From Web to Mobile: A Comprehensive Guide to Migrating React Apps to React Native

Learn how to effectively port your React web application to React Native for cross-platform mobile development. This detailed guide covers architectural considerations, component migration strategies, navigation systems, and state management approaches with practical code examples.

Yashas Cr

Author

Mar 15, 2025

16 min read

The Journey from Web to Mobile

As mobile usage continues to dominate digital interactions, businesses increasingly face the challenge of providing a seamless experience across both web and mobile platforms. For organizations with existing React web applications, React Native presents an appealing path forward—leveraging existing JavaScript expertise while unlocking native mobile capabilities.

React Native’s promise is compelling: write once (mostly), run anywhere. For teams already proficient in React, the transition seems logical on paper. However, the reality involves numerous architectural decisions, platform-specific considerations, and occasional compromises that aren’t immediately obvious.

This comprehensive guide walks through the process of migrating a React web application to React Native, based on our experience helping dozens of clients make this transition. We’ll cover everything from initial assessment to code migration strategies, highlighting the pitfalls to avoid and the opportunities to seize along the way.

Understanding the Key Differences

Before diving into the migration process, it’s essential to understand the fundamental differences between React and React Native:

1. Rendering Model

React: Renders to the browser’s DOM using HTML elements.
React Native: Renders to native UI components using a bridge to communicate with the native platform.

2. Styling Approach

React: Uses CSS, CSS-in-JS libraries, or CSS modules.
React Native: Uses a JavaScript object-based styling system similar to CSS-in-JS, but with a subset of CSS properties and different naming conventions.

3. Layout System

React: Uses the browser’s CSS layout system (flexbox, grid, etc.).
React Native: Uses a subset of CSS flexbox with some behavior differences and limitations.

4. Platform-Specific Considerations

React: Deals with browser compatibility issues across desktop and mobile.
React Native: Handles differences between iOS and Android platforms.

React: Typically uses React Router or similar libraries for URL-based navigation.
React Native: Requires specialized navigation libraries like React Navigation that work with native navigation concepts.

Step 1: Evaluate Your React Application

Before beginning the migration, assess your current React application to determine what can be reused, what needs to be redesigned, and what must be replaced entirely.

Reusable Components

Business logic
API calls
State management (Redux, Zustand, Context API)
Utility functions
Validation logic

Components Requiring Adaptation

UI components (buttons, forms, cards)
Layout containers
Style definitions
Media handling components

Components Requiring Replacement

Browser-specific features (localStorage, sessionStorage)
DOM-dependent libraries
CSS animations and transitions
Custom scrolling behavior
Canvas-based visualizations

Step 2: Set Up Your React Native Project

With your assessment complete, set up a React Native project to begin the migration process:

Using React Native CLI

# Install the React Native CLI globally
npm install -g react-native-cli

# Initialize a new React Native project
npx react-native init MyMobileApp --template react-native-template-typescript

# Navigate to your project
cd MyMobileApp

# Run the application
npx react-native run-ios
# or
npx react-native run-android

Using Expo (Recommended for First-Time React Native Developers)

# Install the Expo CLI globally
npm install -g expo-cli

# Create a new Expo project
npx create-expo-app MyMobileApp --template blank-typescript

# Navigate to your project
cd MyMobileApp

# Start the development server
npx expo start

Step 3: Establish a Shared Architecture

To maximize code reuse between your React and React Native applications, establish a shared architecture:

Monorepo Structure

A monorepo structure using tools like Yarn Workspaces, Lerna, or Nx can facilitate code sharing. Here’s a typical structure:

/my-cross-platform-app
  /packages
    /core           # Shared business logic, API clients, state management
    /components     # Shared or adapter components
    /utils          # Shared utilities and helpers
    /web            # React web application
    /mobile         # React Native application
  package.json      # Root package.json for workspace configuration

Example root package.json for Expo Workspaces:

{
  "name": "MyMobileApp",
  "private": true,
  "workspaces": ["packages/*"],
  "scripts": {
    "android": "expo start --android",
    "ios": "expo start --ios",
    "web": "expo start --web"
  }
}

