Today, almost any platform offers its users a chat in one form or another. Even if we're not talking about messengers, still, a marketplace or any other service needs support, and it's better to be in a form of a chat as it is the most familiar type of modern people's virtual communication. To create chats for our clients quickly and efficiently, we use the React Native framework. React Native app development is one of Ronas IT's leading services. The below explains why it is worth choosing it for building your next messenger.
Why React Native?
React Native (RN) is a framework that allows developers to use a single JavaScript programming language for building apps for different platforms, including iOS and Android operating systems. The technology removes the need to hire several teams for, basically, building two apps for different OSs.
Compared to other frameworks dedicated to cross-platform development, React Native unites a big community of programmers, meaning that once any updates occur, it doesn't take the community long to donate to the open-source framework.
New features
React Native's latest updates bring even more advantages for chat app creators. The new Fabric rendering engine boosts animation and gesture speed by handling interface updates in C++. This means smoother messages, swipes, and chat transitions — perfect for chat apps that need 60 or even 120 frames per second. TurboModules make apps start up faster and use less memory by only loading native modules when they are actually needed, instead of loading everything at once. These optimizations keep your app responsive, even as it grows.
Reusable components
Another strength of React Native is reusable components. With design systems and UI kits like NativeBase and React Native Paper, teams get access to ready-to-use interface elements including buttons, chat bubbles, lists, and forms. These libraries support easy theming and style control while keeping the design consistent across every screen. You can also combine different kits, and thanks to strong type safety and integration with TypeScript, you avoid style conflicts and mistakes.
Reusable component libraries let you work faster, maintain a single look and feel, and significantly speed up the process of chat app development with React Native. If you need custom elements for your chat app — like a special messaging input or sticker picker — you can build them in React Native, add them to your design system, and use them again in future projects.
Statistics and market trends
React Native continues to lead cross-platform development, with over 42% of developers using it for mobile apps in 2025. Big companies like Meta and Shopify rely on it, and React Native still sees strong demand — with 6,800 job openings and average salaries at $128,000 a year. Its popularity comes from the ability to build for both iOS and Android at once, saving time and resources.
Chat features drive engagement across all kinds of apps. More than half of live chat sessions (51.7%) start on mobile, matching the shift of nearly 63% of web traffic to smartphones. Messaging platforms like Facebook Messenger have close to a billion users and high daily engagement, while AI chat apps are growing fast — ChatGPT alone hit 64 million monthly downloads in early 2025. Industries like retail, healthcare, and SaaS rely on in-app chat to connect users, support customers, and improve satisfaction. All this shows that building chat apps with React Native helps reach more users and stay ahead of trends.
Another reason to use React Native for development is the components. These are breaks for building an application, reusable pieces providing particular functions. They significantly speed up the process of chat app development with React Native. Moreover, if a custom component is needed, it can be created and reused for further applications.
Necessary tools for chat app development
When building a chat app using React Native, you want to take advantage of the best technologies available. The following list highlights key components and services that ensure your chat application is both feature-rich and efficient. We've used these tools whenever we needed to develop a chat app or integrate a chat into the existing application. Some of them are technologies for development from scratch, some are ready-made solutions that we use to speed up the workflow.
Tools for real-time communication
WebSockets. This protocol forms the base for many real-time chat applications. WebSockets create a persistent connection between the client and server, making instant message delivery possible and efficient.
Socket.io. An event-driven library that offers tools for real-time data exchange between a client and a server. It enables developers to implement instant messaging functionality. Note that it requires in-depth knowledge of backend development and logic writing. By pairing Socket.io with Node.js or frameworks like Nest.js, you can quickly set up the server side of your chat solution and handle real-time messaging, user presence, and events.
GraphQL Subscriptions. For apps with more complex data and real-time updates, GraphQL Subscriptions offer a modern approach. They use protocols like WebSockets under the hood, but allow for flexible message streams.
Expo push notifications. This technology is used for sending push notifications to users. The service works within Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) and Apple Push Notification (APN) systems to deliver notifications on Android or iOS platforms.
User interface components
FlashList. This is a React Native list library by Shopify that helps manage thousands of elements without sacrificing performance — perfect for displaying countless messages in a React Native chat app. It solves the problem of blank spaces in rendering list layouts and performs well even on low-end devices.
React Native Gifted Chat. A library that comes equipped with pre-built UI components designed specifically for chats, which is handy for rapidly generating clean prototypes.
