Sciandra describes React Native’s adoption as a grassroots effort, with teams across Microsoft exploring it around the same time. Skype’s ReactXP effort helped build confidence, while teams went on to use React Native in products including Outlook, Teams, Office, Xbox Game Pass, and Windows features.
React Native at Microsoft
Speaker
Lorenzo Sciandra, a Microsoft engineer working on cross-platform experiences and React Native, discusses Microsoft’s React Native work with host Lucas on Callstack’s React Native Show podcast.
React Native lets Microsoft add shared experiences to large, existing apps while keeping the surrounding apps native. Teams can share business logic and data code, while using platform-specific UI files to fit Android and iOS patterns. Sciandra says this can make features such as avatar cards more consistent across products.
React Native for Windows is an out-of-tree platform that tracks Core releases closely; React Native for macOS is a fork and takes more work to keep aligned. The Windows team is also moving from UWP and System XAML to Windows App SDK, alongside its work on the new architecture. Sciandra says the timing for full readiness was uncertain.
Microsoft open-sourced RNX Kit, a collection of tools that includes Metro support for symlinks and an esbuild plugin intended to reduce bundle sizes through tree shaking. Sciandra also describes React Native Test App, which helps library maintainers test against different React Native versions and the new architecture.
Sciandra explains that Meta owns React Native, while company partners and the wider community contribute through meetings, pull requests, and public discussions. He points to working groups focused on developer experience and bundling, and says cross-platform UI and migration to the new architecture are key areas of work.
Takeaways
- Share business logic across apps while keeping platform-specific UI where user expectations differ.
- An out-of-tree platform can reduce the work needed to stay aligned with React Native Core.
- Test libraries against the new architecture early using a React Native template or Test App.
- Public working groups and open repository discussions give company engineers ways to coordinate ecosystem improvements.
- Large organizations can use React Native to add shared features to existing native apps, but need CI and rollout practices suited to broad impact.
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What was claimed 18
- uses
Microsoft uses React Nativein brownfield apps“how Microsoft is using React Native at scale”
0:09inReact Native at Scale: How Microsoft is betting big on React Native to target BILLIONS of usersYouTube Verified14 sources· Talk
- integrates with
“We work closely with Meta, Callstack, and others.”
0:17inFrom Gaming to Productivity: how Microsoft is using React Native across a portfolio of experiencesYouTube Verified7 sources· Talk
- role atLorenzo Sciandra is senior software engineer atMicrosoft
“I'm a senior software engineer in the Office organization with Tommy.”
0:24inOur Journey of Making React Native a Preferred ChoiceYouTube Verified5 sources· Talk
- works atLorenzo Sciandra works atMicrosoft
“I'm a senior software engineer in the Office organization with Tommy.”
0:24inOur Journey of Making React Native a Preferred ChoiceYouTube Verified2 sources· Talk
- built
“we made this test app and a bunch of tools around it”
2:00inCommunity is stronger than everYouTube Verified4 sources· Talk
- role at
Meta is maintainer at React Native“10 or 15 people from Facebook and Microsoft; they finally took ownership”
2:21inWhat are the opportunities for React Native going forward? JSI, Fabric, and developer experienceYouTube Verified3 sources· Talk
- useshundreds of apps in the Microsoft Store use it
“The Settings team is using React Native”
4:23inReact Native at Scale: How Microsoft is betting big on React Native to target BILLIONS of usersYouTube Verified6 sources· Talk
- uses
“Office Mobile—those small apps ... They're all brownfield apps”
YouTube Unverified1 source· Talk
