React Native applications face unique state management challenges compared to web applications. Offline functionality, slower devices, and mobile-specific patterns like background state require different approaches. Choosing appropriate state management—local state, context, Redux, or newer solutions—significantly impacts application performance and developer experience.
State Management Options
Different state types benefit from different management approaches. Local component state suits UI-specific concerns. Context provides shared state without prop drilling. Redux offers predictable state updates for complex applications. React Query and similar libraries specialize in server state management. Selecting the right tool for each state type creates maintainable, performant applications.
- Use local state for UI concerns that don't need sharing across components
- Apply Context for app-wide concerns like theme, auth, and feature flags
- Consider Redux Toolkit for complex state requiring time-travel debugging
- Use React Query or SWR for server state with caching and automatic refetching
- Implement persistent state using AsyncStorage for offline functionality
Performance Considerations
Mobile devices have limited processing power compared to modern computers. Unnecessary re-renders drain battery and reduce responsiveness. Memoization prevents expensive computations on every render. Selective re-rendering limits updates to affected components. Virtual lists handle large datasets efficiently. Performance profiling identifies bottlenecks requiring optimization.
Offline Capability
Mobile applications must gracefully handle connectivity loss. Optimistic updates improve perceived performance. Queueing mechanisms persist operations until connectivity returns. Conflict resolution handles simultaneous offline changes from multiple devices. State persistence ensures users don't lose progress during app restarts. These patterns create robust offline experiences.