Expo UI Guidelines

References

Consult these resources as needed:

./references/route-structure.md -- Route file conventions, dynamic routes, query parameters, groups, and folder organization
./references/tabs.md -- Native tab bar with NativeTabs, migration from JS tabs, iOS 26 features
./references/icons.md -- SF Symbols with expo-symbols, common icon names, animations, and weights
./references/controls.md -- Native iOS controls: Switch, Slider, SegmentedControl, DateTimePicker, Picker
./references/visual-effects.md -- Blur effects with expo-blur and liquid glass with expo-glass-effect
./references/animations.md -- Reanimated animations: entering, exiting, layout, scroll-driven, and gestures
./references/search.md -- Search bar integration with headers, useSearch hook, and filtering patterns
./references/gradients.md -- CSS gradients using experimental_backgroundImage (New Architecture only)
./references/media.md -- Media handling for Expo Router including camera, audio, video, and file saving
./references/storage.md -- Data storage patterns including SQLite, AsyncStorage, and SecureStore
./references/webgpu-three.md -- 3D graphics, games, and GPU-powered visualizations with WebGPU and Three.js

Running the App

CRITICAL: Always try Expo Go first before creating custom builds.

Most Expo apps work in Expo Go without any custom native code. Before running npx expo run:ios or npx expo run:android:

Start with Expo Go: Run npx expo start and scan the QR code with Expo Go
Check if features work: Test your app thoroughly in Expo Go
Only create custom builds when required - see below

When Custom Builds Are Required

You need npx expo run:ios/android or eas build ONLY when using:

Local Expo modules (custom native code in modules/)
Apple targets (widgets, app clips, extensions via @bacons/apple-targets)
Third-party native modules not included in Expo Go
Custom native configuration that can't be expressed in app.json

When Expo Go Works

Expo Go supports a huge range of features out of the box:

All expo-* packages (camera, location, notifications, etc.)
Expo Router navigation
Most UI libraries (reanimated, gesture handler, etc.)
Push notifications, deep links, and more

If you're unsure, try Expo Go first. Creating custom builds adds complexity, slower iteration, and requires Xcode/Android Studio setup.

Code Style

Be cautious of unterminated strings. Ensure nested backticks are escaped; never forget to escape quotes correctly.
Always use import statements at the top of the file.
Always use kebab-case for file names, e.g. comment-card.tsx
Always remove old route files when moving or restructuring navigation
Never use special characters in file names
Configure tsconfig.json with path aliases, and prefer aliases over relative imports for refactors.

Routes

See ./references/route-structure.md for detailed route conventions.

Routes belong in the app directory.
Never co-locate components, types, or utilities in the app directory. This is an anti-pattern.
Ensure the app always has a route that matches "/", it may be inside a group route.

Library Preferences

Never use modules removed from React Native such as Picker, WebView, SafeAreaView, or AsyncStorage
Never use legacy expo-permissions
expo-audio not expo-av
expo-video not expo-av
expo-symbols not @expo/vector-icons
react-native-safe-area-context not react-native SafeAreaView
process.env.EXPO_OS not Platform.OS
React.use not React.useContext
expo-image Image component instead of intrinsic element img
expo-glass-effect for liquid glass backdrops

Responsiveness

Always wrap root component in a scroll view for responsiveness
Use <ScrollView contentInsetAdjustmentBehavior="automatic" /> instead of <SafeAreaView> for smarter safe area insets
contentInsetAdjustmentBehavior="automatic" should be applied to FlatList and SectionList as well
Use flexbox instead of Dimensions API
ALWAYS prefer useWindowDimensions over Dimensions.get() to measure screen size

Behavior

Use expo-haptics conditionally on iOS to make more delightful experiences
Use views with built-in haptics like <Switch /> from React Native and @react-native-community/datetimepicker
When a route belongs to a Stack, its first child should almost always be a ScrollView with contentInsetAdjustmentBehavior="automatic" set
Prefer headerSearchBarOptions in Stack.Screen options to add a search bar
Use the <Text selectable /> prop on text containing data that could be copied
Consider formatting large numbers like 1.4M or 38k
Never use intrinsic elements like 'img' or 'div' unless in a webview or Expo DOM component

Styling

Follow Apple Human Interface Guidelines.

