React Native Navigation Expo Plugin 🧭

Config plugin to auto configure react-native-navigation by Wix! This config changes internal source code of Expo SDK before prebuild, save your code before testing this lib to do not lose your progress.

Important: Expo Splash Screen usage

There are some limitations in Expo Splash Screen usage. See details below.

Install

Tested against Expo SDK 49 and SDK 50

yarn add rnn-expo-plugin react-native-navigation

Please make sure you also install expo-build-properties

After installing this npm package, add the config plugin to the plugins array of your app.json or app.config.js. Then rebuild your app using a custom development client, as described in the "Adding custom native code" guide.

You also need to add the packaging options pick-first for android.

Example

In your app.json plugins array:

{
  "plugins": [
      [
        "rnn-expo-plugin",
        {
          "setupAndroidSplash": true
        }
      ],
      [
        "expo-build-properties",
        {
          "android": {
            "kotlinVersion": "1.8.0",
            "packagingOptions": {
              "pickFirst": [
                "**/libc++_shared.so"
              ]
            }
          }
        }
      ]
  ]
}

Usage with Fabic and New Architecture (SDK 50)

Use following config (ap.json):

{
  "plugins": [
      "rnn-expo-plugin",
      [
        "expo-build-properties",
        {
          "ios": {
            "newArchEnabled": true
          },
          "android": {
            "kotlinVersion": "1.8.0",
            "newArchEnabled": true,
            "packagingOptions": {
              "pickFirst": [
                "**/libc++_shared.so",
                "**/libreact_utils.so"
              ]
            }
          }
        }
      ]
  ]
}

Expo Splash Screen usage

React Navigation (and Expo Router) renders your app in single Activity/UIViewController, that's why you could use preventAutoHideAsync() and hideAsync() functions. However, RNN uses native navigation approach (One screen - one Activity/Fragment/UIViewController), and after initialization it automatically hides SplashScreen activity, so preventAutoHideAsync() and hideAsync() functions becomes useless.

As a workaround, you could use this approach:

// index.js

// Register screens
Navigation.registerComponent('home', () => Home);
Navigation.registerComponent('splash', () => Splash);

// Telling RNN that we dont want to hide native splash before RN finishes initial render, this helps to remove white flashes/glitches
Navigation.setDefaultOptions({
  animations: {
      setRoot: {
          waitForRender: true
      }
  }
});

// Register splash as single "JS" screen, similar to 'preventAutoHideAsync'
Navigation.events().registerAppLaunchedListener(() => {
    Navigation.setRoot({
        root: {
          stack: {
            children: [
              {
                component: {
                  name: 'splash',
                  options: {
                    topBar: {
                      visible: false
                    }
                  }
                }
              }
            ]
          }
        }
    });
});

// Splash.tsx
// Changing navigation tree (similar to hideAsync())
function onLoadEnd() {
    Navigation.setRoot({
      root: {
        stack: {
          children: [
            {
              component: {
                name: 'home',
              },
            },
          ],
        },
      },
    });
}

export const Splash = () => {
  useEffect(() => {
    // Do some logic here, ex. check logged in state
    // ..
    // Trigger to navigation tree change
    onLoadEnd();
  }, []);

  return (
        <Image
            source={preloadedSplashImage}
            style={{
                width: '100%',
                height: '100%'
            }}
        />
  );
};

To remove white glitches on Android, pass this parameter to plugin config (app.json):

  [
    "rnn-expo-plugin",
    { "setupAndroidSplash": true }
  ]

Monorepos (Nx and other)

Due to 'common node_nodules' monorepo pattern, there are some troubles with linking library headers. If you use monorepo solution, specify path to RNNAppDelegate.h file in app.json, for example:

  [
    "rnn-expo-plugin",
    { "monorepoPathForDelegateHeader": "../../../ReactNativeNavigation/ReactNativeNavigation.framework/Headers/RNNAppDelegate.h" }
  ]

Will be removed in future versions and this process will be automated.

Build errors with M1 architectures for simulators

There have been errors building with M1 architectures for simulators on iOS, with Error:

No such module 'ExpoModulesCore' 

This plugin will NOT add the arm64 in Exlcuded_Archs, If you wish to add the above in configuration, you can add it with option:

  [
    "rnn-expo-plugin",
    { "excludeSimArch": true }
  ]