Why we use React Native at iQuest
The same base as our websites
React Native is written in TypeScript and uses React, the same technology we build the front end of web apps with (the part you see). The mobile app and the web app therefore share practically the same code base. One team works on both, knowledge is shared, and what gets solved on the web works on the phone too, and the other way round.
Native controls, not a website in a wrapper
React Native builds its screens from the native iOS and Android controls. Buttons, lists, gestures and transitions look and behave like in Apple’s and Google’s own apps, not like a web page wrapped in an app.
One code base for two platforms
Up to 90% of the code is shared between iOS and Android. We build a new feature once and it reaches both phones at the same time, which speeds up development and makes maintenance cheaper.
Modern tooling around it
We use Expo: apps are built in the cloud, testers have a new version on their phones within minutes, and small fixes ship as over-the-air updates without waiting for store review.
When we don’t choose React Native
When an app relies on Bluetooth and IoT devices, augmented reality, widgets or watches, we build it natively in Swift and Kotlin. How we choose between React Native, native development and a PWA is on our mobile app development page.