General Styling Rules

Prefer flex gap over margin and padding styles
Prefer padding over margin where possible
Always account for safe area, either with stack headers, tabs, or ScrollView/FlatList contentInsetAdjustmentBehavior="automatic"
Ensure both top and bottom safe area insets are accounted for
Inline styles not StyleSheet.create unless reusing styles is faster
Add entering and exiting animations for state changes
Use { borderCurve: 'continuous' } for rounded corners unless creating a capsule shape
ALWAYS use a navigation stack title instead of a custom text element on the page
When padding a ScrollView, use contentContainerStyle padding and gap instead of padding on the ScrollView itself (reduces clipping)
CSS and Tailwind are not supported - use inline styles

Text Styling

Add the selectable prop to every <Text/> element displaying important data or error messages
Counters should use { fontVariant: 'tabular-nums' } for alignment

Shadows

Use CSS boxShadow style prop. NEVER use legacy React Native shadow or elevation styles.

<View style={{ boxShadow: "0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.05)" }} />

'inset' shadows are supported.

Navigation

Link

Use <Link href="/path" /> from 'expo-router' for navigation between routes.

import { Link } from 'expo-router';

// Basic link
<Link href="/path" />

// Wrapping custom components
<Link href="/path" asChild>
  <Pressable>...</Pressable>
</Link>

Whenever possible, include a <Link.Preview> to follow iOS conventions. Add context menus and previews frequently to enhance navigation.

Stack

ALWAYS use _layout.tsx files to define stacks
Use Stack from 'expo-router/stack' for native navigation stacks

Page Title

Set the page title in Stack.Screen options:

<Stack.Screen options={{ title: "Home" }} />

Context Menus

Add long press context menus to Link components:

import { Link } from "expo-router";

<Link href="/settings" asChild>
  <Link.Trigger>
    <Pressable>
      <Card />
    </Pressable>
  </Link.Trigger>
  <Link.Menu>
    <Link.MenuAction
      title="Share"
      icon="square.and.arrow.up"
      onPress={handleSharePress}
    />
    <Link.MenuAction
      title="Block"
      icon="nosign"
      destructive
      onPress={handleBlockPress}
    />
    <Link.Menu title="More" icon="ellipsis">
      <Link.MenuAction title="Copy" icon="doc.on.doc" onPress={() => {}} />
      <Link.MenuAction
        title="Delete"
        icon="trash"
        destructive
        onPress={() => {}}
      />
    </Link.Menu>
  </Link.Menu>
</Link>;

Link Previews

Use link previews frequently to enhance navigation:

<Link href="/settings">
  <Link.Trigger>
    <Pressable>
      <Card />
    </Pressable>
  </Link.Trigger>
  <Link.Preview />
</Link>

Link preview can be used with context menus.

Modal

Present a screen as a modal:

<Stack.Screen name="modal" options={{ presentation: "modal" }} />

Prefer this to building a custom modal component.

Sheet

Present a screen as a dynamic form sheet:

<Stack.Screen
  name="sheet"
  options={{
    presentation: "formSheet",
    sheetGrabberVisible: true,
    sheetAllowedDetents: [0.5, 1.0],
    contentStyle: { backgroundColor: "transparent" },
  }}
/>

Using contentStyle: { backgroundColor: "transparent" } makes the background liquid glass on iOS 26+.

Common route structure

A standard app layout with tabs and stacks inside each tab:

app/
  _layout.tsx — <NativeTabs />
  (index,search)/
    _layout.tsx — <Stack />
    index.tsx — Main list
    search.tsx — Search view

// app/_layout.tsx
import { NativeTabs, Icon, Label } from "expo-router/unstable-native-tabs";
import { Theme } from "../components/theme";

export default function Layout() {
  return (
    <Theme>
      <NativeTabs>
        <NativeTabs.Trigger name="(index)">
          <Icon sf="list.dash" />
          <Label>Items</Label>
        </NativeTabs.Trigger>
        <NativeTabs.Trigger name="(search)" role="search" />
      </NativeTabs>
    </Theme>
  );
}

Create a shared group route so both tabs can push common screens:

// app/(index,search)/_layout.tsx
import { Stack } from "expo-router/stack";
import { PlatformColor } from "react-native";

export default function Layout({ segment }) {
  const screen = segment.match(/\((.*)\)/)?.[1]!;
  const titles: Record<string, string> = { index: "Items", search: "Search" };

  return (
    <Stack
      screenOptions={{
        headerTransparent: true,
        headerShadowVisible: false,
        headerLargeTitleShadowVisible: false,
        headerLargeStyle: { backgroundColor: "transparent" },
        headerTitleStyle: { color: PlatformColor("label") },
        headerLargeTitle: true,
        headerBlurEffect: "none",
        headerBackButtonDisplayMode: "minimal",
      }}
    >
      <Stack.Screen name={screen} options={{ title: titles[screen] }} />
      <Stack.Screen name="i/[id]" options={{ headerLargeTitle: false }} />
    </Stack>
  );
}

building-native-ui