Platform-Agnostic Business Logic

Extract business logic, API calls, and state management to be platform-agnostic:

import axios from 'axios';

export interface User {
  id: string;
  name: string;
  email: string;
}

export const fetchUsers = async (): Promise<User[]> => {
  try {
    const response = await axios.get<User[]>('https://api.example.com/users');
    return response.data;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error fetching users:', error);
    throw error;
  }
};

Step 4: Create a Component Adaptation Strategy

With your architecture in place, develop a strategy for adapting React components to React Native:

Approach 1: Platform-Specific Implementation with Shared Logic

Create parallel implementations with shared business logic:

/components
  /Button
    /index.web.tsx   # React implementation
    /index.native.tsx  # React Native implementation
    /types.ts        # Shared types and interfaces

Example of platform-specific implementation (with Tailwind CSS for web):

export interface ButtonProps {
  onPress: () => void;
  label: string;
  disabled?: boolean;
  variant?: 'primary' | 'secondary' | 'outline';
}

import React from 'react';
import { ButtonProps } from './types';

const variantClasses = {
  primary: 'bg-blue-600 text-white hover:bg-blue-700',
  secondary: 'bg-gray-200 text-gray-800 hover:bg-gray-300',
  outline: 'border border-blue-600 text-blue-600 bg-white hover:bg-blue-50',
};

export const Button: React.FC<ButtonProps> = ({ onPress, label, disabled = false, variant = 'primary' }) => {
  return (
    <button
      onClick={onPress}
      disabled={disabled}
      className={`px-4 py-2 rounded font-medium focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-blue-400 ${variantClasses[variant]}`}
    >
      {label}
    </button>
  );
};

import React from 'react';
import { TouchableOpacity, Text, View } from 'react-native';
import { ButtonProps } from './types';
import tw from 'twrnc';

export const Button: React.FC<ButtonProps> = ({ onPress, label, disabled = false, variant = 'primary' }) => {
  const variantClasses = {
    primary: 'bg-blue-600 text-white',
    secondary: 'bg-gray-600 text-white',
    outline: 'bg-transparent border border-blue-600 text-blue-600',
  };

  const buttonClass = tw.style('px-4 py-2 rounded font-semibold', variantClasses[variant], disabled && 'opacity-50');

  return (
    <TouchableOpacity onPress={onPress} disabled={disabled} style={buttonClass}>
      <View className="flex-row items-center justify-center">
        <Text className="text-center text-base">{label}</Text>
      </View>
    </TouchableOpacity>
  );
};

Approach 2: Adapter Pattern

Create an adapter layer that maps platform-specific components:

import { Platform } from 'react-native';

export const PlatformAdapter = Platform.select({
  web: require('./web').default,
  default: require('./native').default,
});

import React from 'react';

export default {
  View: ({ className, ...props }) => <div className={className} {...props} />,
  Text: ({ className, ...props }) => <span className={className} {...props} />,
  TouchableOpacity: ({ onPress, className, children, ...props }) => (
    <button onClick={onPress} className={className} {...props}>
      {children}
    </button>
  ),
  Image: ({ source, className, ...props }) => (
    <img src={typeof source === 'string' ? source : source.uri} className={className} {...props} />
  ),
};

import React from 'react';
import { View, Text, TouchableOpacity, Image } from 'react-native';
import tw from 'twrnc'; //Enables Tailwind CSS with className support for both native and web platforms.

export default {
  View: ({ className, ...props }) => <View style={tw.style(className)} {...props} />,
  Text: ({ className, ...props }) => <Text style={tw.style(className)} {...props} />,
  TouchableOpacity: ({ onPress, className, children, ...props }) => (
    <TouchableOpacity onPress={onPress} style={tw.style(className)} {...props}>
      {children}
    </TouchableOpacity>
  ),
  Image: ({ source, className, ...props }) => <Image source={source} style={tw.style(className)} {...props} />,
};

