Why React Native Is Still the Best Choice in 2025

React Native is evolving rapidly and remains a strong choice for mobile development in 2025. I cover the latest platform updates, including Apple’s new Liquid Glass design and how React Native benefits from staying close to native APIs. If you want to understand why React Native is still relevant and what improvements are coming, this video is for you.

I also share insights on native tabs, context menus, and smoother transitions, plus new tools like Expo Modules API and React Native AI for on-device machine learning. Whether you’re a mobile developer or curious about the future of React Native, you’ll get a clear picture of why now is a great time to bet on this framework.

What's inside

• React Native is changing fast and right
• Apple’s Liquid Glass design and its system-level impact
• Understanding the decisions behind React Native’s architecture
• Native tabs, context menus, and smoother transitions
• The react-native-ai package for on-device AI with iOS 26
• Community and company investments in React Native
• The evolving React Native ecosystem and developer experience
• AI tools and no-code builders using React Native

React Native is changing fast and right

React Native’s future looks bright as the community and core maintainers push rapid improvements. I explain why I’m more bullish than ever about React Native’s direction. The framework is not perfect yet - there are details to refine - but the pace of native integration and tooling enhancements is impressive.

Big companies like Expo and Shopify are investing heavily in native implementations, improving performance and user experience. This momentum makes React Native a compelling choice for new projects and ongoing app maintenance.

Apple’s Liquid Glass design and its system-level impact

Apple’s new Liquid Glass design is a major refresh across all Apple platforms, implemented at the operating system level. This means native apps, including React Native ones, automatically get updated visuals just by recompiling with Xcode 26.

Unlike Flutter, which draws UI manually and must reimplement such designs, React Native uses native primitives like UIButton. So when Apple updates these primitives, React Native apps inherit the changes instantly. This close-to-native approach ensures your app stays visually current without extra work.

Understanding the decisions behind React Native’s architecture

React Native’s philosophy centers on leveraging native platform primitives while running JavaScript for logic. This contrasts with frameworks like Flutter that redraw everything for cross-platform consistency but require reimplementing native UI changes.

I emphasize that understanding these architectural decisions helps you make better technical calls for your app. This is a key topic I cover in my in-depth courses, where I explain not just how to use React Native but why it works the way it does.

Native tabs, context menus, and smoother transitions

React Native navigation is evolving with native tabs now available in alpha through React Native Screens. This means tabs are rendered using actual system components, improving performance and user experience.

Expo Router will support native tabs soon, bringing native stacks, context menus, and smoother transitions closer to platform expectations. These improvements help React Native apps feel truly native and polished.

The react-native-ai package for on-device AI with iOS 26

I built a native module using Expo Modules API to access Apple’s new on-device large language models (LLMs) introduced in iOS 26. This package, react-native-ai, makes it easy to integrate AI capabilities locally on the device.

Building this module was approachable, especially with AI-assisted coding tools like GitHub Copilot. This shows how React Native can leverage cutting-edge native features and AI to enhance app functionality.

Community and company investments in React Native

The React Native community is vibrant and supportive, with many developers sharing custom native modules and libraries. Companies like Expo, Coac, Shopify, and Meta are investing heavily in native implementations and tooling.

This ecosystem strength means you get access to high-quality libraries, faster updates, and community support. Even private equity firms are investing in React Native-based companies, signaling confidence in its future.

The evolving React Native ecosystem and developer experience

React Native offers a great developer experience with fast iterations, over-the-air updates, and the ability to ship changes without app store reviews using tools like Expo’s EAS Update.

Its architecture allows developers to reuse React web skills for native development, making it easier to build and maintain apps. This combination of native performance and JavaScript flexibility is a major advantage.

AI tools and no-code builders using React Native

New AI-powered tools and no-code builders are adopting React Native and Expo to let users create apps from simple prompts. This lowers the barrier to entry and brings more developers into the React Native ecosystem.

The ability to run React Native apps in the browser further enhances accessibility and approachability, making it likely that many future apps will be built with React Native and Expo.

Resources

CourseReact Native course

Fundamentals through shipping: the concepts behind the prompts, with lifetime access.

Pro membershipPro membership

Access all my templates, private GitHub repos, and in-depth React Native content.