Refs
Also called useRef, Reference
- Part of
- React Native Glossary
- Also known as
- useRef, Reference
- Updated
What is Refs in React Native?
A ref is an escape hatch that holds a mutable value or points at a native component instance, letting you call imperative methods without triggering a re-render.
A ref is a container for a value that survives re-renders but does not cause one. It has two everyday uses in React Native.
Reaching a component imperatively. Attach a ref to a core component and you can call its methods:
const inputRef = useRef(null);
<TextInput ref={inputRef} />;
// later
inputRef.current?.focus();
That is the supported way to focus a field, scroll a list to an offset, or measure a view — actions that have no declarative equivalent.
Storing mutable data. A timer id, a previous value, or a "has this already fired" flag belongs in useRef rather than useState, precisely because writing to it should not re-render.
The guidance is to reach for refs sparingly: if a value affects what the user sees, it should be state, not a ref. See referencing values with refs.