Step 5: Adapt Your Styling System

React Native uses a JavaScript object-based styling system instead of CSS:

Converting CSS to React Native Styles

/* Web CSS */
.container {
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: column;
  padding: 16px;
  background-color: #f5f5f5;
  border-radius: 8px;
  box-shadow: 0 2px 4px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);
}

.title {
  font-size: 18px;
  font-weight: 600;
  color: #333;
  margin-bottom: 8px;
}

Convert to React Native StyleSheet:

// React Native StyleSheet
import { StyleSheet } from 'react-native';

const styles = StyleSheet.create({
  container: {
    flexDirection: 'column',
    padding: 16,
    backgroundColor: '#f5f5f5',
    borderRadius: 8,
    // Note: boxShadow becomes elevation on Android and shadow properties on iOS
    elevation: 4, // Android
    shadowColor: '#000', // iOS
    shadowOffset: { width: 0, height: 2 }, // iOS
    shadowOpacity: 0.1, // iOS
    shadowRadius: 4, // iOS
  },
  title: {
    fontSize: 18,
    fontWeight: '600',
    color: '#333',
    marginBottom: 8,
  },
});

Use Tailwind CSS classes with react native components :

import React from 'react';
import { View, Text } from 'react-native';
import tw from 'twrnc';

const ExampleComponent = () => {
  return (
    <View className={tw.style('flex-col p-4 bg-gray-100 rounded-lg shadow')}>
      <Text className={tw.style('text-lg font-semibold text-gray-800 mb-2')}>Sample Title</Text>
    </View>
  );
};

export default ExampleComponent;

Creating a Cross-Platform Styling System

For a more unified approach, consider a cross-platform styling library:

// Using styled-components/native for cross-platform styling
import styled from 'styled-components/native';

export const Container = styled.View`
  flex-direction: column;
  padding: 16px;
  background-color: #f5f5f5;
  border-radius: 8px;
  ${Platform.OS === 'android'
    ? 'elevation: 4;'
    : `
      shadow-color: #000;
      shadow-offset: 0px 2px;
      shadow-opacity: 0.1;
      shadow-radius: 4px;
    `}
`;

export const Title = styled.Text`
  font-size: 18px;
  font-weight: 600;
  color: #333;
  margin-bottom: 8px;
`;

We can also use twrnc library for consistent styling across platforms:

import React from 'react';
import { View, Text, Platform } from 'react-native';
import tw from 'twrnc';

// Cross-platform component using Tailwind CSS
const CrossPlatformComponent = () => {
  // Adjust shadow for Android vs. iOS
  const shadowStyle = Platform.OS === 'android' ? 'shadow' : 'shadow-md';

  return (
    <View className={tw.style('flex-col p-4 bg-gray-100 rounded-lg', shadowStyle)}>
      <Text className={tw.style('text-lg font-semibold text-gray-800 mb-2')}>Sample Title</Text>
    </View>
  );
};

export default CrossPlatformComponent;

Migrate from web-based routing to React Native navigation:

Web (React Router)

// Web React Router example
import { BrowserRouter, Routes, Route } from 'react-router-dom';
import { HomeScreen, ProfileScreen, SettingsScreen } from './screens';

const App = () => (
  <BrowserRouter>
    <Routes>
      <Route path="/" element={<HomeScreen />} />
      <Route path="/profile" element={<ProfileScreen />} />
      <Route path="/settings" element={<SettingsScreen />} />
    </Routes>
  </BrowserRouter>
);

export default App;

// React Native - React Navigation example
import { NavigationContainer } from '@react-navigation/native';
import { createNativeStackNavigator } from '@react-navigation/native-stack';
import { HomeScreen, ProfileScreen, SettingsScreen } from './screens';

const Stack = createNativeStackNavigator();

const App = () => (
  <NavigationContainer>
    <Stack.Navigator initialRouteName="Home">
      <Stack.Screen name="Home" component={HomeScreen} />
      <Stack.Screen name="Profile" component={ProfileScreen} />
      <Stack.Screen name="Settings" component={SettingsScreen} />
    </Stack.Navigator>
  </NavigationContainer>
);

export default App;

