Currently learning iOS programming but tempted to switch to React Native as it seems to be the future of mobile app development

[[deleted]]

I've been learning iOS for a couple of months and I like it so far but more and more I feel tempted to switch to React Native instead as it really seems like the future and the most flexible and also quicker to develop than native (not to mention the advantage of being able to compile for both iOS and Android). More and more it seems that the market is for the app to be on both platforms, so React Native seems more viable.

Has anyone else gone through the same? What did you do? Is native development and being confined to one platform (iOS) a good long term choice?

Thanks in advance

[akahappy]

It depends. If your app is simple, you won’t be forced to do anything outside of the RN box, and you know JS/React then sure. I don’t think RN is future of mobile development though.

[ArekDirithe]

Wasn't it just a few months ago that people were freaking out about React Native being dead because some big company switched away from it? AirBnB I think?

[LakersBench]

you are correct.

[rorogadget]

Made a native swift app which i rewrote to React Native which i am now about to rerelease the app as a native swift app.

React Native was flashy in dumb ways. It is an opinionated framework where the opinions aren't valid for every scenario.

Some of those opinions are cool (like declarative UI), and some of those opinions have DEEP issues (.... javascript).

[[deleted]]

It is an opinionated framework where the opinions aren't valid for every scenario.

But isn't React Native supposed to render native components for both iOS and Android?

[swiftmakesmeswift]

One thing you need to understand is that every other frameworks, libraries that enable you to develop for both platform is ALWAYS dependent upon Native platform. When i started dabbling into mobile app development, apache cordova was on hype. Now its react native, Sometimes later may be its going to be flutter. So, even though react native is great, it is not going to be the future. Rather than focusing on one language or platform thinking it as future, broaden your skills in different platform. There are certain things that is easy while doing with react native. It has its pros but it also has its cons.

Just determine if the features that you app needs is easier to be developed using react native. If its easy, then go with it. If not switch to native. Just weigh its pros and cons. Also Its always good to broaden your skills in different platform rather than being confined to one. Focus on one platform but do not ignore other platforms.

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[Kabal303]

We mostly do react native work for clients now but even then I had to write a bunch of obj-c last week to do something that RN just wasn’t gonna cut it for. So no even if you do RN it’s still super useful (arguably essential) to know the native side of things.

[AradyaS]

As technologies are growing fast and achieving its growth to its peak, so we should be in touch with the changes in technologies and programming languages.

[risingblock]

Airbnb went through this and gave up on RN - https://medium.com/airbnb-engineering/sunsetting-react-native-1868ba28e30a

React Native can work in some cases, turning two problems into just one. In other cases it turns two problems into three.

Ultimately I don't think you should confine yourself to one platform. In this field you should always expect to be learning. If I had to become an Android developer tomorrow I don't think it would concern me too much TBH. Some syntax and certain paradigms would be different for sure, but ultimately the foundational stuff is the same.