TextField

A SwiftUI TextField component for text input.

iOS

tvOS

Included in Expo Go

GitHub

npm

Changelog

Recommended version:

~58.0.23

For cross-platform usage, see the universal TextInput — it renders the appropriate native component per platform.

Expo UI TextField matches the official SwiftUI TextField API and supports single-line and multiline input, keyboard configuration, submit handling, and an imperative ref for programmatic control.

Installation

Terminal

- npx expo install @expo/ui

- yarn expo install @expo/ui

- pnpm expo install @expo/ui

- bun expo install @expo/ui

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

Usage

Uncontrolled text field

Bind a useNativeState observable to text. The field tracks the user's input on its own, and you read the current value from textState.value.

BasicTextFieldExample.tsx

import { Host, TextField, useNativeState } from '@expo/ui/swift-ui';

export default function BasicTextFieldExample() {
  const textState = useNativeState('');

  // A text field stretches to the width it is given, so give the host a size.
  return (
    <Host style={{ flex: 1 }}>
      <TextField placeholder="Username" text={textState} />
    </Host>
  );
}

Controlled text field

Pass an onTextChange worklet to transform or validate input and write the result back to the useNativeState observable state. The example below uppercases the text as it is typed.

Note: Worklets require installing react-native-worklets.

Without the 'worklet' directive, onTextChange runs asynchronously on the JavaScript thread, and a write to text.value from the JavaScript thread reaches the UI thread later. Do not write the reported value back to text, for example from a useEffect that copies React state into the field. When the user types quickly, that write can arrive after newer keystrokes and remove them. From the JavaScript thread, write to text only to set a new value, such as from a preset button.

ControlledTextFieldExample.tsx

import { Host, TextField, useNativeState } from '@expo/ui/swift-ui';
import { useCallback } from 'react';

export default function ControlledTextFieldExample() {
  const text = useNativeState('');

  const handleTextChange = useCallback(
    (value: string) => {
      'worklet';
      text.value = value.toUpperCase();
    },
    [text]
  );

  return (
    <Host style={{ flex: 1 }}>
      <TextField
        placeholder="Name"
        text={text}
        onTextChange={handleTextChange}
      />
    </Host>
  );
}

Multiline text field

Set axis="vertical" to allow the text field to expand vertically. Use the lineLimit modifier to control the visible line count. Give the Host an explicit size so the field has a width to expand within.

MultilineTextFieldExample.tsx

import { Host, TextField, useNativeState } from '@expo/ui/swift-ui';
import { lineLimit, fixedSize } from '@expo/ui/swift-ui/modifiers';

export default function MultilineTextFieldExample() {
  const textState = useNativeState('');

  return (
    <Host style={{ flex: 1 }}>
      <TextField
        axis="vertical"
        text={textState}
        placeholder="Tell us about yourself..."
        modifiers={[
          lineLimit(5),
          fixedSize({ horizontal: false, vertical: true }),
        ]}
      />
    </Host>
  );
}

Keyboard type

Use the keyboardType modifier to display a specific keyboard layout.

KeyboardTypeExample.tsx

import { Host, TextField, useNativeState } from '@expo/ui/swift-ui';
import {
  keyboardType,
  autocorrectionDisabled,
} from '@expo/ui/swift-ui/modifiers';

export default function KeyboardTypeExample() {
  const textState = useNativeState('');

  return (
    <Host style={{ flex: 1 }}>
      <TextField
        placeholder="Email"
        text={textState}
        modifiers={[
          keyboardType('email-address'),
          autocorrectionDisabled(),
        ]}
      />
    </Host>
  );
}

Submit handling

Use the submitLabel modifier to customize the return key and onSubmit to handle the submit action.

