When I built my first React Native app, I had some prior web experience. Using React on iOS and Android felt like a natural way to apply my skills.
But I was suprised to learn, the hard way, that my web-developer-way-of-thinking didn't apply to native apps.
To understand why, let's start with the navigation layout. Each website has unique page primitives. The header at the top of the page, the sidebar menu, the footers – they're all hand-rolled.
You write a <header>
and all you get is an empty box. You then use your own JavaScript and CSS to make it useful.
The way these elements look and feel is part of your brand. If your header looks just like another website, something feels off.