Senior React Native Developer Interview Questions: Complete Guide

import { useMemo, useCallback, useState } from 'react';

function ExpensiveComponent({ items, onItemClick }) {
  // useMemo - memoize expensive calculation
  const sortedItems = useMemo(() => {
    console.log('Sorting items...');
    return items.sort((a, b) => a.price - b.price);
  }, [items]); // Only recalculate when items change
  
  // useCallback - memoize function
  const handleClick = useCallback((id) => {
    console.log('Item clicked:', id);
    onItemClick(id);
  }, [onItemClick]); // Only recreate when onItemClick changes
  
  return (
    <FlatList
      data={sortedItems}
      renderItem={({ item }) => (
        <ItemRow item={item} onClick={handleClick} />
      )}
    />
  );
}

// Child component with React.memo
const ItemRow = React.memo(({ item, onClick }) => {
  console.log('Rendering item:', item.id);
  return (
    <TouchableOpacity onPress={() => onClick(item.id)}>
      <Text>{item.name}</Text>
    </TouchableOpacity>
  );
});

import { useRef, useEffect } from 'react';
import { TextInput, Animated } from 'react-native';

function FormComponent() {
  const inputRef = useRef(null);
  const previousValue = useRef('');
  const animatedValue = useRef(new Animated.Value(0)).current;
  
  useEffect(() => {
    // Focus input on mount
    inputRef.current?.focus();
  }, []);
  
  const handleChange = (text) => {
    console.log('Previous:', previousValue.current);
    console.log('Current:', text);
    previousValue.current = text;
  };
  
  const startAnimation = () => {
    Animated.timing(animatedValue, {
      toValue: 1,
      duration: 300,
      useNativeDriver: true,
    }).start();
  };
  
  return (
    <View>
      <TextInput ref={inputRef} onChangeText={handleChange} />
      <Animated.View style={{ opacity: animatedValue }}>
        <Text>Animated Content</Text>
      </Animated.View>
    </View>
  );
}

// Timer example
function Timer() {
  const intervalRef = useRef(null);
  const [count, setCount] = useState(0);
  
  useEffect(() => {
    intervalRef.current = setInterval(() => {
      setCount(c => c + 1);
    }, 1000);
    
    return () => clearInterval(intervalRef.current);
  }, []);
  
  return <Text>{count}</Text>;
}

// Custom hook for API fetching
function useFetch(url) {
  const [data, setData] = useState(null);
  const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true);
  const [error, setError] = useState(null);
  
  useEffect(() => {
    const fetchData = async () => {
      try {
        const response = await fetch(url);
        const json = await response.json();
        setData(json);
      } catch (err) {
        setError(err.message);
      } finally {
        setLoading(false);
      }
    };
    
    fetchData();
  }, [url]);
  
  return { data, loading, error };
}

// Custom hook for form handling
function useForm(initialValues) {
  const [values, setValues] = useState(initialValues);
  const [errors, setErrors] = useState({});
  
  const handleChange = (name, value) => {
    setValues(prev => ({ ...prev, [name]: value }));
  };
  
  const validate = (validationRules) => {
    const newErrors = {};
    Object.keys(validationRules).forEach(field => {
      const rule = validationRules[field];
      if (rule.required && !values[field]) {
        newErrors[field] = `${field} is required`;
      }
    });
    setErrors(newErrors);
    return Object.keys(newErrors).length === 0;
  };
  
  return { values, errors, handleChange, validate };
}

// Usage
function UserProfile() {
  const { data, loading, error } = useFetch('https://api.example.com/user');
  const { values, errors, handleChange, validate } = useForm({
    name: '',
    email: '',
  });
  
  if (loading) return <ActivityIndicator />;
  if (error) return <Text>Error: {error}</Text>;
  
  return <Text>{data.name}</Text>;
}

import { createContext, useContext, useState } from 'react';

// Create context
const ThemeContext = createContext();
const AuthContext = createContext();

// Theme Provider
function ThemeProvider({ children }) {
  const [theme, setTheme] = useState('light');
  
  const toggleTheme = () => {
    setTheme(prev => prev === 'light' ? 'dark' : 'light');
  };
  
  return (
    <ThemeContext.Provider value={{ theme, toggleTheme }}>
      {children}
    </ThemeContext.Provider>
  );
}

// Auth Provider
function AuthProvider({ children }) {
  const [user, setUser] = useState(null);
  
  const login = async (credentials) => {
    const user = await loginAPI(credentials);
    setUser(user);
  };
  
  const logout = () => {
    setUser(null);
  };
  
  return (
    <AuthContext.Provider value={{ user, login, logout }}>
      {children}
    </AuthContext.Provider>
  );
}

