How to Make Your React Native Apps Work on the Web

Home/Blog/React Native/How to Make Your React Native Apps Work on the Web

Table of Content

(398 views)
hire react native developer

Introduction

With the increasing demand of users for app and web integration across devices, React Native is the new norm for mobile development. This revolutionary framework developed by Facebook enables developers to create mobile apps for both iOS and Android with only one type of code created using JavaScript and React.

With the right understanding of the use of react native, one can hire react native developers to build web apps that can mimic the mobile app experience. and also be designed perfectly to suit mobile phones, tablets, and even PCs.

In this blog, we will walk you through the wide React Native domain while revealing the techniques and strategies to serve your React Native apps on the web effortlessly. 

Ways of Making Web Accessible on Apps

Understanding that there are several ways of making an app accessible on the web from the React Native framework is also essential. Here are three of the most popular methods: 

Understanding that there are several ways of making an app accessible on the web from the React Native framework is also essential. Here are three of the most popular methods:

Expo Web

For those developers who are already using Expo to create React Native apps is beneficial. It has the Web option, which allows you to deploy your app for the web with little configuration.

React Native Web

The project is developed with the help of the community and it is used to compile your React Native components and render them in the browser. While it is less user-friendly compared to Expo Web, it has more customization on the web side of the application.

Third-Party Solutions

Several third-party libraries and frameworks like PWA Builder or Ignite can streamline the process of converting your React Native app to a web app. These solutions often come with additional features and functionalities tailored for web development.

How React Native Apps Work on the Web?

React Native for Web shares the majority of the codebase between mobile and web platforms. This means that when you hire React native developers, they can write your core application once and have it run seamlessly across different environments. By doing so, you can significantly reduce development time, maintenance costs and the risk of introducing platform-specific bugs.
For those who are getting into React Native for Web, the process is quite simple since one can use familiar tools with the framework. 

Step 1: First of all, after you hire a React native developer, you have to prepare your React Native project to be able to run it with the necessary packages and configurations. This includes the installation of the components and dependencies, including react-native-web and react-dom, and other required packages. You also need to do a little modification of your project structure.

Step 2: Once you have all your project structures in place, you can implement your web application development using the similar React Native components and functionalities that are used for the development of mobile applications. 

You will have to enable web builds on your project and set new configurations for your entry point and Webpack or Metro bundler configuration as a result.

However, it is crucial to remember that there are going to be differences in how some of the components, as well as the APIs, work on the web as opposed to the mobile. In these instances, you will simply need to include web-specific optional features or use other platform-specific routes if necessary for a unified experience across all of them.

React Native's unique approach to rendering components and the ingenuity of the React Native for Web library help it to translate mobile apps into the web.

The Bridge Concept

React Native employs a mechanism known as the ‘bridge’ that allows it to establish communication between the JavaScript layer and the native application programming interfaces. This bridge works as a middleman and intermediator, converting the React components and logic to the code that the mobile platform can natively understand and implement, whether on iOS or Android.

Bridge Concept With React Native Web

However, when it comes to the web, React Native for Web has a different approach entirely. Unlike React native, which requires a native bridge to translate and interact with the JavaScript code, it is capable of performing both rendering and modifying the DOM internally using the JavaScript engine of the browser. This implies that instead of the standard React Native components and logic being used natively on mobile devices, they are loaded as a normal webpage with the HTML elements in the browser.

Component Mapping

The use of a normal webpage with HTML elements is made possible through a procedure known as the “component mapping” method. Each of the existing React Native components has a corresponding HTML element. This makes the framework transform the React Native components into web-enabled HTML elements that can be utilized within the browser-embedded DOM.

For instance, a View component in React Native that uses the <View> tag would be implemented as an HTML <div>, while a Text component implemented in React Native using the <Text> tag would be implemented as either <span> or <p> depending on the styling of the component. 

The key advantage of this general approach is that it ensures that components not only have a consistent appearance and behave in the same manner across different operating systems but are also conformant to web standards and follow best practices in this field.

React Native Styling

Styling in React Native for Web follows the same principles as styling in React Native for mobile platforms. You can use the familiar StyleSheet API or leverage CSS-in-JS solutions like styled components or emotion. However, it's essential to consider responsive design principles and ensure that your app adapts seamlessly to different screen sizes and orientations.

Why Choose React Native for Web?

