Expo Symbols

A library that allows access to native symbols.

Android

iOS

tvOS

Web

Included in Expo Go

GitHub

npm

Changelog

Recommended version:

~55.0.9

This library is currently in beta and subject to breaking changes.

expo-symbols provides access to native symbol libraries across platforms. On iOS and tvOS, it uses SF Symbols. On Android and web, it uses Material Symbols.

A collection of the Symbols from the Expo Symbols shown on an iOS device.

Installation

Terminal

- npx expo install expo-symbols

- yarn expo install expo-symbols

- pnpm expo install expo-symbols

- bun expo install expo-symbols

If you are installing this in an existing React Native app, make sure to install expo in your project.

Usage

Cross-platform symbols

Pass an object with per-platform symbol names to render symbols on all platforms. Browse available iOS symbols in the Apple SF Symbols app and Android/web symbols at Google Material Symbols.

App.js

import { SymbolView } from 'expo-symbols';
import { StyleSheet, View } from 'react-native';

export default function App() {
  return (
    <View style={styles.container}>
      <SymbolView
        name={{ ios: 'info.circle', android: 'info', web: 'info' }}
        tintColor="#007AFF"
        size={35}
      />
      <SymbolView
        name={{
          ios: 'pencil.tip.crop.circle.badge.plus',
          android: 'home_and_garden',
          web: 'home_and_garden',
        }}
        style={styles.symbol}
      />
    </View>
  );
}

const styles = StyleSheet.create({
  container: {
    flex: 1,
    backgroundColor: '#fff',
    alignItems: 'center',
    justifyContent: 'center',
  },
  symbol: {
    width: 35,
    height: 35,
    margin: 5,
  },
});

If you only pass a string, it is treated as an SF Symbol name and renders only on iOS. On Android and web, nothing will be rendered unless you provide a fallback:

{
  /* iOS-only: pass an SF Symbol name directly */
}
<SymbolView name="airpods.chargingcase" style={styles.symbol} type="hierarchical" />;

{
  /* Use fallback for platforms where the symbol is not defined */
}
<SymbolView name={{}} fallback={<Text>?</Text>} />;

Weights

On iOS, pass a weight string directly. On Android, import a weight object from expo-symbols/androidWeights:

import bold from 'expo-symbols/androidWeights/bold';

<SymbolView
  name={{ ios: 'star.fill', android: 'star', web: 'star' }}
  weight={{ ios: 'bold', android: bold }}
  tintColor="gold"
  size={35}
/>;

Available weight imports: bold, semiBold, medium, regular, light, extraLight, thin.

API

import { SymbolView } from 'expo-symbols';

Component

`SymbolView`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Web

Type: React.Element<SymbolViewProps>

SymbolViewProps

`animationSpec`

iOS

Optional • Type: AnimationSpec

The animation configuration to apply to the symbol.

`colors`

iOS

Optional • Literal type: union

An array of colors to use when the SymbolType is palette.

Acceptable values are: ColorValue | ColorValue[]

`fallback`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Web

Optional • Type: React.ReactNode

Fallback to render when a symbol for the given platform is not defined.

`name`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Web

Literal type: union

The name of the symbol. iOS Symbols can be viewed in the Apple SF Symbols app.

Acceptable values are: SFSymbol | { android: AndroidSymbol, ios: SFSymbol, web: AndroidSymbol }

`resizeMode`

iOS

Optional • Type: ContentMode • Default: 'scaleAspectFit'

Determines how the image should be resized to fit its container.

`scale`

iOS

Optional • Type: SymbolScale • Default: 'unspecified'

The scale of the symbol to render.

`size`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Web

Optional • Type: number • Default: 24

The size of the symbol.

`tintColor`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Web

Optional • Type: ColorValue

The tint color to apply to the symbol.

`type`

iOS

Optional • Type: SymbolType • Default: 'monochrome'

Determines the symbol variant to use.

`weight`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Web

Optional • Literal type: union • Default: 'unspecified'

The weight of the symbol to render. On Android and web import from expo-symbols/androidWeights/{weight}.

Acceptable values are: SymbolWeight | { android: AndroidSymbolWeight, ios: SymbolWeight }

Inherited props

ViewProps

Methods

`Symbol.unstable_getMaterialSymbolSourceAsync(symbol, size, color)`

Android

Parameter	Type
symbol	`See description for available values.`
size	`number`
color	`string`

Renders a Material Symbol to an image source.

Returns:

Promise<ImageSourcePropType | null>

Types

`AnimationEffect`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Web

Property	Type	Description
direction(optional)	`'up' \| 'down'`	The direction of the animation.
type	`AnimationType`	The type of animation to apply to the symbol.
wholeSymbol(optional)	`boolean`	Whether the entire symbol should animate or just the individual layers. Default:`false`

`AnimationSpec`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Web

The animation configuration to apply to the symbol.

Property	Type	Description
effect(optional)	`AnimationEffect`	The effect to apply to the symbol.
repeatCount(optional)	`number`	The number of times the animation should repeat.
repeating(optional)	`boolean`	If the animation should repeat.
speed(optional)	`number`	The duration of the animation in seconds.
variableAnimationSpec(optional)	`VariableAnimationSpec`	An object that specifies how the symbol’s layers should animate.

`AnimationType`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Web

Literal type: string

The type of animation to apply to the symbol.

Acceptable values are: 'bounce' | 'pulse' | 'scale'

`ContentMode`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Web

Literal type: string

Determines how the image should be resized to fit its container.

`SymbolScale`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Web

Literal type: string

The scale of the symbol to render.

Acceptable values are: 'default' | 'unspecified' | 'small' | 'medium' | 'large'

`SymbolType`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Web

Literal type: string

Determines the symbol variant to use.

'monochrome' - Creates a color configuration that specifies that the symbol image uses its monochrome variant.
'hierarchical' - Creates a color configuration with a color scheme that originates from one color.
'palette' - Creates a color configuration with a color scheme from a palette of multiple colors.
'multicolor' - Creates a color configuration that specifies that the symbol image uses its multicolor variant, if one exists.

Acceptable values are: 'monochrome' | 'hierarchical' | 'palette' | 'multicolor'

`SymbolWeight`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Web

Literal type: string

The weight of the symbol to render.

`VariableAnimationSpec`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Web

A variable color animation draws attention to a symbol by changing the opacity of the symbol’s layers. You can choose to apply the effect to layers either cumulatively or iteratively. For cumulative animations, each layer’s opacity remains changed until the end of the animation cycle. For iterative animations, each layer’s opacity changes briefly before returning to its original state. These effects are compounding, each value set to true will add an additional effect.

Property	Type	Description
cumulative(optional)	`boolean`	This effect enables each successive variable layer, and the layer remains enabled until the end of the animation cycle. This effect cancels the iterative variant.
dimInactiveLayers(optional)	`boolean`	An effect that dims inactive layers of a symbol. This effect draws inactive layers with reduced, but nonzero, opacity.
hideInactiveLayers(optional)	`boolean`	An effect that hides inactive layers of a symbol. This effect hides inactive layers completely, rather than drawing them with reduced, but nonzero, opacity.
iterative(optional)	`boolean`	An effect that momentarily enables each layer of a symbol in sequence.
nonReversing(optional)	`boolean`	An effect that doesn’t reverse each time it repeats.
reversing(optional)	`boolean`	An effect that reverses each time it repeats.