// Custom hooks for context
function useTheme() {
  const context = useContext(ThemeContext);
  if (!context) {
    throw new Error('useTheme must be used within ThemeProvider');
  }
  return context;
}

function useAuth() {
  return useContext(AuthContext);
}

// Usage
function App() {
  return (
    <ThemeProvider>
      <AuthProvider>
        <MainApp />
      </AuthProvider>
    </ThemeProvider>
  );
}

function ThemedButton() {
  const { theme, toggleTheme } = useTheme();
  const { user } = useAuth();
  
  return (
    <TouchableOpacity
      style={{ backgroundColor: theme === 'light' ? '#fff' : '#333' }}
      onPress={toggleTheme}
    >
      <Text>{user ? `Hello, ${user.name}` : 'Guest'}</Text>
    </TouchableOpacity>
  );
}

import { useEffect, useLayoutEffect, useRef, useState } from 'react';

function MeasureComponent() {
  const [height, setHeight] = useState(0);
  const elementRef = useRef(null);
  
  // useLayoutEffect - measure before paint
  useLayoutEffect(() => {
    if (elementRef.current) {
      const { height } = elementRef.current.measure((x, y, width, height) => {
        setHeight(height);
      });
    }
  }, []);
  
  // useEffect - after paint
  useEffect(() => {
    console.log('Component rendered');
  }, []);
  
  return (
    <View ref={elementRef}>
      <Text>Height: {height}</Text>
    </View>
  );
}

// Action types
const ADD_TODO = 'ADD_TODO';
const TOGGLE_TODO = 'TOGGLE_TODO';

// Action creators
const addTodo = (text) => ({
  type: ADD_TODO,
  payload: { id: Date.now(), text, completed: false },
});

const toggleTodo = (id) => ({
  type: TOGGLE_TODO,
  payload: id,
});

// Reducer
const todosReducer = (state = [], action) => {
  switch (action.type) {
    case ADD_TODO:
      return [...state, action.payload];
    case TOGGLE_TODO:
      return state.map(todo =>
        todo.id === action.payload
          ? { ...todo, completed: !todo.completed }
          : todo
      );
    default:
      return state;
  }
};

// Store
import { createStore } from 'redux';
const store = createStore(todosReducer);

// React Native component
import { useSelector, useDispatch } from 'react-redux';

function TodoList() {
  const todos = useSelector(state => state.todos);
  const dispatch = useDispatch();
  
  return (
    <View>
      <FlatList
        data={todos}
        renderItem={({ item }) => (
          <TouchableOpacity onPress={() => dispatch(toggleTodo(item.id))}>
            <Text style={{ textDecorationLine: item.completed ? 'line-through' : 'none' }}>
              {item.text}
            </Text>
          </TouchableOpacity>
        )}
      />
      <Button title="Add" onPress={() => dispatch(addTodo('New Task'))} />
    </View>
  );
}

import { createSlice, configureStore } from '@reduxjs/toolkit';

// Slice (combines actions and reducer)
const todosSlice = createSlice({
  name: 'todos',
  initialState: [],
  reducers: {
    addTodo: (state, action) => {
      // Immer allows "mutating" code
      state.push({
        id: Date.now(),
        text: action.payload,
        completed: false,
      });
    },
    toggleTodo: (state, action) => {
      const todo = state.find(t => t.id === action.payload);
      if (todo) {
        todo.completed = !todo.completed;
      }
    },
  },
});

export const { addTodo, toggleTodo } = todosSlice.actions;

// Store
const store = configureStore({
  reducer: {
    todos: todosSlice.reducer,
  },
});

// Async thunk
import { createAsyncThunk } from '@reduxjs/toolkit';

export const fetchTodos = createAsyncThunk(
  'todos/fetchTodos',
  async () => {
    const response = await fetch('https://api.example.com/todos');
    return response.json();
  }
);

const todosSlice = createSlice({
  name: 'todos',
  initialState: { items: [], loading: false, error: null },
  reducers: {},
  extraReducers: (builder) => {
    builder
      .addCase(fetchTodos.pending, (state) => {
        state.loading = true;
      })
      .addCase(fetchTodos.fulfilled, (state, action) => {
        state.loading = false;
        state.items = action.payload;
      })
      .addCase(fetchTodos.rejected, (state, action) => {
        state.loading = false;
        state.error = action.error.message;
      });
  },
});

