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