React Native lets you write one app and run it on Android and iPhone. Here is how to get started.
Direct answer
To start with React Native: learn JavaScript basics, create a project with Expo (the easiest way to begin), build a screen from components such as View, Text and Button, add state to make it interactive, and run it on your phone. Build small things first.
Setting up
- Install Node.js from its official website.
- Create a project using Expo's official instructions (they change, so use the current docs).
- Start the development server.
- Open the app on your phone with the Expo app, or use an emulator.
A first screen with state
import { useState } from 'react';
import { View, Text, Button } from 'react-native';
export default function App() {
const [count, setCount] = useState(0);
return (
<View style={{ flex: 1, justifyContent: 'center', alignItems: 'center' }}>
<Text>You tapped {count} times</Text>
<Button title="Tap me" onPress={() => setCount(count + 1)} />
</View>
);
}
Each tap changes count, and the screen updates.
Core ideas
| Idea | What it is |
|---|---|
| Components | Reusable building blocks like View and Text |
| Props | Data you pass into a component |
| State | Data that changes and updates the screen |
| Styles | A JavaScript way of describing layout |
| Navigation | Moving between screens |
Learning path
- JavaScript. See JavaScript for beginners.
- Components, props, state
- Lists and forms
- Navigation
- Saving data
- Publishing
Common mistakes
- Skipping JavaScript basics
- Copying code you don't understand
- Building a big app first
More: is React Native easy to learn.
Where Teyro fits
Teyro's React Native for Beginners course builds a real phone app step by step, with code in every lesson and screens you can tap right in the lesson. It's free to start.
The bottom line
One small app teaches more than ten tutorials.
