Valuable insights to gain from top React Native showcases
Tags: react, reactnative, webdev, programming
Published: 2024-05-30 14:40:10

React Native offers a compelling blend of performance and development efficiency for mobile app developers. This framework supports native capabilities while leveraging a unified JavaScript codebase. 

Let’s explore how top companies have utilized React Native, with the technical insights you need to make your react native apps even better.

## **Facebook Messenger**

Transitioning from [Electron](https://www.electronjs.org/) to React Native, Messenger Desktop optimized its application performance on desktop platforms. This shift significantly reduced resource consumption and improved startup times.

## **Technical insights**

**_Architecture optimization:_** Transitioning to React Native allowed for a modular architecture, reducing the binary size by over 100 MB and cutting load times by 50%.

**_Native modules and JSI integration:_** Utilization of React Native’s JavaScript Interface (JSI) and TurboModules facilitated smoother and more efficient interactions between JavaScript and native components, significantly reducing the overhead.

**_Advanced threading:_** Messenger improved its responsiveness and reduced jank in real-time communication applications by offloading UI rendering to separate threads from the main thread.

Read more: https://developers.facebook.com/blog/post/2023/05/17/messenger-desktop-faster-and-smaller-by-moving-to-react-native-from-electron/

## **Coinbase**

Coinbase focused on optimizing its React Native implementation to enhance responsiveness and fluidity, essential for the real-time requirements of cryptocurrency trading.

## **Technical insights**

**_Critical rendering path optimization:_** During high-frequency trading times, Coinbase minimized work on the JavaScript thread and prioritized frame rendering for smooth UI transitions.

**_Memory management and leak prevention:_** Advanced garbage collection techniques and memory pooling were implemented to handle frequent updates to the UI without impacting performance.

**_Custom native module implementation:_** Developing specific native modules for cryptographic computations allowed Coinbase to bypass JavaScript for security-critical operations, leveraging native libraries for optimal performance.

Read more: https://www.coinbase.com/en-gb/blog/optimizing-react-native

## **Walmart**

Walmart unified its iOS and Android development with React Native, achieving a consistent application experience across platforms while streamlining updates and feature rollouts.

## **Technical insights**

**_Shared component library:_** Utilizing a shared component library across platforms, Walmart achieved about 95% code reuse, significantly accelerating feature development and deployment.

**_Efficient data fetching and state management:_** Implementing GraphQL and Apollo for data fetching combined with Redux for state management, Walmart optimized network utilization and minimized UI thread blockages.

**_Performance optimization techniques:_** Employing techniques like code splitting, lazy loading, and predictive fetching helped improve the startup time and responsiveness of the Walmart app.

Read more: https://medium.com/walmartglobaltech/react-native-at-walmartlabs-cdd140589560#.ueonqqloc

## **Flipkart**

Flipkart implemented React Native to refine user engagement and improve performance across all user interactions within their e-commerce platform.

## **Technical insights**

**_Hybrid navigation systems:_** Integration of a hybrid navigation system that combines native navigation components with React Native screens to enhance the responsiveness and fluidity of user transitions.

**_Customized animation framework:_** Development of a customized animation framework that uses native drivers to ensure high frame rates during complex animations and transitions.

**_Optimized image handling and caching:_** Implementation of advanced image handling techniques and custom caching mechanisms reduced memory usage and improved loading times.

Read more: https://blog.flipkart.tech/the-journey-of-react-native-flipkart-47dcd0c3d1c6

## **Bloomberg**

Bloomberg redeveloped its consumer mobile app for both iOS and Android using React Native, resulting in a more streamlined and interactive user experience. This decision allowed developers to use the same UI building blocks as iOS and Android apps but with the efficiency of JavaScript.

## **Technical insights**

**_Cross-platform UI consistency:_** Using a unified styling and theming approach across platforms ensured consistent UI/UX without sacrificing native look and feel.

**_Real-time data handling and rendering:_** Efficient handling of real-time data updates with minimal impact on UI thread performance, using background processing and batched state updates.

**_Interactive media features:_** Development of interactive media features with complex gestures and animations maintained smooth performance by leveraging native APIs through React Native’s bridge.

Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/company/stories/bloomberg-used-react-native-develop-new-consumer-app/

## **Pinterest**
 

Pinterest integrated React Native to streamline mobile development for iOS and Android platforms and increase developer velocity. They started by prototyping a critical onboarding screen, the Topic Picker view, which proved that React Native could significantly reduce development time while maintaining high performance and user engagement.

## **Technical insights**

**_Module-driven development approach:_** Pinterest improved initial load time by efficiently managing dependencies through modularizing features and using lazy loading.

**_Performance benchmarking and optimization:_** Continuous performance monitoring and optimization were crucial, particularly for ensuring that React Native's performance matched native implementations.

**_Strategic adoption:_** React Native was strategically implemented for features that benefit the most from cross-platform development, allowing Pinterest to maintain high performance in critical areas like image-heavy grids.

Read more: https://medium.com/pinterest-engineering/supporting-react-native-at-pinterest-f8c2233f90e6

These technical examinations demonstrate how React Native can be customized to meet various project requirements, balancing the need for rapid development with high-performance standards. Senior developers can learn from these implementations to optimize their use of React Native in complex and performance-critical applications, ensuring both efficiency and scalability.

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