Android and iOS: different yet the same

When I first heard about React Native, I automatically thought that it would be some cross-platform solution that lets you write a single React application that will run natively on any device. However, the reality is more nuanced. While React Native allows for a significant amount of code sharing between platforms, it’s essential to understand that iOS and Android are different on many fundamental levels, and their user experience philosophies are different as well.

React Native’s goal is to “learn once, write anywhere” rather than “write once, run anywhere.” This means that, in some cases, you’ll want your app to take advantage of platform-specific widgets to provide a better user experience.

That being said, there have been advancements in the React Native ecosystem that enable more seamless cross-platform development.

For instance, Expo now supports web development, allowing you...