How to Convert a Native Android & IOS App into a React Native App?

Cross-platform app development technology is currently on the trend. In cross-platform app development, only one code is needed for both iOS and Android apps. You will need to convert a Native Android and iOS app to React native one in some scenarios.

Current businesses have reason to use cross-platform app development because it’s easy to use, and translate code from CSS, HTML5 and JavaScript. For developing an app, a quick and systematic procedure should be used. Before moving forward, first, you should learn how to create a cross-platform app? Here are some short steps to do.

Step1: Decide objectives.

Step2: Make notes on the features and functions you need.

Step3: Look out for competitors.

Step3: Create and test wireframes.

Step4: Decide a development path

Step5: Test the mobile app

Step6: Lunch mobile app

Benefits of Cross-platform apps:

• More Reach: It helps to reach business at multiple platforms at a low cost.
• Reusable codes: The application can run on more than one platform.
• Fast development: Cross-platform app development is more rapid; it can reduce development efforts by 50 % sharply.
• Customizable apps: Apps can customize for different platforms according to their suitability.
• Uniform Design: A one uniform interface will run on different platforms.
• Cloud integration made easy: Cross-platform apps with plugins and extensions can easily integrate with the cloud. This increases app capability.
• Deployment made easy: Cross-platform apps are easy to maintain and deploy.

What is the difference between Native and cross-platform apps?

• Cost of multiple platform deployment:

Native Apps: Native application requires adopting an architecture for a particular platform. It costs an investment of time and money.

Cross-Platform Apps: This can save development time and cost because it needs only one code for multiple platform apps like Android and iOS.

• Development time:

Native Apps: This app’s code needs to be written separately. And it will not work for all platforms.

Cross-Platform Apps: Only one written code is used to develop multiple platforms apps. It reduces time and cost.

• Design:

Native Apps: The services are provided by the OS that supported development and Design.

Cross-Platform Apps: According to the platform, developers have to add some individual features, challenging.

• Proficiency in programming:

Native Apps: It needs more expertise in development.

Cross-Platform Apps: Cross-platform tools are based on the web mostly, and it’s comparably easier to find experts for development.

Converting a Native app to a Cross-platform app

1| Selecting a tool: Select a cross-platform mobile app development tool of your choice.

2| Design UI/UX: For a cross-platform app, developers must follow the rules of UI. It is familiar with each platform.

3| Cross-platform app modules: Using app modules will make time reduction in developing apps.

4| Individual APIs for the cross-platform Mobile app: Using API to deploy mobile applications for Android, Apple will work for medium-sized projects but will lead to producing bugs later. Here it needs API service for a particular requirement.

5| Arranging multiple platforms’ features: For developing multiple platform apps, placing components like screen size, device attributes, keyboards, touch gestures, device sensors like gyroscope, compass, GPS etc., is to be done.

6| Testing and app store permissions: This is the last step but essential for cross-platform app development.

Now, here are the main two points to convert apps:

1. Native Android app to iOS app with React Native.
2. Native iOS app to React native app.

1 | Native Android to iOS with React Native:

React native is written in C++, JavaScript, objective-c, objective-c++, and python. If you want to make two versions of the app to work with different platforms, you can start writing the program to react native or with the user flow in an existing native app. Within a few steps you can, add screens, views etc. According to platforms like iOS (Objective C, Swift), Android (java) has some certain steps to be followed.

iOS (Objective C)

Step1: Dependencies and directory structure configuration in React Native.

Step2: Selecting react-native components according to use.

Step3: In JavaScript, build react-native components.

Step4: In the iOS application, add RCTRootview.

Step5: Strat react-native server.

Step6: Start react native application.

Step7: Test and verify it.

2 | Native iOS app to React Native

Here are the steps to follow.

Step1: Authentication to be configured for react native app

Step2: Start the react native app on the iOS simulator

Step3: The styling needs to be adjusted

Step4: The icon of the app needs to be set with the display name

Step5: Now, run the app on the device

Step6: Please test it and try it.

Final Takeaway

So, above are the steps to convert Native Android or iOS App to React Native app. But some points need to be understood, like if you want to convert the android app to react native, then the procedure is different. Suppose you’re going to convert the native iOS app to react Native. In that case, the process of converting is different because of the different architectures of the app. React Native apps are cross-platform apps that can run on multiple platforms, but native android and iOS apps are made for a single platform. So both have advantages and disadvantages. But both native and react native apps can be helpful in different situations.

We at Latitude Technolabs Pvt Ltd still not willing to make a judgment call one way or the other about which framework is faster in the real world, but developers around the world is excited to watch continue to develop.