// Zustand example
import create from 'zustand';

const useStore = create((set) => ({
  todos: [],
  addTodo: (text) => set((state) => ({
    todos: [...state.todos, { id: Date.now(), text, completed: false }],
  })),
  toggleTodo: (id) => set((state) => ({
    todos: state.todos.map(todo =>
      todo.id === id ? { ...todo, completed: !todo.completed } : todo
    ),
  })),
}));

// Usage
function TodoList() {
  const { todos, addTodo, toggleTodo } = useStore();
  
  return (
    <View>
      <FlatList
        data={todos}
        renderItem={({ item }) => (
          <TouchableOpacity onPress={() => toggleTodo(item.id)}>
            <Text>{item.text}</Text>
          </TouchableOpacity>
        )}
      />
    </View>
  );
}

// Redux Thunk
const fetchUser = (userId) => async (dispatch) => {
  dispatch({ type: 'FETCH_USER_REQUEST' });
  
  try {
    const response = await fetch(`https://api.example.com/users/${userId}`);
    const user = await response.json();
    dispatch({ type: 'FETCH_USER_SUCCESS', payload: user });
  } catch (error) {
    dispatch({ type: 'FETCH_USER_FAILURE', payload: error.message });
  }
};

// Usage
dispatch(fetchUser(123));

// Redux Saga
import { call, put, takeEvery } from 'redux-saga/effects';

function* fetchUserSaga(action) {
  try {
    const user = yield call(fetch, `https://api.example.com/users/${action.payload}`);
    const data = yield call([user, 'json']);
    yield put({ type: 'FETCH_USER_SUCCESS', payload: data });
  } catch (error) {
    yield put({ type: 'FETCH_USER_FAILURE', payload: error.message });
  }
}

function* watchFetchUser() {
  yield takeEvery('FETCH_USER_REQUEST', fetchUserSaga);
}

import React, { memo, useCallback } from 'react';

const ITEM_HEIGHT = 80;

// Memoized item component
const ListItem = memo(({ item, onPress }) => {
  return (
    <TouchableOpacity onPress={() => onPress(item.id)} style={{ height: ITEM_HEIGHT }}>
      <Text>{item.name}</Text>
    </TouchableOpacity>
  );
});

function OptimizedList({ data }) {
  const handlePress = useCallback((id) => {
    console.log('Pressed:', id);
  }, []);
  
  const renderItem = useCallback(({ item }) => (
    <ListItem item={item} onPress={handlePress} />
  ), [handlePress]);
  
  const keyExtractor = useCallback((item) => item.id.toString(), []);
  
  const getItemLayout = useCallback((data, index) => ({
    length: ITEM_HEIGHT,
    offset: ITEM_HEIGHT * index,
    index,
  }), []);
  
  return (
    <FlatList
      data={data}
      renderItem={renderItem}
      keyExtractor={keyExtractor}
      getItemLayout={getItemLayout}
      removeClippedSubviews={true}
      maxToRenderPerBatch={10}
      updateCellsBatchingPeriod={50}
      initialNumToRender={10}
      windowSize={5}
    />
  );
}

// Bad - frequent bridge crossings
const BadAnimation = () => {
  const [position, setPosition] = useState(0);
  
  useEffect(() => {
    const interval = setInterval(() => {
      setPosition(p => p + 1); // Bridge crossing every frame!
    }, 16);
    return () => clearInterval(interval);
  }, []);
  
  return <View style={{ transform: [{ translateX: position }] }} />;
};

// Good - native animation (no bridge)
const GoodAnimation = () => {
  const translateX = useRef(new Animated.Value(0)).current;
  
  useEffect(() => {
    Animated.timing(translateX, {
      toValue: 100,
      duration: 1000,
      useNativeDriver: true, // Runs on native thread!
    }).start();
  }, []);
  
  return <Animated.View style={{ transform: [{ translateX }] }} />;
};

// Bad - creates new object every render
function BadComponent() {
  return <ChildComponent style={{ margin: 10 }} />; // New object!
}

// Good - stable reference
const styles = StyleSheet.create({
  container: { margin: 10 },
});

function GoodComponent() {
  return <ChildComponent style={styles.container} />;
}

// React.memo with custom comparison
const ExpensiveComponent = React.memo(
  ({ data, onPress }) => {
    console.log('Rendering ExpensiveComponent');
    return (
      <View>
        <Text>{data.name}</Text>
        <Button onPress={onPress} />
      </View>
    );
  },
  (prevProps, nextProps) => {
    // Custom comparison - only re-render if data.id changed
    return prevProps.data.id === nextProps.data.id;
  }
);

