Fast Refresh
Also called Hot reload, Live reload
- Part of
- React Native Glossary
- Also known as
- Hot reload, Live reload
- Mentioned in
- Dev MenuDevelopment BuildMetro
- Updated
What is Fast Refresh in React Native?
Fast Refresh reloads edited React components in a running app within a second, preserving component state where it safely can.
Fast Refresh is React Native's hot-reloading system. Save a file and Metro pushes just that module to the running app, which re-renders in well under a second — no rebuild, no navigating back to the screen you were testing.
It is state-aware, which is the part that saves real time:
- Editing a component that only renders JSX → state is preserved, so you keep your form input and scroll position
- Editing a hook or a non-component export → the module is re-run, so state resets
- A syntax or runtime error → a red screen appears, and fixing the file recovers automatically
Fast Refresh replaced the older Hot Reloading and Live Reload toggles in React Native 0.61 and is on by default; you can disable it from the dev menu.
What it does not cover is anything outside the JavaScript bundle. Installing a native module, changing app config, or upgrading React Native needs a full rebuild.
If refresh stops applying, reload from the dev menu or restart Metro with --clear.