Other UI libraries: Tools like NativeBase, React Native Paper, and UI Kitten add more UI options, such as buttons, avatars, and card views. Lottie supports animated stickers and emoji reactions, while React Navigation manages seamless transitions between conversation screens. These libraries help create a modern and consistent chat design fast.
Ready-made solutions
Pusher Channels and ChatKitty allow rapid integration of real-time chat features without building a full backend. Pusher is well-suited for MVPs and apps where speed of launch matters. ChatKitty combines essential chat features like group chats, message reactions, and automoderation. Use these solutions for quick pilots, small apps, or when you want to avoid maintaining server infrastructure.
Custom development is the best choice when your chat app needs unique logic, advanced moderation, special privacy requirements, or deep platform integration. While ready-made solutions get you moving quickly, custom code lets you scale and control features as your business grows.
Backend as a Service (BaaS)
Firebase and AWS Amplify both offer BaaS options for chat apps. Firebase gives you real-time databases, user authentication, and cloud functions out of the box, letting you set up reliable chat backends in days. AWS Amplify combines easy GraphQL APIs with scalability for larger teams. Both options lower time-to-market and reduce backend maintenance needs.
AI Integration tools
AI brings smart features to chat apps. Libraries like OpenAI's API, Microsoft Azure OpenAI, or Google Cloud Vertex AI help developers integrate AI chatbots or enable features like automatic message summarization and smart replies. These tools let you add advanced support and productivity features, keeping your app competitive in the rapidly evolving chat landscape.
Having studied the necessary tools for creating a basic application, you can think about what additional features should be added to the chat app to win the competition in the chat apps market.
Features of a successful chat app
There are a number of features that are essential for building a messaging application that can withstand the competition. New features emerge every day, and it becomes harder to retain users from day to day. These are some ideas on how to ensure your React Native chat app stands out.
User-friendly interface.There are special guidelines designed for different platforms and user interfaces: Material Design for Android by Google and Human Interface Guidelines for iOS. It's important to make sure that designers follow them so that customers can have a familiar and smooth experience with apps. Accessibility-first design is important to help users with disabilities use your app comfortably. It's also important to support both dark and light modes so users can choose what works best for them, and adapt layouts for different screen sizes and orientations.
Real-time messaging. By real-time it is meant that messages are received as soon as they are sent, or, in other words, the change takes place as soon as the event occurs. The feature is powered by real-time messaging protocols and a messaging database that stores all messages and user data. The technology helps to make communication seamless and real for the participants.
At Ronas IT, we enable seamless and real-time communication using technology tailored to each client case. For example, we recently built a SaaS management platform, where real-time sync runs through WebSockets — updating views instantly without refreshes. The real-time engine broadcasts every change (task updates, comments, status changes) instantly to all collaborators. Threaded comments and direct @mentions enable focused, contextual conversation, so teams never have to switch to another app for chat or miss project-critical info. This approach ensures everyone always sees the most current updates, boosting engagement and teamwork.
Push notifications. An important feature to keep users updated about changes and promos, and simply about receiving new messages. We use Expo, Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM), and Apple Push Notification (APN) to deliver fast, reliable push notifications on both iOS and Android. This keeps users updated about new messages, changes, and important promos, no matter their device.
Audio and video messaging. Modern chat apps cover all types of communication. It's not always convenient for people to receive video and audio calls instantly. Then, video and audio messaging come into play. To implement it, you'll need a messaging framework, a streaming media server, a video encode, a client-side video player, and a robust backend infrastructure.
Multimedia sharing. Not only do users send audio and video formats, but messengers are also widely used for business purposes when different types of documents are exchanged. By allowing users to upload all sorts of files, you will cover a wider target audience. In terms of technologies, there are ready solutions that help implement the function such as ChatKitty we mentioned above.
Audio and video calls. Almost since chat apps were introduced, one of their main features has always been making calls. To implement calls into your messenger, you would typically need several technologies that handle signaling, connectivity, media streaming, codec support, and optional security layers.
Emoji and stickers support. Emoticons or emojis have become a phenomenon of modern human textual interaction, tracing their roots back to the very beginning of Internet communication. Introducing emojis and stickers, even animated, to the application is not challenging, as there are existing ready solutions for this task.
Group chats. People must have the option of chatting in a group of many. It requires the same technology as regular messaging with the only difference — the messages are simultaneously received by several or many users.
