Learning Native App Development with React Native and Expo: My Teleprompter App Journey

As a web developer, I was eager to explore native mobile app development, but the idea of learning Swift or Kotlin from scratch was intimidating. That’s when I discovered React Native and Expo—a combination that lets you build native apps using JavaScript and React, with Expo making setup and development even easier.

To learn hands-on, I built a teleprompter app. Here’s what I discovered along the way.

Why React Native and Expo?

React Native allows you to use familiar React concepts to build native apps for iOS and Android. Expo takes it a step further by handling much of the native configuration, providing a suite of APIs, and making it simple to test your app on real devices with the Expo Go app.

Building the Teleprompter App

I focused on these core features:

• Smoothly scrolling text
• Adjustable speed and font size
• Clean, distraction-free interface

Expo made it easy to get started—no need to install Xcode or Android Studio right away. I used VS Code and Expo’s CLI to bootstrap the project and tested instantly on my phone. Components like ScrollView handled the text movement, and Expo’s APIs made it simple to manage screen orientation and other device features.

What I Learned

• Expo Workflow: Expo’s development tools and over-the-air updates made iteration fast and painless.
• Native APIs: I accessed device features (like keeping the screen awake) using Expo’s built-in modules.
• Performance: I learned to optimize for smooth scrolling and responsive controls.
• Cross-Platform Testing: Expo Go let me test on both iOS and Android devices without extra setup.
• Deployment: Publishing the app with Expo was straightforward, and sharing builds for testing was a breeze.

Final Thoughts

Building a teleprompter app with React Native and Expo was the perfect introduction to native app development. I gained confidence working outside the browser, and now I’m excited to tackle more mobile projects. If you’re a web developer curious about mobile, I highly recommend trying React Native with Expo—pick a simple app idea and start building!