Despite that, there are still certain factors that set a different line between React Native Android applications and React Native iOS applications, some of which are discussed below:
Operating system:
Apple uses XCode as it's IDE (Integrated Development Environment), which is second to Microsoft in terms of usability, while in android development we use Android Studio as the IDE. The problem here is that XCode is not compatible with Windows and only runs on MacOS which is Apple's operating system for Macs, Apple's range of personal computers including iMac, MacBook, etc. Android Studio, on the other hand, is compatible with both Windows and MacOS. So, when you're using React Native to build a mobile application for Android and iOS, you will need to invest in a Mac to use MacOS to test if your mobile app is working fine on both systems.
Linking libraries:
The core library of React Native mobile apps is very small and they rely on third-party libraries to perform certain vital functions equally on both the Android and iOS systems. Many of these third-party libraries require manual linking which is a pretty hefty job since these third-party libraries use native code. So, the developer must know about both the iOS and Android-specific languages, i.e. Java and Swift/Objective-C. Although sometimes these libraries can be implemented on both the Android and iOS-specific mobile apps because of their easy documentation, they will require updating now and then to meet with the latest React Native version to avoid any errors while running certain app features.
Native elements:
React Native is open source in nature, i.e. it allows the users to make their modifications, add features, and fix bugs by making the source code available to the general public. Despite that, certain times elements from the React Native library produce a different result in the iOS simulator than in the Android emulator as React Native compiles JavaScript elements to platform-specific elements for its components.
Different UI/UX experience:
The simple type of mobile apps developed on React Native run equally smooth on both operating systems as they hold an easy-to-navigate user experience and user interface, but for some mobile app features, the UI and UX will be compromised. Some of the differences in UI/UX experience for Android and iOS are listed below;
The height of the status bar for both platforms is 20, but in iOS, it will overlay the screen. To avoid this, we can set the toolbar for iOS 20 points more than that of the android. In case of setting the status bar theme, we need to configure the StatusBar's barStyle property to either dark-content or light-content, depending upon the requirement
Android doesn't support shadows in React Native. The elevation property allows shadowing in android, but that too with limitations. Besides that, you also have the option of adding your own customized shadow using a third-party library.
iOS uses script name for custom fonts while Android uses the file name. The app will work fine if the file has the same name as that of the font, but if it's not, then this third party library can be used to solve the issue;
GIF images: Although displayed fine on IOS, Android does not support GIF images. To address this issue, one can use a third party library.
When the keyboard shows on a sign-in or chat screen, it will push your content up in the case of Android so that you can focus on the field you’re typing in. But in iOS, the keyboard will overlay your content. The solution is to either go for KeyboardAvoidingView, Keyboard Aware Scrollview, Keyboard Module or you can even combine any two options too to avoid overlaying in case of iOS.
Though it may sound fascinating, knowing that small of a difference isn't enough. You should be fully aware of the pros and cons of React Native development before jumping right into making your business-centric mobile application. So, let's go a little bit more in-depth.
Single codebase
As discussed earlier, you don’t need two different base codes for iOS and Android when using React Native to develop your mobile app. This saves developers from the complexities of using two programming languages.
Open-source
React Native is open source in nature, i.e., it allows the users to make their modifications, add features and fix bugs by making the source code available to the general public, all free of cost.
Hot reloading
Hot-reloading is a feature that allows the developer to save the alterations made within a file without having to reload or refresh the entire app. So, when you're developing an app on React Native, only the files that were edited are refreshed while the app keeps running. This saves a lot of time and increases productivity.
Web concepts
Web developers have a firm grip over JavaScript which makes it easy for them to transition between web development and mobile application development since in the React Native framework, the language used is JavaScript.
Cost-effective and time-saving
Since in React Native mobile app development, you use only one programming language for making mobile apps that function on both iOS and Android, so that saves a great deal of time and requires a smaller team of developers. Hence, the budget is also minimized.
All the points mentioned above highlight everything good with developing mobile apps using React Native, although that’s not always the case because where there are pros, there are cons too, some of which are listed below;