Audio transcription. There are only two types of people… Those who love voice messages, and those who hate them. For the latter ones, there should be an opportunity to read the transcription of the audios. If implemented, the feature will make your chat app one of the best in the world. There are several speech-recognition APIs available that can be handy such as Google Speech-to-Text and AWS Transcribe to turn voice messages into readable text. This helps users who can't always listen to audio, making chats more accessible and easier to search.
End-to-End Encryption (E2EE). Security is critical, especially for corporate or finance-focused apps. E2EE keeps messages safe and private, ensuring that only intended recipients can read them, not even the service provider.
AI-driven features. Modern chat apps use AI for smart replies, message summarization, real-time translation, and automated moderation. These features help users reply faster, understand long chats at a glance, bridge language gaps, and protect against spam or unwanted content with minimal manual effort.
Geolocation sharing. You can create a convenient feature for users who want to share their location with friends. Some messengers allow interactive location tracking which is convenient for safety reasons or for those who often get disoriented struggling with finding a meeting point.
If you got inspired to create your own chat app with React Native, you should know about certain pitfalls that you may face.
Challenges to be aware of
React Native, based on JavaScript, can be a handy tool for building chat apps primarily due to its cross-platform capabilities and modular architecture. However, it may cause concerns about potential performance issues, as JavaScript may not operate as efficiently as native languages on some devices. This challenge can be mitigated by employing efficient debugging techniques and using the right tools to optimize app performance.
One significant challenge related to React Native's performance is the availability of skilled developers who can effectively utilize the framework. A strong understanding of the React Native ecosystem, along with proficiency in JavaScript, is crucial for overcoming potential obstacles in the development process.
Another closely related concern is the reliance on third-party libraries, which may present potential security risks. Identifying and rectifying bugs in abstraction layers within these libraries can be a complex and time-consuming task. Therefore, it's vital for developers to be well-versed in evaluating the reliability of specific libraries and to possess a deep understanding of the intricacies of React Native.
Moreover, continuous updates and the maintenance of third-party libraries are crucial, as outdated libraries can lead to compatibility issues or expose the app to security vulnerabilities. Hence, developers need to carefully assess their chosen libraries and ensure they are regularly updated to minimize risks and promote smooth app functioning.
To effectively overcome these challenges, developers must remain knowledgeable about the latest best practices for React Native chat app development and engage in continuous learning to keep their skills up-to-date.
Overall, by staying informed, utilizing the right tools, and choosing reliable third-party libraries you can successfully create a high-quality and secure chat app that delivers an exceptional user experience. The next part talks about such applications.
React Native messengers
Facebook Messenger
Facebook Messenger is one of the largest messaging apps in the world, and its mobile versions make use of React Native for core user experiences. Messenger supports real-time one-on-one and group conversations, voice and video calls, file and media sharing, and integration with Facebook's social features. Its message delivery system is built for speed and reliability, handling billions of messages every day while offering features like reactions, stickers, payments, and AI-powered suggestions.
Messenger shows how React Native can scale to support a vast global audience with feature-rich, high-performance chat. By leveraging cross-platform development, the app delivers a consistent experience on both iOS and Android, quickly rolling out updates to millions of users and streamlining development for complex, high-traffic messaging platforms.
Instagram Direct
Instagram Direct brings private messaging to the Instagram ecosystem, and React Native plays a key role in delivering this experience across mobile platforms. With Direct, users can exchange text messages, share photos and videos, react to content with emojis, and start disappearing media conversations — all within the main Instagram app. Features like group chats, real-time notifications, and seamless transitions from public posts to private messages demonstrate how integrated chat enhances overall social interaction.
Instagram Direct proves React Native's ability to connect complex social features with messaging, while maintaining high responsiveness and polished UI. By using React Native, Instagram's team can synchronize features and updates between Android and iOS, ensuring users have the same fast and engaging direct messaging experience regardless of device.
Discord
Discord is a social platform supporting instant messaging, video calls, and voice over internet protocol (VoIP). The Discord founders were among the first adopters of the framework and used it for their iOS app and web version, finding React Native the best option for cross-platform development. The platform became extremely popular in the community of gamers mostly due to VoIP, as it allows them to participate in group calls without struggling with connection delays. As of 2026, Discord continues to actively use React Native for its mobile client on both iOS and Android, adopting the new React Native architecture to ensure smooth performance and cross-platform consistency.
