react-native-architecture

name	react-native-architecture
description	Build production React Native apps with Expo, navigation, native modules, offline sync, and cross-platform patterns. Use when developing mobile apps, implementing native integrations, or architecting React Native projects.
metadata	{"scope":"architecture","version":"1.0.0"}

React Native Architecture

Production-ready patterns for React Native development with Expo, including navigation, state management, native modules, and offline-first architecture.

When to Use This Skill

• Starting a new React Native or Expo project
• Implementing complex navigation patterns
• Integrating native modules and platform APIs
• Building offline-first mobile applications
• Optimizing React Native performance
• Setting up CI/CD for mobile releases

Core Concepts

1. Project Structure

src/
├── app/                    # Expo Router screens
│   ├── (auth)/            # Auth group
│   ├── (tabs)/            # Tab navigation
│   └── _layout.tsx        # Root layout
├── components/
│   ├── ui/                # Reusable UI components
│   └── features/          # Feature-specific components
├── hooks/                 # Custom hooks
├── services/              # API and native services
├── stores/                # State management
├── utils/                 # Utilities
└── types/                 # TypeScript types

2. Expo vs Bare React Native

Feature	Expo	Bare RN
Setup complexity	Low	High
Native modules	EAS Build	Manual linking
OTA updates	Built-in	Manual setup
Build service	EAS	Custom CI
Custom native code	Config plugins	Direct access

Quick Start

# Create new Expo project
npx create-expo-app@latest my-app -t expo-template-blank-typescript

# Install essential dependencies
npx expo install expo-router expo-status-bar react-native-safe-area-context
npx expo install @react-native-async-storage/async-storage
npx expo install expo-secure-store expo-haptics

// app/_layout.tsx
import { Stack } from 'expo-router'
import { ThemeProvider } from '@/providers/ThemeProvider'
import { QueryProvider } from '@/providers/QueryProvider'

export default function RootLayout() {
  return (
    <QueryProvider>
      <ThemeProvider>
        <Stack screenOptions={{ headerShown: false }}>
          <Stack.Screen name="(tabs)" />
          <Stack.Screen name="(auth)" />
          <Stack.Screen name="modal" options={{ presentation: 'modal' }} />
        </Stack>
      </ThemeProvider>
    </QueryProvider>
  )
}

Patterns

Pattern 1: Expo Router Navigation

// app/(tabs)/_layout.tsx
import { Tabs } from 'expo-router'
import { Home, Search, User, Settings } from 'lucide-react-native'
import { useTheme } from '@/hooks/useTheme'

export default function TabLayout() {
  const { colors } = useTheme()

  return (
    <Tabs
      screenOptions={{
        tabBarActiveTintColor: colors.primary,
        tabBarInactiveTintColor: colors.textMuted,
        tabBarStyle: { backgroundColor: colors.background },
        headerShown: false,
      }}
    >
      <Tabs.Screen
        name="index"
        options={{
          title: 'Home',
          tabBarIcon: ({ color, size }) => <Home size={size} color={color} />,
        }}
      />
       ,
        }}
      />
       ,
        }}
      />
       ,
        }}
      />
    
  )
}


 { useLocalSearchParams }  

   () {
   { id } = useLocalSearchParams<{ :  }>()

   
}


 { router }  


router.()
router.()
router.()


router.({
  : ,
  : { : , :  },
})

Pattern 2: Authentication Flow

// providers/AuthProvider.tsx
import { createContext, useContext, useEffect, useState } from 'react'
import { useRouter, useSegments } from 'expo-router'
import * as SecureStore from 'expo-secure-store'

interface AuthContextType {
  user: User | null
  isLoading: boolean
  signIn: (credentials: Credentials) => Promise<void>
  signOut: () => Promise<void>
}

const AuthContext = createContext<AuthContextType | null>(null)

export function AuthProvider({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) {
  const [user, setUser] = useState<User | null>(null)
  const [isLoading, setIsLoading] = useState(true)
  const segments = useSegments()
  const router = useRouter()

  // Check authentication on mount
  ( {
    ()
  }, [])

  
  ( {
     (isLoading) 

     inAuthGroup = segments[] === 

     (!user && !inAuthGroup) {
      router.()
    }   (user && inAuthGroup) {
      router.()
    }
  }, [user, segments, isLoading])

    () {
     {
       token =  .()
       (token) {
         userData =  api.(token)
        (userData)
      }
    }  (error) {
       .()
    }  {
      ()
    }
  }

    () {
     { token, user } =  api.(credentials)
     .(, token)
    (user)
  }

    () {
     .()
    ()
  }

   (isLoading) {
     
  }

   (
    
  )
}

   = () => {
   context = ()
   (!context)   ()
   context
}

Pattern 3: Offline-First with React Query

// providers/QueryProvider.tsx
import { QueryClient, QueryClientProvider } from '@tanstack/react-query'
import { createAsyncStoragePersister } from '@tanstack/query-async-storage-persister'
import { PersistQueryClientProvider } from '@tanstack/react-query-persist-client'
import AsyncStorage from '@react-native-async-storage/async-storage'
import NetInfo from '@react-native-community/netinfo'
import { onlineManager } from '@tanstack/react-query'

// Sync online status
onlineManager.setEventListener((setOnline) => {
  return NetInfo.addEventListener((state) => {
    setOnline(!!state.isConnected)
  })
})

const queryClient = new QueryClient({
  defaultOptions: {
    queries: {
      gcTime: 1000 * 60 * 60 * 24, // 24 hours
      staleTime: 1000 * 60 * , 
      : ,
      : ,
    },
    : {
      : ,
    },
  },
})

 asyncStoragePersister = ({
  : ,
  : ,
})