SubmitHandlingExample.tsx

import { Host, TextField, useNativeState } from '@expo/ui/swift-ui';
import { submitLabel, onSubmit } from '@expo/ui/swift-ui/modifiers';

export default function SubmitHandlingExample() {
  const textState = useNativeState('');

  return (
    <Host style={{ flex: 1 }}>
      <TextField
        placeholder="Search..."
        text={textState}
        modifiers={[
          submitLabel('search'),
          onSubmit(() =>
            console.log('Submitted:', textState.value)
          ),
        ]}
      />
    </Host>
  );
}

Imperative ref

Use a ref to imperatively set text, focus, blur, or select text.

Note: setSelection requires iOS 18.0+ / tvOS 18.0+. The other ref methods work on all supported versions.

ImperativeRefExample.tsx

import { useRef } from 'react';
import {
  Host,
  TextField,
  TextFieldRef,
  Button,
  HStack,
  VStack,
  useNativeState,
} from '@expo/ui/swift-ui';
import { buttonStyle } from '@expo/ui/swift-ui/modifiers';

export default function ImperativeRefExample() {
  const ref = useRef<TextFieldRef>(null);
  const textState = useNativeState('Select me!');

  return (
    <Host style={{ flex: 1 }}>
      <VStack spacing={12}>
        <TextField
          ref={ref}
          text={textState}
          placeholder="Imperative field"
        />
        <HStack spacing={12}>
          <Button
            modifiers={[buttonStyle('bordered')]}
            onPress={() => ref.current?.focus()}
            label="Focus"
          />
          <Button
            modifiers={[buttonStyle('bordered')]}
            onPress={() => ref.current?.blur()}
            label="Blur"
          />
        </HStack>
        <HStack spacing={12}>
          <Button
            modifiers={[buttonStyle('bordered')]}
            onPress={() => ref.current?.setText('SwiftUI rocks!')}
            label="Set text"
          />
          <Button
            modifiers={[buttonStyle('bordered')]}
            onPress={() => ref.current?.clear()}
            label="Clear"
          />
          <Button
            modifiers={[buttonStyle('bordered')]}
            onPress={() => ref.current?.setSelection(0, 7)}
            label="Select"
          />
        </HStack>
      </VStack>
    </Host>
  );
}

Worklet text masking

When onTextChange is marked with the 'worklet' directive, it runs synchronously on the UI thread, so writes to useNativeState observables inside the callback take effect before the next frame. There is no flicker between the typed text and the masked text. The example below masks a phone number as the user types and writes both text and selection from the worklet to keep the cursor at the end of the formatted value.

Note: Worklets require installing react-native-worklets. The selection prop requires iOS 18.0+ / tvOS 18.0+. On older versions the worklet can still update the text but cursor positioning is unavailable.

WorkletPhoneMaskExample.tsx

import { Host, TextField, useNativeState } from '@expo/ui/swift-ui';
import { keyboardType } from '@expo/ui/swift-ui/modifiers';
import { useCallback } from 'react';

export default function WorkletPhoneMaskExample() {
  const phone = useNativeState('');
  const selection = useNativeState({ start: 0, end: 0 });

  const handleTextChange = useCallback(
    (v: string) => {
      'worklet';
      const digits = v.replace(/\D/g, '').slice(0, 10);
      let formatted = digits;
      if (digits.length > 6) {
        formatted = `(${digits.slice(0, 3)}) ${digits.slice(3, 6)}-${digits.slice(6)}`;
      } else if (digits.length > 3) {
        formatted = `(${digits.slice(0, 3)}) ${digits.slice(3)}`;
      }
      if (formatted !== v) {
        phone.value = formatted;
        // Snaps to end for demo. Real masks need smarter cursor handling.
        selection.value = {
          start: formatted.length,
          end: formatted.length,
        };
      }
    },
    [phone, selection]
  );

  return (
    <Host style={{ flex: 1 }}>
      <TextField
        text={phone}
        selection={selection}
        placeholder="(555) 123-4567"
        modifiers={[keyboardType('phone-pad')]}
        onTextChange={handleTextChange}
      />
    </Host>
  );
}

API

import { TextField } from '@expo/ui/swift-ui';

Component

`TextField`

iOS

tvOS

Type: React.Element<TextFieldProps>

Renders a SwiftUI TextField.

