Your React Native Questions, Answered
Building cross-platform apps brings up specific challenges. We've gathered the questions developers ask most often and provided straight answers based on real project experience.
Real Answers from Real Projects
When you're learning React Native, you run into the same roadblocks everyone hits. Performance hiccups. Navigation confusion. Platform-specific quirks that make you want to throw your laptop out the window.
These answers come from working through those exact problems with our students in Munich. Not theory from docs — actual solutions that worked when deadlines were tight and apps needed to ship.
And yeah, sometimes the answer is "it depends." Because in development, context matters more than cookie-cutter solutions.
Quick Answers to Common Questions
The stuff people ask us every week
Do I need to know Swift or Kotlin first?
Nope. If you know JavaScript, you can start. You'll pick up native concepts as you go. Most students start with zero mobile experience and build working apps within a few months.
What's the actual difference between Expo and bare workflow?
Expo gives you training wheels. Faster setup, easier testing. Bare workflow gives you full control but more complexity. We teach both, starting with Expo because it's less frustrating when you're new.
Will apps really run on both iOS and Android?
About 90% of your code works on both. The other 10% needs platform-specific tweaks. You'll learn to handle those edge cases without doubling your workload.
How long until I can build a real app?
Students typically build their first functional app in 8-12 weeks. Not production-ready necessarily, but something you can demo. Getting to professional level takes 6-9 months of consistent practice.
Is React Native dying? I keep hearing mixed things.
Companies like Microsoft, Shopify, and Discord still use it heavily. The new architecture released in 2024 addressed most performance concerns. It's evolving, not dying.
Can I test iOS apps without a Mac?
For learning, Expo Go works on any machine. For actual iOS deployment, you need a Mac eventually. Some students use cloud Mac services, but it's clunky for daily development.
What about performance compared to native?
For most apps, users can't tell the difference. Heavy animation or complex processing might need native modules. We cover when React Native is enough and when it's not.
Do Munich companies actually hire React Native developers?
More than you'd think. Startups especially. Enterprise companies often have legacy native apps but are considering React Native for new projects. Demand's been steady since 2023.
What if I get stuck on a problem?
Our program includes access to mentors who've shipped production apps. Plus a student community where someone's probably hit your exact error before. No one learns this stuff alone.
Technical Details That Actually Matter
How does navigation really work in React Native?
React Navigation is the standard library, but it's not intuitive at first. You're managing screen stacks, modals, and tabs simultaneously. We spend two full sessions on navigation patterns because getting it wrong early creates headaches later. Tab navigators, stack navigators, drawer navigators — each has specific use cases you'll encounter in real projects.
What's the deal with state management? Redux? Context? Something else?
Context API works for smaller apps. Redux is overkill until it's not. Most modern projects use something like Zustand or Jotai — simpler than Redux but more scalable than Context. We teach you to pick based on app complexity, not what's trendy. State management choice affects everything from debugging to team collaboration.
How do you handle offline functionality?
AsyncStorage for simple key-value data. SQLite for complex local databases. Network status detection with NetInfo. Caching strategies depend on your app's needs. Some students build apps that work fully offline with periodic sync — that requires planning from day one, not adding it later.
What about push notifications and background tasks?
This is where things get platform-specific. iOS has strict background limitations. Android is more flexible but inconsistent across manufacturers. Libraries like Notifee handle most cases, but you'll write native code for edge cases. We cover the reliable patterns that work across devices.
Can React Native access device hardware like camera and GPS?
Yes, through community libraries. Expo has built-in modules for common hardware. For specialized sensors or custom requirements, you might write native modules. Most apps never need that level of customization though. Camera, location, accelerometer, Bluetooth — there are battle-tested libraries for all of them.
What Students Actually Want to Know
Two perspectives from people who've been through our program
Malik Ziegler
Finished Program September 2024I kept asking "will this work for my app idea?" during the first month. Eventually realized the question wasn't helpful. Better question: what's the simplest version I can build to test if this idea has legs? React Native let me prototype fast without learning two separate platforms. My app's basic but functional, and I understand why certain features need more work than others.
Ingrid Bauer
Currently Working as Junior DevMy biggest question was about job prospects. Turns out companies care more about problem-solving than which framework you use. Knowing React Native opened doors because I could talk intelligently about mobile development trade-offs. The technical skills mattered, but understanding when to use React Native versus native apps mattered more in interviews. That contextual knowledge came from working through real project scenarios.
Still Have Questions?
These answers only scratch the surface. React Native development has depth that's hard to convey in FAQ format. If you want to discuss your specific situation — whether React Native fits your goals, what learning path makes sense for your background — let's talk.
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