The end of the year is a time of summaries and predictions for the future. And it is no different in the software development world.
With the end of 2023, we prepared a comprehensive overview of the changes and updates in React Native and predictions for 2024 with our mobile developer’s comments.
Wondering what's new with React Native? Read on to learn about changes in 2023, what to expect in 2024, and whether it's still relevant for cross-platform mobile development.
React Native in 2023 - Updates Overview
Similarly to previous years, the React Native core team was hard-working at improvements, which contributed to three major releases - 0.71, 0.72, and 0.73.
As a brief recap, let’s sum up the most significant changes and what impact they had on React Native mobile development.
TypeScript Support
It has become the default language with first-class support, built-in declarations, and TypeScript-first documentation. Static typing, improved code maintainability, and better support enhancing developers' work make it the number one choice. In the State of React Native 2022 survey, over 50% of answers pointed to TypeScript being used as the only programming language in the project, in contrast to 8,5% of devs using only JavaScript. These statistics only emphasize its popularity among developers, which tends to increase year by year.
Improved Styling and Layout with Flexbox
Flexbox streamlines building User Interfaces responsive to different screen sizes and web-inspired props, including enhanced compatibility, gesture, and event handling. Thereby, it enhances the Developers' Experience and User Experience.
New Architecture
In 2022, the React Native core team announced the New Architecture, yet it remains in development. However, the team gradually releases new features, including Bridgeless mode, and introduces improvements like better dependency management on iOS or lowered build time. These updates aim to eventually enable the transition from the Old to the New Architecture.
More and more libraries are developed to work with New Architecture, greatly improving application performance. However, full compatibility may take time due to ongoing issues with running NA. At present, it is impossible to transition all projects and benefit from NA.- Adam, React Native Developer
Streamlining The Work and Enhancing DX
With changes to error handling and readability and improvements to the Hermes engine, React Native has become more developer-friendly. Additionally, the TypeScript support and Flexbox mentioned earlier simplify processes and tasks.
What we could see throughout 2023 is that the React Native core team is focused on three areas, leading the updates.
Firstly, steadily improving applications performance and functionality. Secondly, enhancing the developers’ experience (DX) making their work more efficient, effective, and streamlined with the implementation of TypeScript or Flexbox among others. Last but not least, making adjustments to the New Architecture. Announced in 2022 and remaining in the experimental phase, it is set to completely redefine how React Native works with Bridgeless mode and a different structure.
For the complete list of updates, check the official website or Github.
How would you sum up the 2023 for React Native? - Developer's perspective
I would define 2023 as the year of improvements and fixes. Unlike in 2022, when the React Native team introduced New Architecture, there were no significant changes to the RN functionality in 2023.
In the following releases, we mainly got the changes regarding the New Architecture. However, one of the most notable changes is TypeScript-first development, which chiefly affects developers’ approach to building applications. Using TypeScript in projects is now a common practice and can’t be underestimated. Even RN points to make the project’s elements typed.
Flipper removal changes the default way of debugging mobile apps in react-native again. Once you settle in for one solution, the core team changes it. In v0.73, we are back to the roots with ReactDevTools caused by the Hermes update, which will enable devs to deliver logs directly to the tool.
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Lastly, while not directly connected to React Native but more to mobile app development, the app state management libraries. The days of getting paid for the code lines written are long gone. As a result, Redux is losing its popularity. Instead, libraries like Recoil and Zustand are gaining prominence - they are transparent and easy to use and go on hooks, making them consistent with the React approach.
What can we expect from React Native in 2024 - Developer’s take
I have the impression that there is a growing trend towards using React Native for web development. Even at the React Native conference, it was one of the main topics.
With react-native-web, a package that allows developers to use React Native-specific components and APIs in web applications, and expanding solutions like turborepo, software developers will more often use React Native to deliver web solutions.
Have any libraries dominated in 2023?
Npm trends speak for themselves - @tanstack/react-query is a mandatory library for every hooks-based project. Thanks to this library, developers can save time as it does all unnecessary actions for them.
Also, the particular focus on the New Architecture and delivering new features are signs that it’s getting closer and closer. With the latest no-bridge mode release, which makes a crucial difference between the old and new architecture we can expect the launch sooner or later.
Will React Native be in demand in 2024?
Questions like this one resound every year. But it’s safe to say that in 2024, React Native will remain one of the most influential cross-platform frameworks for various reasons.
CONSTANT DEVELOPMENT
With constantly new updates, features, fixes, and improvements, React Native remains competitive among other frameworks and seamless in usage for developers. Every year, we have at least 2 or 3 major updates and announcements about the upcoming releases and features. Last year was New Architecture, which, by the way, is constantly inching forward by realizing new elements of this puzzle. In 2023, at the React Native EU conference, Static Hermes was announced by Tzvetan Mikov from Meta.
We can see how this framework is growing and enhancing its possibilities to stay competitive, improving applications' performance and functionality. It is safe to say that React Native will continue to thrive in the foreseeable future.
ACTIVE COMMUNITY
None of it would be possible if it were not for a community actively supporting all releases. Around 70 contributors from around the world work on every major release. Thanks to their expertise, experience, and commitment, React Native evolves and provides more handy solutions to mobile app development.
DEVELOPER’S EXPERIENCE (DX)
If you are looking for a framework to learn or to work with that puts DX first, continuously enhancing and streamlining the development process - React Native is a good choice. Making developers’ work more effective and consequently leading to better time and task management and faster development is, as we mentioned earlier, one of the areas the team focuses on.
According to the Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2023, around 54% of developers who worked with React Native before want to continue working with this framework. It clearly shows that React Native remains one of the top cross-platform frameworks for building top-notch mobile applications.
LOTS OF APPS USE IT
Despite other frameworks trying to overtake RN, it is still at the top of the charts, or more particularly the top of the Apple App Store, among others. According to Evan Bacon from the Expo team, who investigates applications submitted to the App Store, React Native is beating other cross-platform frameworks, like Flutter or Ionic.
Apart from this, on the official website, you can explore showcases of the apps using React Native, including Meta, Amazon (added not so long ago), Shopify, or Wix. With such undoubtedly valuable and confidence-building testimonials provided by those top players, opting for a React Native in your next mobile application project shouldn't be a tough choice.
TL;DR: What Will Become with React Native in 2024?
There is every indication that React Native will keep on thriving in the next year. The core team has consistently introduced improvements and new functionalities through 2023, and the same will surely happen in 2024. With that being said, we are waiting for the new features, improvements, and everything that may come in the future with React Native.
