---
modificationDate: February 26, 2026
title: Shared routes
description: Learn how to define shared routes or use arrays to use the same route multiple times with different layouts using Expo Router.
---

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# Shared routes

Learn how to define shared routes or use arrays to use the same route multiple times with different layouts using Expo Router.

> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](/llms.txt). Use this file to discover all available pages.

To match the same URL with different layouts, use [**groups**](/router/basics/notation#parentheses) with overlapping child routes. This pattern is very common in native apps. For example, in the X app, a profile can be viewed in every tab (such as home, search, and profile). However, there is only one URL that is required to access this route.

In the example below, **src/app/_layout.tsx** is the tab bar and each route has its own header. The **src/app/(profile)/[user].tsx** route is shared between each tab.

`src`

 `app`

  `_layout.tsx`

  `(home)`

   `_layout.tsx`

   `[user].tsx`

  `(search)`

   `_layout.tsx`

   `[user].tsx`

  `(profile)`

   `_layout.tsx`

   `[user].tsx`

> When reloading the page, the first alphabetical match is rendered.

Shared routes can be navigated directly by including the group name in the route. For example, `/(search)/baconbrix` navigates to `/baconbrix` in the "search" layout.

## Arrays

> Array syntax is an advanced concept that is unique to native app development.

Instead of defining the same route multiple times with different layouts, use the array syntax `(,)` to duplicate the children of a group. For example, `src/app/(home,search)/[user].tsx` — creates `src/app/(home)/[user].tsx` and `src/app/(search)/[user].tsx` in memory.

To distinguish between the two routes use a layout's `segment` prop:

```tsx
export default function DynamicLayout({ segment }) {
  if (segment === '(search)') {
    return <SearchStack />;
  }

  return <Stack />;
}
```

To enable the **array syntax**, specify the [`initialRouteName`](/router/advanced/router-settings#initialroutename) for each group using `unstable_settings` object in the dynamic layout:

```tsx
export const unstable_settings = {
  initialRouteName: 'home',
  search: {
    initialRouteName: 'search',
  },
};

export default function DynamicLayout({ segment }) {
   ... 
}
```

In the above example, the `home` route is the default route for the `home` group and the app. The `search` route is the default route for the `search` group.

## Key points

-   You can only provide groups for the current navigator.
-   When using the array syntax, if there are two groups (for example, `(one)/(two)`), only the last group's segment is used for matching the route.
-   If there are at least two group `initialRouteNames`, but a default `initialRouteName` is not provided, the first group's `initialRouteName` is used.