React Native was invented by Facebook on the basis of ReactJS in 2015. Its main purpose is to develop cross-platform native apps. Basically, this is an open-source JavaScript-based framework, which allows developers to create mobile apps much quicker. Its main peculiarity is as follows: using one and the same codebase, this framework lets developers build apps for both iOS and Android platforms. So, it helps save not only time but also resources: instead of hiring two developers (for iOS and Android), an employer can hire one React Native developer. Plus, it gives access to all the native elements, like location, push notifications, cameras, and gestures.
You can use React Native off-the-shelf UI libraries for a smoother user experience. There is a wide range of React Native player libraries that will cover developers’ back when it comes to creating React Native video apps. No wonder many brands have already started using this flexible framework to develop their products.
Top 8 React Native Apps
Facebook pioneered the React Native framework. So, what could prevent them from using it to their advantage? Facebook Ads Manager, which allows businesses to create advertisements for their products, was the very first cross-platform React Native app. It takes the UI differences of both platforms into account, while its work performance is really impressive, allowing users to execute any action in a matter of seconds.
2. Instagram
Instagram, a photo and video-sharing app and social network, integrated React Native in their native app. At first, they decided to start with the Push Notification view, which was the simplest view possible. It was implemented as the WebView and didn’t require the development of navigation infrastructure, as the UI was pretty simple and understandable. Though the development team faced certain difficulties on their way, they managed to overcome them and boost further development processes. Now, numerous Instagram features are powered by React Native.
3. Discord
Discord is the social platform for online chats, voice and video calls, and content exchange mostly used by gaming communities. This platform has been using React Native for iOS since 2015, as soon as it became open-source. And only recently, Discord has switched to React Native for Android devices too. This way, right now, Android users don’t have to wait until new features are first implemented on iOS and desktop and can already feel the advantages of this important codebase change.
4. Tesla
Tesla is famous for accelerating the world’s transition to sustainable energy. Its app lets its users communicate with their electric vehicles and Powerwalls in a snap. And this app is also written in React Native. As a result, there is practically no difference between the iOS and Android versions of the app, as all the functions are equally available.
5. Walmart
Walmart is often called a superstore. This is an American retail corporation that has a chain of hypermarkets, department stores, and grocery stores across the USA. And their Walmart shopping & grocery app is powered by React Native. They are striving to become the world’s largest online store, so they have chosen the best framework to increase the app’s speed on both platforms and improve code quality.
6. Bloomberg
Bloomberg is a high tech world-renowned finance company that delivers recent news on the market and business trends throughout the globe. When they made up their mind to develop the Bloomberg app, they decided to use React Native as its basis. The app was developed in 2016 within six months, which is actually half the time that is generally required to create a native app for iOS and Android. With React Native, the company managed to automate code refreshes, which makes the release of new features on all platforms much quicker. So, there is no need for recompiling—the app reloads by itself in a flash.
7. Uber Eats
UberEats makes delivering food from your favorite restaurants and cafes as easy as a breeze. Uber Eats was also built with React Native. Their web apps are based on React, so it was logical to develop their mobile apps on the same platform. Also, the company decided to use React Native due to its JavaScript solutions and the compatibility with Uber’s current native technologies.
Call of Duty Companion App lets users stay in touch within the game environment 24/7. This is the bright example that React Native has also penetrated into the gaming sphere.
How to create an app faster?
The best alternative that makes development much faster is SDK. If you’re not familiar with this solution, a software development kit or SDK is a set of software provided by vendors that developers use to build applications for specific platforms. The toolkit allows to develop a video app in a snap.
This is what Banuba SDK does for many clients across the globe. Banuba offers numerous features, like video beauty effects and color filters, face AR masks, background swap, and much more. All the features are available with React Native wrappers. The only thing you should do is to write some code lines to integrate the necessary functionality. With Banuba SDK, you won’t simply make your app more competitive, but will also inspire video content creation and keep your users engaged in the world of AI and AR.
Conclusion
As you see, React Native is a real gem for mobile developers. But, you need to carefully check the tool, its documentation, and reviews before interacting with it. There’re always alternatives to any solution, so there’s no need focusing on the only one tool. Possibilities are endless on today’s market and the development time not usually worth the wait and money. Since the rise of SDKs and APIs creating apps and integrating new features have become much easier than before.
