Before the existence of React Native, Developers were building apps under the native platform development environment or using other cross-platform mobile app development solutions like Xamarin, Ionic and Apache Cordova, etc.
Most of the available solutions were good to go but often lag in certain areas. For example, the native mobile app development environment allowed developers to build apps for a single mobile operating system. It means you need to hire two sets of developers to build apps for two different operating systems.
After React Native’s introduction in 2015, the entire scenario changed. React Native filled the gaps in the app development world and became the most favored cross-platform framework for developers and businesses.
It’s been five years since React Native app development is spreading its magic in the world’s most famous apps and used by many across the world.
But before I spill the beans on who exactly is using React Native, let me brief you on what it is exactly.
So….. what is react native?
React Native is a Javascript-based, open-source mobile app development framework created by Facebook.
It is used to develop apps for iOS and Android using a single codebase, delivering a native-like performance and user experience. React is a Javascript UI kit used in the React Native app development environment to lay out the app’s interface.
If you have never paid attention, let me tell you that you are connected to many React Native apps and are using them in your daily life.
Want to know which famous apps are developed using React Native and runs in your smartphone?
1. Facebook
Facebook wanted a single team to work on its various mobile products, and hence React Native came as a knight in the shining armor. From then onwards, Facebook’s mobile app leveraged React Native’s power to take care of Android and iOS users at the same time.
Image Source: React Native Example
First of all, the development team checked React Native’s performance on a feature called startup time working under the Events Dashboard of the Facebook mobile app. This single change was about to determine whether the users will stay or leave. Once the idea was validated, Facebook’s development team started integrating React Native in fine-tuning many other features.
2. Facebook ad manager
This is the only app that Facebook created entirely with React Native. Facebook Ads Manager helps marketers and businesses to create and manage Facebook Ads with ease.
Image Source: Redbytes
If you look closely at the image above, you will notice how well certain Facebook campaigns, ads, ad sets, etc., are performing. This is the same Facebook Ads Manager developed by a team sharing almost 100% of coding between Android and iOS platforms.
3. Skype
Skype’s use of React Native came as a shock to many as the product is of Microsoft, which has its own famous cross-platform mobile app development framework called Xamarin.
If nothing, this alone is the evidence enough to prove React Native as an excellent choice for cross-platform app development.
Image Source:MSPoweruser
Before React Native, the Skype app was stumbling across several issues. It is then the company announced a new app made with React Native technology. They completely renovated Skype with features starting from icons to all previously available ones. They also added new features to increase the benefits, look, and feel of the app for users. After observing the efficiency of React Native, Microsoft declared the platform useful for not only mobile app development but highly beneficial for Windows desktop version as well. Moreover, the tech giant obtained React Native from GitHub which is another sign of React Native’s success.
Hence, React Native gone beyond mobile app development to prove its competency.
4. Instagram
With Instagram on React Native’s app development list, it seems like Facebook left no stone unturned to prove the platform’s usability power.
Initially, Instagram was a native app furnished with many advanced features. Still, the social media app took the challenge to implement React Native into its existing app, changing everything from a simple view to a stunning user interface, especially, reconstructing the push notifications from a simple web view to demandable mobile view.
Image Source: Turbo 360
After launching the classy user interface, Instagram never required a separate navigation infrastructure. Despite facing the toughest challenges during the makeover process, the development team successfully improved the velocity of the app. And transformed 80% to 90% of coding between Android and iOS, saving an ample of time from app development.
5. Tesla
Even the biggest brand in the electrical motor industry, Tesla adopted the React Native to develop its Tesla app.
The Tesla mobile app enables customers to remotely control their cars. They can monitor the charging progress, start and stop it all from the app.
Image Source: Simply Technologies
The app has a rich look because of an elegant dark-themed UI, making it look like a game. The app is available for both Android and iOS users.
6. Walmart
The American multinational retail corporation, Walmart is also in the list React Native users. Walmart operates a chain of grocery stores, hypermarkets, and discount department stores across the world.
Previously, Walmart proved its groundbreaking attitude with Node.js on its shelf. A few years later, Walmart chose to revamp its app with React Native.
Image Source: Simply Technologies
As a result, Walmart reported improved performance of both iOS and Android app with the help of fewer resources and within a short period. 96% of the Walmart app code was shared between both platforms while the time and skills of developers were leveraged among all parts of the organization.
7. Uber eats
Recently, Uber brought the pioneering features of React Native to its online food ordering and delivery platform, Uber eats.
Image Source: Uber Engineering Blog
Original Uber Eats app was facing a problem in sending sounds under push notifications for users. Plus, as the app involves three parties including users, deliver-partners, and restaurants, it displayed the web view dashboard. Because of the limited functionalities of the original Uber Eats app, the development team decided to rebuild the dashboard from scratch with React Native.
8. SoundCloud pulse
SoundCloud is one of the most popular audio platforms, offering distribution and sharing of music. It allows users to upload and share their audios.
Image Source: React.js Showcase
SoundCloud Pulse is an app for audio creators that helps them organize their accounts and keep their community happy with humming. When the company took charge of developing a second set of native apps, they were facing obstacles to find iOS developers. Also, they didn’t desire a huge gap between iOS and Android apps. At last, they put the React Native in limelight with an independent research team to run user-testing sessions with apps prototypes.
9. Wix
Wix is an online web hosting and design service company, founded in 2006. Anyone can build their sites and mobile websites in HTML5/CSS using Wix’s drag and drop functionality.
Image Source: GitHub
One of the most popular features of Wix is that users can build their web applications without any coding skills.and can promote the same to other users.
Wix offers several navigation options to handle navigation in React Native apps like react-navigation, Wix-react-native-navigation, Airbnb-navigation, etc. One can choose any of these options to properly maintain and update codebase.
There are more….
These are just a few most popular apps built or revamped under the React Native umbrella. There are around hundreds of apps getting the most out of React Native while saving time, money, and resources wasted behind developing apps for each platform separately. As time goes by, more companies will adopt React Native to create their next app or change their existing ones.
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