TextFieldProps

`autoFocus`

iOS

tvOS

Optional • Type: boolean • Default: false

If true, the text field will be focused automatically when mounted.

`axis`

iOS

tvOS

Optional • Literal type: string • Default: 'horizontal'

The axis along which the text field grows when content exceeds a single line.

'horizontal' — single line (default).
'vertical' — expands vertically for multiline content. Use lineLimit modifier to cap visible lines.

Acceptable values are: 'horizontal' | 'vertical'

`children`

iOS

tvOS

Optional • Type: ReactNode

Slot children — supports <TextField.Placeholder> with a <Text> child (any text-styling modifiers on that Text are preserved as the placeholder's styling).

`maxLength`

iOS

tvOS

Optional • Type: number

Maximum number of characters allowed. Truncates natively as the user types.

`onFocusChange`

iOS

tvOS

Optional • Type: (focused: boolean) => void

A callback triggered when the field gains or loses focus.

`onSelectionChange`

iOS 18.0+ tvos 18.0+

Optional • Type:

(selection: {
  end: number, 
  start: number
}) => void

A callback triggered when the text selection range changes.

`onTextChange`

iOS

tvOS

Optional • Type: (text: string) => void

A callback triggered when the text value changes.

If the callback is marked with the 'worklet' directive, it runs synchronously on the UI thread; otherwise it is delivered asynchronously as a regular JS event.

`placeholder`

iOS

tvOS

Optional • Type: string

A text that is displayed when the field is empty.

`ref`

iOS

tvOS

Optional • Type: Ref<TextFieldRef>

`selection`

iOS 18.0+ tvos 18.0+

Optional • Type: ObservableState<TextFieldSelection>

Observable state the field writes the current selection to. Create with useNativeState<TextFieldSelection>({ start: 0, end: 0 }). Use ref.setSelection(start, end) to set programmatically.

`text`

iOS

tvOS

Optional • Type: ObservableState<string>

An observable state that holds the current text. Create one with useNativeState('') or useNativeState('initial value'). If omitted, the field manages its own internal state.

Inherited props

CommonViewModifierProps

Types

`ObservableState`

iOS

tvOS

Observable state shared between JavaScript and native views (Jetpack Compose on Android and SwiftUI on iOS).

Type: SharedObject extended by:

Property	Type	Description
onChange	`[listener] \| null`	A single listener invoked on the native UI runtime whenever the value changes (after iOS `didSet` and Android's setter). Assigning replaces the previous listener; assign `null` to clear. The initial value does not fire `onChange`. The callback must be a worklet so it can run synchronously on the UI thread. Attach it inside `useEffect` and clear it in the cleanup so the listener lifecycle matches the component lifecycle. Example `const state = useNativeState(0); useEffect(() => { state.onChange = (value) => { 'worklet'; console.log('changed to', value); }; }, []);`
value	`T`	The current value. Writes from a UI worklet are synchronous and immediately readable. Writes from the JS thread are scheduled to the UI thread asynchronously, the new value is not readable until the update has been applied. Prefer writing from a worklet when you need synchronous updates
get	`() => T`	Reads the current value. A React Compiler compliant alternative to reading `.value`
set	`(value: T) => void`	Writes a new value. A React Compiler-compliant alternative to assigning `.value`

`TextFieldRef`

iOS

tvOS

Can be used for imperatively focusing and setting text/selection on the TextField component.

Property	Type	Description
blur	`() => Promise<void>`	-
clear	`() => Promise<void>`	Clear the current text.
focus	`() => Promise<void>`	-
setSelection	`(start: number, end: number) => Promise<void>`	Only for: iOS 18.0+ tvos 18.0+ Programmatically set the selection range.
setText	`(newText: string) => Promise<void>`	-

`TextFieldSelection`

iOS

tvOS

Selection range — start and end are character offsets into the field's text.

Property	Type	Description
end	`number`	-
start	`number`	-