Although React Native may not be designed to fit every web development project to the letter, it offers unique features essential for businesses. React improves the process, reduces the costs of development, and provides a unique and great user experience across different platforms.
Adopting React Native in web development is a wise decision that helps you to create apps that will remain sustainable and valuable for the future audience.
There are several compelling reasons to consider extending your React Native app's reach to the web. Here are a few:

Write Once, Run Anywhere

Another clear benefit that React Native has brought to the Web is that the code can be the same as for other platforms. When the single codebase is used, development is faster, the costs of its maintenance are lower, and the probability of the appearance of platform-dependent errors is considerably less. It also helps you develop faster and provides a unified user experience regardless of the device you are using.

Leverage Existing Skills

Regarding the learning curve, if you are using or have experience with React Native, learning and implementing its counterpart for the Web will not prove to be too difficult. You build upon what you already know about React and how the React Native framework works while being able to integrate the various components from the library of existing components and libraries in the React Native community. It not only contributes towards fast evolution but also helps unlock a vast trove of tried-and-true concepts.

Improved Developer Productivity

React Native for Web also improves the efficiency of developers because there is no need for developers to build and or maintain two different codebases for mobile and web apps. It lets you concentrate on the creation of a single and solid code, which can be successfully launched in various environments. This helps minimize cognitive load, reduces context switching, and can be beneficial in the development process.

Consistent User Experience

Ensuring that the users are engaged on a platform as they are on a different device is important in creating customer loyalty. When you hire React Native developers, there is an assurance that consistency in terms of the look and feel, as well as the final behavior of the app, will be consistent irrespective of the choice of a specific device or platform. This is not only good for user interfaces but also for branding since it maintains cohesiveness in branding strategies.

Future-Proof Your Apps

With growing time, people come to raise their expectations to get a product that can work on multiple devices. As you hire React Native developers, you are investing in your application’s future, ensuring that you can easily adopt subsequent platforms and form factors with relative ease. This approach helps retain relevance in every technological advancement by ensuring your applications remain at par with those existing within and beyond your industry.

Reduced Development Costs

Reusing your existing React Native codebase for the web saves time and resources compared to building a separate web application from scratch. This can be a major advantage, especially for startups or businesses with limited budgets.

How AIS Technolabs Help You With React Native Web?

AIS Technolabs is a leading software consultancy that is helping companies achieve their goals through React Native for Web (RNW). RNW enables you to render the same React Native components and code on the web using a browser-optimized JavaScript engine.

Our skilled developers help you retrofit an existing React Native mobile app to run seamlessly on the web. When you hire a React native developer, they create a new unified codebase from the ground up for streamlined multi-platform deployment across Android, iOS, and web browsers.

Factors like performance optimization, progressive web app (PWA) integration, accessibility considerations, and testing across different browsers all require strategic planning. Our React Native experts guide you every step of the way.

The benefits go far beyond just reducing development complexity and cost too. With AIS’s RNW, you can provide a consistent, native-quality user experience to customers and employees no matter what device they're on. Updates and new features deploy simultaneously across all platforms. Get a 15-day risk-free trial and see how our developers get to work in the efficient React Native way.

Conclusion

One of the big selling points to creating a React native app on the Web is the ability to take advantage of the large and growing family of React Native libraries and components. Some of the more popular libraries have also been ported to be run as part of a web application. It means that you can use pre-existing code and build on solutions that other people have created.

However, not all components that work in React Native have an opportunity to work in the web environment. There are times when you may be required to use platform-specific sub-components or opt for other acceptable web-compatible libraries.

Making your React Native app accessible on the web opens doors to a wider audience and can be a strategic move for growth. By carefully considering the different approaches, potential challenges, and available resources, you can effectively bridge the gap between mobile and the web. Hire a React native developer to maximize the reach and impact of your application.

FAQs

Ans.
React Native Web is a library that enables React Native components and APIs to be used in web applications.

Ans.
Yes, with careful planning and adjustments, you can use a single codebase for both platforms.

Ans.
Common challenges include handling styling differences, platform-specific code, and ensuring responsive design.

Ans.
Yes, it is possible to run a React Native app in the background.

Ans.
Here are some effective approaches you can consider:
  • JSON Data Files and Bundling
  • Static Data Modules
  • Asynchronous Data Seeding with API Mocking
  • Database Seeding
  • Remote Data Seeding with Content Management Systems (CMS)
James Smith
James Smith

Brand Marketing Manager

James Smith, a seasoned Brand Marketing Manager with over six years of experience, excels in crafting and executing strategic marketing initiatives. With a keen understanding of consumer behavior and market trends, he effectively builds and enhances brand identities. James's expertise lies in developing comprehensive marketing strategies that resonate with target audiences, driving engagement and loyalty. His extensive experience and innovative approach make him a valuable asset in achieving brand objectives and driving business growth.