// Split components to isolate re-renders
function ParentComponent() {
  const [count, setCount] = useState(0);
  const [text, setText] = useState('');
  
  return (
    <View>
      {/* Only re-renders when count changes */}
      <CountDisplay count={count} />
      
      {/* Only re-renders when text changes */}
      <TextDisplay text={text} />
      
      <Button onPress={() => setCount(c => c + 1)} />
    </View>
  );
}

const CountDisplay = React.memo(({ count }) => <Text>{count}</Text>);
const TextDisplay = React.memo(({ text }) => <Text>{text}</Text>);

import FastImage from 'react-native-fast-image';

function OptimizedImage({ uri }) {
  return (
    <FastImage
      source={{
        uri,
        priority: FastImage.priority.normal,
        cache: FastImage.cacheControl.immutable,
      }}
      resizeMode={FastImage.resizeMode.cover}
      style={{ width: 200, height: 200 }}
    />
  );
}

// Progressive image loading
function ProgressiveImage({ thumbnailUri, fullUri }) {
  const [imageLoaded, setImageLoaded] = useState(false);
  
  return (
    <View>
      <Image
        source={{ uri: thumbnailUri }}
        style={styles.image}
        blurRadius={imageLoaded ? 0 : 5}
      />
      <Image
        source={{ uri: fullUri }}
        style={[styles.image, { opacity: imageLoaded ? 1 : 0 }]}
        onLoad={() => setImageLoaded(true)}
      />
    </View>
  );
}

// Image prefetching
import { Image } from 'react-native';

const prefetchImages = async (urls) => {
  const promises = urls.map(url => Image.prefetch(url));
  await Promise.all(promises);
};

// Enable performance monitor in dev
import { LogBox } from 'react-native';

if (__DEV__) {
  // Show performance monitor
  require('react-native').unstable_enableLogBox();
}

// Measure component render time
import { Profiler } from 'react';

function onRenderCallback(
  id,
  phase,
  actualDuration,
  baseDuration,
  startTime,
  commitTime
) {
  console.log(`${id} (${phase}) took ${actualDuration}ms`);
}

function App() {
  return (
    <Profiler id="App" onRender={onRenderCallback}>
      <MyComponent />
    </Profiler>
  );
}

// Custom performance tracking
const measurePerformance = (name, fn) => {
  const start = performance.now();
  const result = fn();
  const end = performance.now();
  console.log(`${name} took ${end - start}ms`);
  return result;
};

// iOS (Objective-C) - CalendarManager.m
#import "CalendarManager.h"
#import <React/RCTLog.h>

@implementation CalendarManager

RCT_EXPORT_MODULE();

RCT_EXPORT_METHOD(addEvent:(NSString *)name location:(NSString *)location)
{
  RCTLogInfo(@"Creating event %@ at %@", name, location);
}

@end

// Android (Java) - CalendarModule.java
package com.myapp;

import com.facebook.react.bridge.ReactApplicationContext;
import com.facebook.react.bridge.ReactContextBaseJavaModule;
import com.facebook.react.bridge.ReactMethod;

public class CalendarModule extends ReactContextBaseJavaModule {
  CalendarModule(ReactApplicationContext context) {
    super(context);
  }

  @Override
  public String getName() {
    return "CalendarManager";
  }

  @ReactMethod
  public void addEvent(String name, String location) {
    Log.d("CalendarModule", "Creating event " + name + " at " + location);
  }
}

// JavaScript usage
import { NativeModules } from 'react-native';

const { CalendarManager } = NativeModules;

function MyComponent() {
  const createEvent = () => {
    CalendarManager.addEvent('Meeting', 'Office');
  };
  
  return <Button title="Create Event" onPress={createEvent} />;
}

import { Platform } from 'react-native';

// Platform module
const styles = StyleSheet.create({
  container: {
    paddingTop: Platform.OS === 'ios' ? 20 : 0,
  },
});

// Platform.select
const styles = StyleSheet.create({
  container: {
    ...Platform.select({
      ios: {
        shadowColor: '#000',
        shadowOffset: { width: 0, height: 2 },
        shadowOpacity: 0.3,
      },
      android: {
        elevation: 4,
      },
    }),
  },
});

// Platform-specific files
// Button.ios.js
export default function Button() {
  return <Text>iOS Button</Text>;
}

// Button.android.js
export default function Button() {
  return <Text>Android Button</Text>;
}

// Usage - automatically picks correct file
import Button from './Button';