  () {
   (
    
  )
}


 { useQuery, useMutation, useQueryClient }  

  () {
   ({
    : [],
    : api.,
    
    :  previousData,
  })
}

  () {
   queryClient = ()

   ({
    : api.,
    
    :  (newProduct) => {
       queryClient.({ : [] })
       previous = queryClient.([])

      queryClient.([],  [
        ...old,
        { ...newProduct, :  + .() },
      ])

       { previous }
    },
    :  {
      queryClient.([], context?.)
    },
    :  {
      queryClient.({ : [] })
    },
  })
}

Pattern 4: Native Module Integration

// services/haptics.ts
import * as Haptics from "expo-haptics";
import { Platform } from "react-native";

export const haptics = {
  light: () => {
    if (Platform.OS !== "web") {
      Haptics.impactAsync(Haptics.ImpactFeedbackStyle.Light);
    }
  },
  medium: () => {
    if (Platform.OS !== "web") {
      Haptics.impactAsync(Haptics.ImpactFeedbackStyle.Medium);
    }
  },
  heavy: () => {
    if (Platform.OS !== "web") {
      Haptics.impactAsync(Haptics.ImpactFeedbackStyle.Heavy);
    }
  },
  success: () => {
    if (Platform.OS !== "web") {
      Haptics.(..);
    }
  },
  :  {
     (. !== ) {
      .(..);
    }
  },
};


 *    ;

   (): <> {
   hasHardware =  .();
   (!hasHardware)  ;

   isEnrolled =  .();
   (!isEnrolled)  ;

   result =  .({
    : ,
    : ,
    : ,
  });

   result.;
}


 *    ;
 {  }  ;
   ;

.({
  :  () => ({
    : ,
    : ,
    : ,
  }),
});

   () {
   :  | ;

   (. === ) {
     .(, {
      : ,
      : ..,
      : [, , , ],
    });
  }

   { : existingStatus } =  .();
   finalStatus = existingStatus;

   (existingStatus !== ) {
     { status } =  .();
    finalStatus = status;
  }

   (finalStatus !== ) {
     ;
  }

   projectId = .?.?.?.;
  token = ( .({ projectId })).;

   token;
}

Pattern 5: Platform-Specific Code

// components/ui/Button.tsx
import { Platform, Pressable, StyleSheet, Text, ViewStyle } from 'react-native'
import * as Haptics from 'expo-haptics'
import Animated, {
  useAnimatedStyle,
  useSharedValue,
  withSpring,
} from 'react-native-reanimated'

const AnimatedPressable = Animated.createAnimatedComponent(Pressable)

interface ButtonProps {
  title: string
  onPress: () => void
  variant?: 'primary' | 'secondary' | 'outline'
  disabled?: boolean
}

export function Button({
  title,
  onPress,
  variant = 'primary',
  disabled = false,
}: ButtonProps) {
  const scale = useSharedValue(1)

  const animatedStyle = useAnimatedStyle(() => ({
    transform: [{ scale: scale. }],
  }))

    = () => {
    scale. = ()
     (. !== ) {
      .(..)
    }
  }

    = () => {
    scale. = ()
  }

   (
    
  )
}







 styles = .({
  : {
    : ,
    : ,
    : ,
    : ,
    ....({
      : {
        : ,
        : { : , :  },
        : ,
        : ,
      },
      : {
        : ,
      },
    }),
  },
  : {
    : ,
  },
  : {
    : ,
  },
  : {
    : ,
    : ,
    : ,
  },
  : {
    : ,
  },
  : {
    : ,
    : ,
  },
  : {
    : ,
  },
  : {
    : ,
  },
  : {
    : ,
  },
})

Pattern 6: Performance Optimization

// components/ProductList.tsx
import { FlashList } from '@shopify/flash-list'
import { memo, useCallback } from 'react'

interface ProductListProps {
  products: Product[]
  onProductPress: (id: string) => void
}

// Memoize list item
const ProductItem = memo(function ProductItem({
  item,
  onPress,
}: {
  item: Product
  onPress: (id: string) => void
}) {
  const handlePress = useCallback(() => onPress(item.id), [item.id, onPress])

  return (
    <Pressable onPress={handlePress} style={styles.item}>
      <FastImage
        source={{ uri: item.image }}
        style={styles.image}
        resizeMode="cover"
      />
      <Text style=>{item.name}
      ${item.price}
    
  )
})

  () {
   renderItem = (
     (
      
    ),
    [onProductPress]
  )

   keyExtractor = ( item., [])

   (
    
  )
}

EAS Build & Submit

// eas.json
{
  "cli": { "version": ">= 5.0.0" },
  "build": {
    "development": {
      "developmentClient": true,
      "distribution": "internal",
      "ios": { "simulator": true }
    },
    "preview": {
      "distribution": "internal",
      "android": { "buildType": "apk" }
    },
    "production": {
      "autoIncrement": true
    
  
   
     
            
          
    
  

# Build commands
eas build --platform ios --profile development
eas build --platform android --profile preview
eas build --platform all --profile production

# Submit to stores
eas submit --platform ios
eas submit --platform android

# OTA updates
eas update --branch production --message "Bug fixes"

Best Practices

Do's

• Use Expo - Faster development, OTA updates, managed native code
• FlashList over FlatList - Better performance for long lists
• Memoize components - Prevent unnecessary re-renders
• Use Reanimated - 60fps animations on native thread
• Test on real devices - Simulators miss real-world issues

Don'ts

• Don't inline styles - Use StyleSheet.create for performance
• Don't fetch in render - Use useEffect or React Query
• Don't ignore platform differences - Test on both iOS and Android
• Don't store secrets in code - Use environment variables
• Don't skip error boundaries - Mobile crashes are unforgiving

Resources

• Expo Documentation
• Expo Router
• React Native Performance
• FlashList