// Web: Using React Router hooks
import { useNavigate } from 'react-router-dom';

const HomeScreen = () => {
  const navigate = useNavigate();

  return (
    <div>
      <h1>Home Screen</h1>
      <button onClick={() => navigate('/profile')}>Go to Profile</button>
    </div>
  );
};

// React Native: Using Expo Navigation
import { View, Text, TouchableOpacity } from 'react-native';
import { useRouter } from 'expo-router';
import tw from 'twrnc';

const HomeScreen = () => {
  const router = useRouter();

  return (
    <View className={tw.style('flex-1 p-4')}>
      <Text className={tw.style('text-2xl font-bold text-gray-800 mb-4')}>Home Screen</Text>
      <Button onPress={() => router.push('/profile')} label="Go to Profile" />
    </View>
  );
};

Step 7: Adapt State Management

State management approaches often transfer well between React and React Native:

Zustand Example

import React from 'react';
import { View, Text, TouchableOpacity } from 'react-native';
import { useRouter } from 'expo-router';
import tw from 'twrnc';
import { create } from 'zustand';

// Zustand store for user and products
type UserState = {
  name: string;
  setName: (name: string) => void;
};

type ProductState = {
  products: string[];
  addProduct: (product: string) => void;
};

type AppState = UserState & ProductState;

const useStore = create<AppState>((set) => ({
  name: '',
  setName: (name) => set({ name }),
  products: [],
  addProduct: (product) => set((state) => ({ products: [...state.products, product] })),
}));

// Button component
const Button = ({ onPress, label, disabled = false }) => {
  return (
    <TouchableOpacity
      onPress={onPress}
      disabled={disabled}
      style={tw.style('px-4 py-2 rounded-lg bg-blue-600 text-white font-semibold', disabled && 'opacity-50')}
    >
      <View className={tw.style('flex-row items-center justify-center')}>
        <Text className={tw.style('text-center text-base text-white')}>{label}</Text>
      </View>
    </TouchableOpacity>
  );
};

// HomeScreen component
const HomeScreen = () => {
  const router = useRouter();
  const { name, setName, products, addProduct } = useStore();

  return (
    <View className={tw.style('flex-1 p-4')}>
      <Text className={tw.style('text-2xl font-bold text-gray-800 mb-4')}>Home Screen</Text>
      <Text className={tw.style('text-lg text-gray-600 mb-2')}>User: {name || 'No name set'}</Text>
      <Button onPress={() => setName('John Doe')} label="Set User Name" />
      <Text className={tw.style('text-lg text-gray-600 mb-2 mt-4')}>
        Products: {products.length ? products.join(', ') : 'None'}
      </Text>
    </View>
  );
};

export default HomeScreen;

Step 8: Handle Platform-Specific Features

For platform-specific features, use React Native’s Platform module:

import { Platform } from 'react-native';

// Platform-specific code
const styles = StyleSheet.create({
  container: {
    marginTop: Platform.OS === 'ios' ? 40 : 20,
    padding: Platform.OS === 'web' ? 16 : 12,
  },
});

Handling Web-Specific Features

For web-specific features like localStorage, create platform-specific abstractions:

import { Platform } from 'react-native';
import AsyncStorage from '@react-native-async-storage/async-storage';

// Create a unified storage interface
export const Storage = {
  getItem: async (key: string): Promise<string | null> => {
    if (Platform.OS === 'web') {
      return localStorage.getItem(key);
    } else {
      return await AsyncStorage.getItem(key);
    }
  },
  setItem: async (key: string, value: string): Promise<void> => {
    if (Platform.OS === 'web') {
      localStorage.setItem(key, value);
      return Promise.resolve();
    } else {
      return await AsyncStorage.setItem(key, value);
    }
  },
  removeItem: async (key: string): Promise<void> => {
    if (Platform.OS === 'web') {
      localStorage.removeItem(key);
      return Promise.resolve();
    } else {
      return await AsyncStorage.removeItem(key);
    }
  },
};

