InteractionManager

InteractionManager is a core API for scheduling work after the current interactions are done. Its main method, runAfterInteractions, queues a callback that runs once any registered animations or touch handling have finished, so heavy work does not compete with them on the JavaScript thread.

useEffect(() => {
  const task = InteractionManager.runAfterInteractions(() => {
    loadHeavyChart();
  });
  return () => task.cancel();
}, []);

The classic use is a screen transition. The new screen mounts, its push animation plays, and only then does the expensive part render, such as a large list, a chart or a map. Without deferral, that work lands in the middle of the transition and causes visible jank.

How it decides what counts as an “interaction”:

• JS-driven Animated animations register an interaction handle while they run.
• You can register your own with createInteractionHandle() and release it with clearInteractionHandle().

The common misconception is that it waits for everything visual to finish. Animations that run natively, via the native driver or Reanimated, do not necessarily register a handle, so the callback can fire immediately while the transition is still on screen. A handle that is created and never cleared does the opposite: deferred work never runs at all, which looks like a screen that never finishes loading.

Treat it as a legacy tool. It predates the New Architecture and concurrent React, and recent guidance favours other approaches: React Navigation’s transition events, requestIdleCallback, startTransition for low-priority state updates, or simply making the expensive work cheaper. It still works, but check the React Native docs for its current status before building new code around it.