// Platform version check
if (Platform.Version >= 21) {
  // Android API 21+
}

import { Linking } from 'react-native';
import { NavigationContainer } from '@react-navigation/native';

// Configure deep linking
const linking = {
  prefixes: ['myapp://', 'https://myapp.com'],
  config: {
    screens: {
      Home: 'home',
      Profile: 'profile/:id',
      Settings: 'settings',
    },
  },
};

function App() {
  return (
    <NavigationContainer linking={linking}>
      <Stack.Navigator>
        <Stack.Screen name="Home" component={HomeScreen} />
        <Stack.Screen name="Profile" component={ProfileScreen} />
      </Stack.Navigator>
    </NavigationContainer>
  );
}

// Handle incoming links
useEffect(() => {
  const handleUrl = ({ url }) => {
    console.log('Opened with URL:', url);
    // myapp://profile/123
  };
  
  // App opened from link
  Linking.getInitialURL().then(url => {
    if (url) handleUrl({ url });
  });
  
  // App already open, new link
  const subscription = Linking.addEventListener('url', handleUrl);
  
  return () => subscription.remove();
}, []);

// Open URL programmatically
const openURL = async (url) => {
  const supported = await Linking.canOpenURL(url);
  if (supported) {
    await Linking.openURL(url);
  }
};

import { render, fireEvent, waitFor } from '@testing-library/react-native';
import Counter from './Counter';

describe('Counter', () => {
  it('renders initial count', () => {
    const { getByText } = render(<Counter />);
    expect(getByText('Count: 0')).toBeTruthy();
  });
  
  it('increments count when button pressed', () => {
    const { getByText, getByTestId } = render(<Counter />);
    const button = getByTestId('increment-button');
    
    fireEvent.press(button);
    
    expect(getByText('Count: 1')).toBeTruthy();
  });
  
  it('fetches user data', async () => {
    const mockFetch = jest.fn(() =>
      Promise.resolve({
        json: () => Promise.resolve({ name: 'John' }),
      })
    );
    global.fetch = mockFetch;
    
    const { getByText } = render(<UserProfile userId={1} />);
    
    await waitFor(() => {
      expect(getByText('John')).toBeTruthy();
    });
    
    expect(mockFetch).toHaveBeenCalledWith('https://api.example.com/users/1');
  });
});

// Component with testID
function Counter() {
  const [count, setCount] = useState(0);
  
  return (
    <View>
      <Text>Count: {count}</Text>
      <Button
        testID="increment-button"
        title="Increment"
        onPress={() => setCount(c => c + 1)}
      />
    </View>
  );
}

import todosReducer, { addTodo, toggleTodo } from './todosSlice';

describe('todos reducer', () => {
  it('should handle initial state', () => {
    expect(todosReducer(undefined, { type: 'unknown' })).toEqual([]);
  });
  
  it('should handle addTodo', () => {
    const actual = todosReducer([], addTodo('Learn Redux'));
    expect(actual[0].text).toEqual('Learn Redux');
    expect(actual[0].completed).toEqual(false);
  });
  
  it('should handle toggleTodo', () => {
    const previousState = [{ id: 1, text: 'Test', completed: false }];
    const actual = todosReducer(previousState, toggleTodo(1));
    expect(actual[0].completed).toEqual(true);
  });
});

// Testing connected component
import { Provider } from 'react-redux';
import { configureStore } from '@reduxjs/toolkit';

function renderWithRedux(component, initialState) {
  const store = configureStore({
    reducer: { todos: todosReducer },
    preloadedState: initialState,
  });
  
  return {
    ...render(<Provider store={store}>{component}</Provider>),
    store,
  };
}

test('displays todos from store', () => {
  const { getByText } = renderWithRedux(<TodoList />, {
    todos: [{ id: 1, text: 'Test Todo', completed: false }],
  });
  
  expect(getByText('Test Todo')).toBeTruthy();
});

// Detox test
describe('Login Flow', () => {
  beforeAll(async () => {
    await device.launchApp();
  });
  
  it('should login successfully', async () => {
    await element(by.id('email-input')).typeText('[email protected]');
    await element(by.id('password-input')).typeText('password123');
    await element(by.id('login-button')).tap();
    
    await waitFor(element(by.text('Welcome')))
      .toBeVisible()
      .withTimeout(5000);
  });
  
  it('should show error for invalid credentials', async () => {
    await element(by.id('email-input')).typeText('[email protected]');
    await element(by.id('password-input')).typeText('wrong');
    await element(by.id('login-button')).tap();
    
    await expect(element(by.text('Invalid credentials'))).toBeVisible();
  });
});