Step 9: Optimize Performance

React Native has different performance considerations than web React:

Rendering Optimization

// Use React.memo for component memoization
const UserCard = React.memo(({ user }) => (
  <View style={styles.card}>
    <Text style={styles.name}>{user.name}</Text>
    <Text style={styles.email}>{user.email}</Text>
  </View>
));

// Use useCallback for event handlers
const HomeScreen = () => {
  const [users, setUsers] = useState([]);

  const handleUserPress = useCallback(
    (userId) => {
      navigation.navigate('UserDetail', { userId });
    },
    [navigation]
  );

  return (
    <FlatList
      data={users}
      renderItem={({ item }) => <UserCard user={item} onPress={() => handleUserPress(item.id)} />}
      keyExtractor={(item) => item.id}
    />
  );
};

Use FlatList for Long Lists

Replace map operations with FlatList for large lists:

// Web approach (avoid in React Native for long lists)
<ScrollView>
  {items.map(item => (
    <ItemCard key={item.id} item={item} />
  ))}
</ScrollView>

// Better React Native approach
<FlatList
  data={items}
  renderItem={({ item }) => <ItemCard item={item} />}
  keyExtractor={item => item.id}
  initialNumToRender={10}
  maxToRenderPerBatch={10}
  windowSize={5}
/>

Step 10: Testing Your Migration

Implement testing strategies for your migrated app:

Unit Testing with Jest

Jest works well for both React and React Native. Example test for a shared component:

import React from 'react';
import { render, fireEvent } from '@testing-library/react-native';
import { Button } from './Button';

describe('Button', () => {
  it('renders correctly', () => {
    const { getByText } = render(<Button label="Press me" onPress={() => {}} />);

    expect(getByText('Press me')).toBeDefined();
  });

  it('calls onPress when pressed', () => {
    const onPressMock = jest.fn();
    const { getByText } = render(<Button label="Press me" onPress={onPressMock} />);

    fireEvent.press(getByText('Press me'));
    expect(onPressMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
  });
});

End-to-End Testing

For E2E testing, consider Detox for React Native and Cypress for web:

// Detox E2E test example
describe('App flow', () => {
  beforeAll(async () => {
    await device.launchApp();
  });

  it('should show login screen and login successfully', async () => {
    await expect(element(by.id('loginScreen'))).toBeVisible();
    await element(by.id('emailInput')).typeText('test@example.com');
    await element(by.id('passwordInput')).typeText('password123');
    await element(by.id('loginButton')).tap();
    await expect(element(by.id('homeScreen'))).toBeVisible();
  });
});

Real-World Migration Example: Dashboard App

Let’s examine a step-by-step migration of a dashboard component from React to React Native:

Original React Dashboard

// DashboardScreen.tsx (Web)
import React, { useEffect, useState } from 'react';
import { Card, Button, Chart } from '../components';
import { fetchAnalytics } from '../services/api';
import './DashboardScreen.css';

const DashboardScreen = () => {
  const [analytics, setAnalytics] = useState(null);
  const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true);

  useEffect(() => {
    const loadData = async () => {
      try {
        const response = await axios.get('/api/analytics');
        setAnalytics(response.data);
      } catch (error) {
        console.error('Failed to load analytics', error);
      } finally {
        setLoading(false);
      }
    };

    loadData();
  }, []);

  if (loading) {
    return <div className="loading">Loading analytics...</div>;
  }

  return (
    <div className="dashboard-container">
      <h1>Dashboard</h1>

      <div className="stats-row">
        <Card className="stat-card">
          <h3>Total Users</h3>
          <p className="stat-value">{analytics.totalUsers}</p>
        </Card>

        <Card className="stat-card">
          <h3>Active Users</h3>
          <p className="stat-value">{analytics.activeUsers}</p>
        </Card>

