Building Reusable Components in React Native: Best Practices

Reusable components are the building blocks of scalable and maintainable React Native apps. If you find yourself copy-pasting UI code between screens — it’s time to refactor. Creating clean, reusable components not only saves time but also improves consistency and reduces bugs.

In this post, we’ll go over best practices for building reusable components in React Native — with code examples and pro tips to follow in 2025.

🔁 Why Reusable Components Matter

🧼 Cleaner codebase
📦 Easier to test and maintain
🎨 Consistent design across screens
🚀 Faster development and prototyping

🧱 Start with Atomic Design Principles

Follow this basic hierarchy when breaking your UI into components:

Atoms – Buttons, Inputs, Text
Molecules – Input with Label, Card with Image
Organisms – Forms, Lists, Complex Layouts

“If a component is used more than once, make it reusable.”

✅ Best Practices

1. Keep Components Pure

Make them stateless unless absolutely necessary. Accept props and avoid internal side effects.

const PrimaryButton = ({ title, onPress }) => (
  
    {title}
  
);

2. Use Prop Types or TypeScript

Strong typing improves DX and avoids bugs.

type PrimaryButtonProps = {
  title: string;
  onPress: () => void;
};

const PrimaryButton = ({ title, onPress }: PrimaryButtonProps) => (
  // ...
);

🔗 New to TypeScript in React Native? Check our guide: TypeScript vs JavaScript: Key Differences You Should Know

3. Style with Flexibility

Allow style overrides via style props.

const Avatar = ({ uri, size = 40, style }) => (
  
);

4. Don’t Mix Layout and Logic

Keep logic in containers or hooks, and UI in components.

// ✅ Better separation
const useUser = () => {
  const [user, setUser] = useState(null);
  // Fetch user logic here...
  return user;
};

const UserCard = ({ user }) => (
  {user.name}
);

5. Use a Central UI Kit or Directory

Create a /components or /ui folder and group by category.

/components
  /Button
    index.tsx
    styles.ts
  /Avatar
  /InputField

6. Document with Stories or Examples

If you use Storybook or a design system, show usage cases:

// Storybook example
 {}} />

⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

Hardcoding styles or layout sizes
Repeating component logic across screens
Overusing context in shared components
Ignoring accessibility (labels, roles)

🧠 Final Thought

Building reusable components in React Native is all about clarity, consistency, and modularity. Whether you’re building a simple button or an entire form, investing in reusability pays off as your app grows.