Current features include animated emoji reactions, a GIF picker with favorites, improved navigation in threads and forums, and crash-free sessions. Discord has also added voice threads with significantly fewer freezes and instant notifications that include a direct “Send Message” action. The app now has a 4.8-star rating, with native integrations for animations and notifications, powered by advanced React Native and native module collaboration.
Mattermost
Mattermost's mobile app is fully written in React Native, using Redux and WatermelonDB for robust offline support, multi-server functionality, and TypeScript-based architecture. The app is even more complex than a simple messenger, however, it has a chat function, too. Mattermost allows dev teams to collaborate in channels and do different tasks, from securely writing a code together to setting tasks in a kanban. Anyway, its primary function is to bring the team members together, so it has all the necessary functions of the messenger and a bit more: it allows calling, sharing voice and video messages; file, image, and link sharing, unlimited message history, and more. Advanced architecture includes hooks (RxJS) for state management, custom native modules for back button, logging, and text input, with a focus on reliability, scalability, native-like performance, and support for themes and notifications via shared extensions.
This can give a good idea of building a messenger for certain groups of people. There are many specialists, apart from developers, who would enjoy a convenient online collaboration.
So, having studied the needs of a certain profession, you can create a product that will be in great demand.
Zulip
Zulip is another example of a React Native-built chat app tailored for team collaboration. Combining the functionality of email and real-time chat, Zulip allows users to participate in topic-based conversations, creating an organized and efficient communication experience. The app includes essential messaging features such as file sharing, voice and video calls, and deep integrations with various productivity tools.
Since 2025, Zulip's mobile app has migrated from React Native to Flutter. Current Zulip features include advanced thread/topic organization, Markdown support, integrations with tools like GitHub and Jira, partial end-to-end encryption, and push notifications (not fully E2E encrypted). While Flutter accelerated UI development, it still falls short in some workflows compared to the former React Native implementation; the server remains on Python/Django.
Creating a messaging app for professional use requires understanding the communication needs of businesses and organizations. Offering a solution that balances real-time messaging and asynchronous communication, like Zulip, can provide a unique and seamless collaboration platform that appeals to a broad range of customers.
Rocket.Chat
Rocket.Chat is an open-source team collaboration platform built using the Meteor framework for web app development and React Native for mobile app development. It facilitates secure communication with features like end-to-end encryption, group chat, voice and video calls, file sharing, and more. Designed for businesses that require a high level of customization and data privacy, Rocket.Chat can be self-hosted, allowing companies to control their data and communication infrastructure. React Native enables code sharing across platforms, theme support, and tablet optimization. The latest focus is on privacy-first design, supporting LDAP sync and secure file sharing for enterprise clients.
With its extensive API and integration capabilities, Rocket.Chat can be easily customized to integrate with various popular third-party applications and services, streamlining team collaboration and productivity. Apart from text messages, its features include real-time video and audio conferencing, guest access for occasionally involved partners, customizable user roles, and permissions, as well as chatbot and AI support.
Summing up
React Native has demonstrated its effectiveness as a framework for building different chat apps. By addressing the unique needs of various user groups, such as gaming communities, developer collaboration, and privacy-focused communication, businesses can effectively capitalize on niche market demands to create tailor-made messaging solutions.
With all suggestions mentioned in the article based on our expertise within the field of chat app development, we aim to provide invaluable insights that will help you to withstand the competition. Following a chat app development process, incorporating essential features of successful chat apps, and being aware of potential challenges can become helpful steps in creating a high-quality, user-friendly chat application. And feel free to reach out if you'd like us by your side as your guide along the journey towards creating outstanding chat applications using React Native.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is React Native, and why is it used for building chat apps?
What are the key features of a chat app?
How long does it take to build a chat app with React Native?
What are the steps involved in building a chat app with React Native?
What backend technologies are commonly used with React Native chat apps?
How do you implement real-time messaging in a React Native chat app?
How can you ensure security in a React Native chat app?
What are the benefits of using React Native for chat app development?
What are some popular libraries used in React Native chat app development?
How do you handle multimedia sharing in a React Native chat app?
Multimedia sharing is handled by integrating libraries such as react-native-image-picker and using services like Firebase Storage or AWS S3 for secure file storage and retrieval.
What testing methods are recommended for a React Native chat app?
Can push notifications be integrated into a React Native chat app?
Yes, push notifications can be integrated using services like Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) or Apple Push Notification Service (APNs), along with libraries such as react-native-push-notification.
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