        <Card className="stat-card">
          <h3>Revenue</h3>
          <p className="stat-value">${analytics.revenue.toFixed(2)}</p>
        </Card>
      </div>

      <Card className="chart-card">
        <h3>User Growth</h3>
        <Chart data={analytics.userGrowth} type="line" width="100%" height={300} />
      </Card>

      <Button label="Export Report" onClick={() => window.print()} className="export-button" />
    </div>
  );
};

export default DashboardScreen;

Migrated React Native Dashboard

// DashboardScreen.tsx (React Native)
import React, { useEffect, useState } from 'react';
import { View, Text, ScrollView, ActivityIndicator, Share } from 'react-native';
import { Card, Button, Chart } from '../components';
import { fetchAnalytics } from '../services/api';

const DashboardScreen = () => {
  const [analytics, setAnalytics] = useState(null);
  const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true);

  useEffect(() => {
    const loadData = async () => {
      try {
        const data = await fetchAnalytics();
        setAnalytics(data);
      } catch (error) {
        console.error('Failed to load analytics', error);
      } finally {
        setLoading(false);
      }
    };

    loadData();
  }, []);

  const handleExport = async () => {
    try {
      await Share.share({
        message: `Dashboard Report\n
          Total Users: ${analytics.totalUsers}\n
          Active Users: ${analytics.activeUsers}\n
          Revenue: $${analytics.revenue.toFixed(2)}`,
        title: 'Dashboard Report',
      });
    } catch (error) {
      console.error('Error sharing report', error);
    }
  };

  if (loading) {
    return (
      <View className={tw.style('flex-1 justify-center items-center')}>
        <ActivityIndicator size="large" color="#0000ff" />
        <Text className={tw.style('mt-2 text-base text-gray-600')}>Loading analytics...</Text>
      </View>
    );
  }

  return (
    <ScrollView className={tw.style('flex-1 p-4 bg-gray-100')}>
      <Text className={tw.style('text-2xl font-bold mb-4 text-gray-800')}>Dashboard</Text>

      <View className={tw.style('flex-row justify-between flex-wrap mb-4')}>
        <Card className={tw.style('w-[30%] p-3 bg-white rounded-lg shadow')}>
          <Text className={tw.style('text-sm font-semibold text-gray-600 mb-2')}>Total Users</Text>
          <Text className={tw.style('text-xl font-bold text-gray-800')}>{analytics?.totalUsers}</Text>
        </Card>

        <Card className={tw.style('w-[30%] p-3 bg-white rounded-lg shadow')}>
          <Text className={tw.style('text-sm font-semibold text-gray-600 mb-2')}>Active Users</Text>
          <Text className={tw.style('text-xl font-bold text-gray-800')}>{analytics?.activeUsers}</Text>
        </Card>

        <Card className={tw.style('w-[30%] p-3 bg-white rounded-lg shadow')}>
          <Text className={tw.style('text-sm font-semibold text-gray-600 mb-2')}>Revenue</Text>
          <Text className={tw.style('text-xl font-bold text-gray-800')}>${analytics?.revenue.toFixed(2)}</Text>
        </Card>
      </View>

      <Card className={tw.style('p-4 mb-4 bg-white rounded-lg shadow')}>
        <Text className={tw.style('text-sm font-semibold text-gray-600 mb-2')}>User Growth</Text>
        <Chart data={analytics?.userGrowth} type="line" width={350} height={300} />
      </Card>

      <Button
        label="Export Report"
        onPress={handleExport}
        className={tw.style('my-4 px-4 py-2 rounded-lg bg-blue-600')}
      />
    </ScrollView>
  );
};

export default DashboardScreen;

Common Challenges and Solutions

Challenge 1: CSS Animations

CSS animations don’t directly translate to React Native. Use the Animated API instead:

