# Why I Started Wrapping Everything in React Native?

🚀I’ve been working with React Native for about 4 years now, and one thing I’ve learned the hard way is this:  
Nothing stays permanent.

Libraries get deprecated.  
Best practices change.  
Things that were “recommended” last year suddenly feel wrong today.

At some point, I started asking myself:

> **Why am I fixing the same problem again and again, just because a library changed?**🤔

## **The Pattern I Kept Seeing**

Let’s be honest — React Native apps don’t die quickly.  
They live for years.

But during that time:

* FlatList starts struggling with performance
    
* FlashList shows up and becomes the new standard
    
* SafeAreaView from react-native is no longer enough
    
* We move to react-native-safe-area-context
    

And suddenly you’re touching **dozens of files** for what is essentially one **decision change**.

That’s when I realised —  
**The mistake was never the library choice; it was how tightly my app depended on it**.

## **The Simple Rule I Follow Now**

> * Never use core or third-party components directly across the app.
>     
> * Wrap them once. Own them.
>     

I started creating a **top layer of base components**.

**Example 1:** Lists (FlatList → FlashList)

**What I stopped doing**  
Using FlatList directly everywhere:

```plaintext
import { FlatList } from 'react-native';
```

Because I already know how this story ends.

**What I do instead:** AppFlatList

```plaintext
// AppFlatList.tsx
import React from 'react';
import { FlatList, FlatListProps } from 'react-native';

export function AppFlatList<T>(props: FlatListProps<T>) {
  return (
    <FlatList
      {...props}
      removeClippedSubviews
      windowSize={5}
      initialNumToRender={10}
    />
  );
}
```

Usage stays simple:

```plaintext
<AppFlatList
  data={data}
  renderItem={renderItem}
  keyExtractor={(item) => item.id}
/>
```

Now, when performance becomes an issue (and it will), I don’t panic.

**Later… switching to FlashList**

```plaintext
// AppFlatList.tsx
import { FlashList, FlashListProps } from '@shopify/flash-list';

export function AppFlatList<T>(props: FlashListProps<T>) {
  return <FlashList {...props} estimatedItemSize={60} />;
}
```

That’s it.

No screen changes.  
No refactor weekends.  
No stress.

**Example 2:** Base Component Deprecation (SafeAreaView)  
This one hit me multiple times.

Earlier we all used:

```plaintext
import { SafeAreaView } from 'react-native';
```

Later, we were told:

> “Use react-native-safe-area-context instead.”

Now imagine SafeAreaView used everywhere.

Painful, right?

```plaintext
// AppSafeAreaView.tsx
import React from 'react';
import { SafeAreaView } from 'react-native-safe-area-context';

export function AppSafeAreaView({ children, style }) {
  return (
    <SafeAreaView style={[{ flex: 1 }, style]}>
      {children}
    </SafeAreaView>
  );
}

```

Usage:

```plaintext
<AppSafeAreaView>
  <HomeScreen />
</AppSafeAreaView>

```

Now I don’t care:

* if API changes
    
* if padding logic changes
    
* if Android/iOS behavior differs later
    
* I’ve isolated it.
    

## **This Slowly Became My Default Style**

Now I do this for almost everything:

* AppText → font scaling, typography updates
    
* AppButton → design system changes
    
* AppInput → validation, focus handling
    
* AppImage → caching, placeholders
    
* AppPressable → analytics hooks later
    
* Every time I hesitate and think
    

> “Should I just use this directly?”

I remember how many times I’ve regretted that decision.

**Why This Matters (Real Talk)**  
React Native evolves fast.  
Your app doesn’t.

So either:

* You chase changes every year  
    or
    
* You design your app to absorb them calmly
    

Wrapping components doesn’t slow you down.  
Refactoring later does.

**Final Thought**  
This isn’t about over-engineering.  
It’s about respecting the fact that change is guaranteed.

> I don’t wrap components because I expect problems today.  
> I wrap them because I know future-me will be tired.

And honestly?  
Future-me deserves better.