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React Native flashcards

Build real Android and iPhone apps with React and JavaScript, using Expo for tools, builds and updates.

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Beginner friendly, starts from zero
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React NativeStart from zero · 1 of 11

What is React Native, in one plain sentence?

React Native lets you build real phone apps for Android and iPhone from one set of JavaScript code, using the same ideas as the React library for websites.

Write once in JavaScript, ship to both app stores.
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What you will learn

  1. Start from zero

    • What React Native and Expo are5 cards
    • First words and setup6 cards

  2. Core basics

    • Layout and styling4 cards
    • Core components and state5 cards
    • Navigation with Expo Router2 cards
    • Data, storage and keyboard3 cards
    • Tools and accessibility3 cards

  3. Next steps

    • Data and security on the phone4 cards
    • Device features4 cards
    • Build, ship and update4 cards
    • Navigation and state2 cards
    • Animation, gestures and tests3 cards

  4. Go deeper

    • Architecture and engine5 cards
    • Performance5 cards
    • Security2 cards
    • Quality and release5 cards

Final test and certificate

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About these cards

  • Reviewed 26 October 2026
  • CoversReact Native 0.87React 19.2Expo SDK (current)New Architecture only
How these cards are made

React Native at a glance

React Native lets you build real Android and iPhone apps from one JavaScript codebase using React.

React Native is the engine and Expo is the car built around it: you drive, they handle the parts.

Words you will meet

Component
A reusable piece of a screen written as a function
View
An invisible box that holds and arranges other things
Props
Values passed into a component
State
Data a component remembers that can change
Native app
An app installed from a store that uses the phone's own parts
Expo
Free tools on top of React Native for building, testing and shipping

The steps

  1. 1. Start from zero (11 cards): What React Native and Expo are, how screens are built from components, and what you need to start.
  2. 2. Core basics (17 cards): Flexbox layout, styles, Pressable, state, FlatList, inputs, images, safe areas, Expo Router, storage and debugging.
  3. 3. Next steps (17 cards): Data caching, secure storage, permissions, app config, EAS Build and Update, tabs, deep links, push, animation and tests.
  4. 4. Go deeper (17 cards): New Architecture, threads, Hermes, list performance, native modules, upgrades, security, release and size.
All 11 cards in Start from zero
What is React Native, in one plain sentence?
React Native lets you build real phone apps for Android and iPhone from one set of JavaScript code, using the same ideas as the React library for websites.
Is a React Native app a website inside an app?
No. Your code describes the screen, and React Native turns it into the phone's own buttons, lists and text boxes. That is why it feels like any other app from the store.
Where do you meet React Native apps in daily life?
Many popular shopping, food delivery, banking, social and company apps use React Native for some or all of their screens.
What is Expo, and why do most new apps start with it?
Expo is a free set of tools on top of React Native. It gives ready parts like camera and maps, lets you test on your own phone by scanning a QR code, and builds store-ready apps in the cloud.
Give an everyday picture of how a React Native app is put together.
Think of a phone screen as a box of smaller boxes: a header box, a list box, a button box. You describe these boxes in code, and when data changes, the right boxes update.
Key word: what is a component?
A component is a reusable piece of a screen written as a function, like a product card or a Buy button. Screens are built by putting components together.
Key words: what are View and Text?
View is an invisible box that holds and arranges other things. Text shows words. In React Native every bit of text must sit inside Text.
Key words: what are props and state?
Props are values passed into a component, like the name on a card. State is data a component remembers and can change, like how many items are in a cart. Changing state redraws the screen.
Key word: what is a native app?
An app installed from the Play Store or App Store that uses the phone's own parts and can reach features like the camera, location and notifications.
What do you need before learning React Native?
Basic JavaScript and a little React, Node.js on your computer, and an Android or iPhone with the Expo Go app. One command starts a project.
What will you be able to do after this topic?
Build app screens with lists, forms and navigation, fetch and save data, use the camera and notifications, publish to both stores and keep the app smooth and secure.
React Native cheatsheet

Core components

  • <View> Box for layout
  • <Text> Any text
  • <Image source={{ uri }} /> Picture, needs size
  • <Pressable onPress> Tappable area
  • <TextInput onChangeText> Text field
  • <FlatList data renderItem> Long list
  • <ScrollView> Short scrollable content

Layout and style

  • StyleSheet.create({...}) Define styles
  • flexDirection: 'row' Side by side
  • flex: 1 Fill space
  • gap: 8 Space between children
  • Platform.select({ ios, android }) Per platform value
  • useSafeAreaInsets() Notch padding

Expo Router

  • app/index.tsx Home screen
  • app/_layout.tsx Stack or tabs
  • app/orders/[id].tsx Dynamic route
  • router.push('/x') Navigate
  • useLocalSearchParams() Read params

Expo and EAS CLI

  • npx create-expo-app@latest New app
  • npx expo start Dev server
  • npx expo install pkg Install matching version
  • npx expo-doctor Check project health
  • eas build -p all Cloud build
  • eas submit -p ios Upload to store
  • eas update --branch production Over-the-air update
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