Use libraries

Learn how to use libraries based on React Native, Expo SDK and third-party in your project.

Every app is inevitably going to use a third-party library, so it's important to understand how to determine whether a library is compatible with your project.

React Native core libraries

React Native provides a set of built-in primitives that most developers will need in their apps. These include components such as <ActivityIndicator>, <TextInput>, <Text>, <ScrollView>, and <View>. These are listed at Core Components and APIs in React Native documentation. You can also view the React Native version that corresponds to your Expo SDK version.

To use a React Native component or API in your project, import it from the react-native package in your code:

import * as React from 'react';
import { Text, View } from 'react-native';

export default function App() {
  return (
    <View style={{ flex: 1, paddingTop: 100 }}>
      <Text>Hello, world!</Text>
    </View>
  );
}

Expo SDK libraries

The Expo SDK picks up where the React Native core libraries end. It provides access to a lot of device and system functionality such as audio, barcode scanning, camera, calendar, contacts, video, and so on. It also adds other powerful libraries like updates, maps, OAuth authentication tools, and more. For more information, see how we decide what goes into the Expo SDK.

To use a library from the Expo SDK, find the one you are looking for in the API Reference or through the documentation Search bar.

At the top of the page you will see a description of the library and a platform compatibility table. It tells you which platforms and environments the library is compatible with. It looks like this:

Platform Compatibility

After the platform compatibility table, there will be an Installation section, with instructions that look like this:

The npx expo install command will pick a version of the library that is compatible with your project and then use your JavaScript package manager (such as npm) to install it.

Next, under the API section the reference page will tell you how to import the library in your code:

import * as Device from 'expo-device';

This section also lists all of the types, functions, and classes available. If you use TypeScript, you can see this information in your TypeScript-compatible code editor (such as Visual Studio Code) with auto-completion.

Now you can use the library in your project:

import * as React from 'react';
import { Text, View } from 'react-native';
import * as Device from 'expo-device';

export default function App() {
  return (
    <View style={{ flex: 1, paddingTop: 100 }}>
      <Text>
        {Device.manufacturer}: {Device.modelName}
      </Text>
    </View>
  );
}

Third-Party libraries

Finding a third-party library

React Native Directory is a searchable database of libraries built specifically for React Native. If the library that you are looking for is not provided by React Native or the Expo SDK then this is the best place to look first when trying to find a library for your app.

After React Native Directory, the npm registry is the next best place. The npm registry is the definitive source for JavaScript libraries, but the libraries that it lists may not all be compatible with React Native. React Native is one of many JavaScript programming environments, including Node.js, web browsers, Electron, and more, and npm includes libraries that work for all of these environments. Other libraries may be compatible with React Native, but not compatible with the Expo Go app. How do you figure this out?

Determining third-party library compatibility

Check React Native Directory: find the library on the website (if it's there) and verify that it has a "✔️ Expo Go" tag. You can also enable the filter by Expo Go.

Not listed on the directory? find the project on GitHub, an easy way to do this is with npx npm-home --github <package-name>. For example, to open the GitHub page for react-native-localize you would run:

Now check the following:

• Does it include an ios and/or android/ directory?
• Does the README mention linking?
• Is it built specifically for Node.js, the web, electron, or another platform?

If you answered yes to any of these questions and the library is not part of the Expo SDK, this library may not be supported in Expo Go. You can go ahead and try it in a new project to be sure. Run npx create-expo-app and add the library to the new project and try to use it. This is a great way to experiment with a library before including it in your project in all circumstances.

Many React Native libraries are not compatible with Expo Go. For these libraries, you can create a development build:

If you want some help determining library compatibility, create an issue on the React Native Directory repository and let us know. This will not just help you, it will also help other developers have an easy answer in the future!

Installing a third-party library

We recommend always using npx expo install instead of npm install or yarn add directly because it allows Expo CLI to pick a compatible version of a library when possible and also warn you about known incompatibilities.

Once you have determined if the library is compatible with React Native, use Expo CLI to install the package:

Be sure to follow the project website or README for any additional configuration and usage instructions. You can get to the README quickly using this command:

If the module needs additional native configuration, you can do so using config plugins. Some packages require a config plugin but they don't have one yet, you can refer to the list of out-of-tree config plugins.

If the module is not supported in Expo Go, you can create a development build: