Expo UI in SDK 55: Jetpack Compose now available for React Native apps
Article Summary
Kudo Chien, Nishan Bende, and Aleksander Mikucki from Expo just made it possible to use native SwiftUI and Jetpack Compose components directly in React Native apps. No JavaScript reimplementation required.
Expo UI in SDK 55 brings Jetpack Compose to beta and aligns SwiftUI APIs with Apple's conventions. The team validated the approach by building a complete WikiReader app clone using only Expo UI components, adding Material Design 3 components as needed.
Key Takeaways
- Jetpack Compose moves to beta with full Material Design 3 component support
- SwiftUI components renamed to match Apple conventions (DatePicker, Toggle, ProgressView)
- Modifier chains work consistently across both iOS and Android platforms
- AI tools generate accurate code because APIs follow native framework patterns
- Custom SwiftUI views and modifiers supported for missing components
React Native developers can now access native SwiftUI and Jetpack Compose components directly, getting new platform features immediately without waiting for JavaScript reimplementations.
About This Article
Expo UI's Jetpack Compose support was stuck in alpha. Nobody had tested it against a real, complete application, so it wasn't clear if it could handle production work. Key components were also missing.
The Expo team decided to build WikiReader, a full clone app using only Expo UI components. As they built the app, they added Material Design 3 components like Card, LazyColumn, ListItem, DockedSearchBar, and ModalBottomSheet whenever they needed them.
Jetpack Compose moved to beta with enough Material Design 3 components to support production applications. WikiReader proved the library could handle real-world usage patterns.