// Web CSS Animation
.fade-in {
  animation: fadeIn 0.5s ease-in forwards;
}

@keyframes fadeIn {
  from { opacity: 0; }
  to { opacity: 1; }
}

// React Native Animation
import { Animated } from 'react-native';

const FadeInView = ({ children, style }) => {
  const opacity = useRef(new Animated.Value(0)).current;

  useEffect(() => {
    Animated.timing(opacity, {
      toValue: 1,
      duration: 500,
      useNativeDriver: true
    }).start();
  }, []);

  return (
    <Animated.View style={[style, { opacity }]}>
      {children}
    </Animated.View>
  );
};

Challenge 2: Form Handling

Form handling differs significantly between platforms:

import React from 'react';
import { View, TextInput, TouchableOpacity, Text } from 'react-native';
import { useForm, Controller } from 'react-hook-form';
import tw from 'twrnc';
import { useRouter } from 'expo-router';

type LoginFormData = {
  email: string;
  password: string;
};

const LoginForm = () => {
  const router = useRouter();
  const {
    control,
    handleSubmit,
    formState: { errors },
  } = useForm<LoginFormData>({
    defaultValues: {
      email: '',
      password: '',
    },
  });

  const onSubmit = (data: LoginFormData) => {
    console.log('Form submitted:', data);
  };

  return (
    <View className={tw.style('flex-1 p-4 bg-gray-100')}>
      <Controller
        control={control}
        name="email"
        rules={{
          required: 'Email is required',
          pattern: {
            value: /^[a-zA-Z0-9._%+-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+\.[a-zA-Z]{2,}$/,
            message: 'Invalid email address',
          },
        }}
        render={({ field: { onChange, value } }) => (
          <TextInput
            className={tw.style(
              'p-3 mb-4 bg-white rounded-lg border',
              errors.email ? 'border-red-500' : 'border-gray-300'
            )}
            value={value}
            onChangeText={onChange}
            keyboardType="email-address"
            autoCapitalize="none"
            placeholder="Enter your email"
          />
        )}
      />
      {errors.email && <Text className={tw.style('text-red-500 mb-2')}>{errors.email.message}</Text>}

      <Controller
        control={control}
        name="password"
        rules={{
          required: 'Password is required',
          minLength: {
            value: 6,
            message: 'Password must be at least 6 characters',
          },
        }}
        render={({ field: { onChange, value } }) => (
          <TextInput
            className={tw.style(
              'p-3 mb-4 bg-white rounded-lg border',
              errors.password ? 'border-red-500' : 'border-gray-300'
            )}
            value={value}
            onChangeText={onChange}
            secureTextEntry
            placeholder="Enter your password"
          />
        )}
      />
      {errors.password && <Text className={tw.style('text-red-500 mb-2')}>{errors.password.message}</Text>}

      <Button label="Login" onPress={handleSubmit(onSubmit)} />
    </View>
  );
};

export default LoginForm;

Conclusion: Is Migration the Right Choice?

Migrating from React to React Native offers substantial benefits, including code reuse, shared developer expertise, and cross-platform deployment. However, this approach also comes with trade-offs:

Benefits of Migration

Code Reuse: Share business logic, state management, and API interactions.
Developer Continuity: Leverage existing JavaScript/React knowledge.
Unified Experience: Provide consistent UX across web and mobile.
Maintenance Efficiency: Fix bugs and add features in shared code once.

Limitations to Consider

Complete UI Rewrite: Despite similarities, UI components need significant reworking.
Platform-Specific UX: Mobile users expect platform-native behaviors and interactions.
Performance Considerations: React Native adds a bridge layer that can impact complex applications.
Testing Complexity: Testing requirements multiply across platforms.

In many cases, the ideal approach is not a direct one-to-one migration but rather a thoughtful adaptation that:

Maximizes shared business logic and state management
Respects platform-specific UI/UX expectations
Leverages each platform’s unique capabilities
Maintains a shared codebase where it makes sense

At Quabyt, we specialize in helping organizations navigate these complex migrations. Whether you’re considering a full migration or a strategic sharing of code between platforms, our team can guide you through the process to ensure your cross-platform strategy delivers maximum value with minimum friction.

Ready to embark on your React to React Native journey? Contact us for a personalized assessment of your migration potential.