React Native has become one of the most popular frameworks for building cross-platform mobile apps over the past several years. However, there have been some rumors circulating recently that React Native may be discontinued in the near future.
What is React Native?
React Native is an open-source framework created by Facebook that allows developers to build mobile apps for iOS and Android using JavaScript and React. It enables developers to use the same codebase to build apps for multiple platforms.
Some of the key benefits of React Native include:
- Cross-platform development – Write code once that runs natively on both iOS and Android.
- Reusable code – Share logic across platforms using JavaScript and React.
- Native capabilities – Access native device capabilities like the camera, location, etc.
- Live Reloading – See changes instantly without rebuilding the app.
- Popular ecosystem – Large community with many 3rd party libraries and tools.
Since its release in 2015, React Native has grown significantly in popularity and has been used to build many well-known apps including Facebook, Instagram, Discord, Airbnb, and Tesla.
Where did rumors of React Native being discontinued come from?
In April 2021, a TechCrunch article reported that Facebook planned to discontinue investment in React Native. The article cited an internal Facebook memo that proposed winding down React Native in favor of native app development on each platform.
The memo caused concern among some React Native developers who feared the framework may be abandoned. However, Facebook engineers quickly responded saying the TechCrunch article was inaccurate and React Native development would continue.
The main points from Facebook’s response included:
- React Native development is not being discontinued.
- Facebook remains committed to React Native for the foreseeable future.
- The internal memo was misinterpreted – it proposed increased focus on native platforms in certain areas, not abandoning React Native entirely.
So in summary, while an internal Facebook memo sparked rumors, Facebook engineers clarified React Native development will continue and is not being discontinued.
What has Facebook said recently about React Native?
Since the rumors surfaced in 2021, Facebook engineers and team members have repeatedly reaffirmed the company’s commitment to React Native:
- July 2021 – A Facebook engineer confirmed continued investment in React Native saying “we are full steam ahead on React Native.”
- September 2021 – At React Native EU conference, Facebook team members committed to releasing React Native 0.64 and supporting the framework.
- October 2021 – React Native 0.64 was released as promised with continued improvements.
- May 2022 – Facebook discussed their progress on React Native at JSConf EU conference.
Facebook has continued investing in significant React Native improvements and releases over the past year. They have stated React Native provides business value to Facebook and they intend to support it for the foreseeable future.
Is React Native being used for new Facebook apps?
Yes, React Native continues to be used to develop new apps at Facebook. A few examples include:
- Facebook Business Suite – Launched in 2020, built with React Native.
- Facebook Avatars – Launched in 2020, built using React Native.
- Facebook Gaming – Launched in 2020, developed partially with React Native.
So Facebook continues to leverage React Native capabilities to build new consumer-facing apps. They have not entirely switched to only native development as the original rumors suggested.
How has the broader React Native community responded to the discontinuation rumors?
The React Native community also strongly refuted the rumors that development was being discontinued:
- Prominent developers denied the rumors and reaffirmed their commitment.
- 3rd party libraries continued releasing updates showing ongoing support.
- Popular apps confirmed they will continue investing in React Native.
- Conferences continued hosting React Native discussions and workshops.
Over the past year, the React Native community has demonstrated strong continued adoption and contributions. The original TechCrunch article does not appear to have had a measurable negative impact.
Is there any indication of React Native losing popularity?
There are no signs that React Native is declining in popularity or usage. Some key metrics that indicate ongoing adoption include:
- npm downloads – React Native downloads have grown consistently over past 5 years.
- GitHub stars – Stars on the React Native repo continue increasing.
- Contributors – The number of unique React Native contributors is stable.
- Job listings – React Native job openings remain steady.
- Google searches – React Native search volume is not decreasing.
- Conference talks – React Native remains a popular conference topic.
Based on these measures, React Native does not appear to be losing favor in the broader developer community.
Will React Native development stop at some point?
Facebook has not provided any indication that they plan to discontinue React Native development any time soon.
Like most open source projects, there is always the possibility that the core maintainers decide to stop supporting it at some point down the road. But Facebook remains committed for now and it continues providing significant business value for them.
Even if Facebook did stop supporting React Native directly, the community could likely continue maintaining it to some degree, similar to projects like jQuery. But again there are no signs React Native development will stop anytime soon.
Should new apps be built with React Native or native platforms?
For new app projects, developers should consider pros and cons of React Native vs native development.
Potential advantages of using React Native:
- Faster cross-platform development
- Code reuse across iOS and Android
- Access to native APIs and performance
- Large open source community
Potential advantages of going native:
- Full access to platform-specific capabilities
- Avoid risks of cross-platform limitations
- Utilize language familiarity (Swift, Kotlin, etc)
There is no definitive answer, and developers should weigh these factors against their specific app requirements and team skills.
Conclusion
In summary, while an internal Facebook memo caused temporary speculation, all signs indicate React Native continues to be supported and is not being discontinued at this time.
Facebook remains committed to React Native and it provides business value for new app development. The broader React Native community also continues to show strong support for the framework.
There is no clear evidence that React Native is declining in popularity or usage. The original rumors in early 2021 appear to have had minimal lasting impact.
For new apps, developers should carefully assess if React Native is a good fit based on their needs and team capabilities compared to going fully native.
But React Native remains a viable and popular cross-platform app framework backed both by Facebook and the open source community. There is no indication that React Native development will be discontinued any time soon.