React Conf 2024 Recap: React, React Native, and More - Your FOMO Cure

If you missed React Conf 2024, I guess you could say you have two choices: watch hours of recorded streams or read this recap and pretend you were there. Spoiler alert: It was awesome. Over 700 people gathered in Henderson, Nevada, to discuss the latest in UI engineering and catch up on the newest React and React Native advancements. You know, just casual topics like React 19 RC, React Native New Architecture Beta, and even an experimental release of the React Compiler. No big deal, right?

Day 1: Kicking It Off with Meta & React 19

Meta CTO Andrew "Boz" Bosworth set the tone with a welcome message, but things really got going when Seth Webster (React Org lead) and the ever-so-charming Ashley Narcisse (MC/Chief Vibes Officer—yes, that's an actual title) took over. The real party started with Joe Savona, sharing React's grand vision: making it easier than ever to build user experiences that don’t suck. Bold ambition.

Lauren Tan then dropped some stats that made everyone look up from their phones: React was downloaded over 1 billion times in 2023, and 37% of new developers start with React. Honestly, React has become the Beyoncé of programming frameworks—everyone knows it, everyone uses it, and everyone acts like they discovered it first.

The talks that followed didn’t disappoint either:

• Vanilla React by Ryan Florence (because apparently, we needed to know what React without all the extras looks like).
• React Rhythm & Blues by Lee Robinson (someone, somewhere is still trying to figure out what that title means).
• RedwoodJS with React Server Components by Amy Dutton (Server Components are so hot right now).
• Universal React Server Components in Expo Router by Evan Bacon (Expo lovers, rejoice!).

The headliner? The React 19 RC announcement. Josh Story and Andrew Clark walked us through all the shiny new features, while Sam Selikoff and Lydia Hallie dived into the deep end with their own sessions on what makes React 19 special. (Hint: A lot of things.)

Day 2: React Native & the Future of Cross-Platform Awesomeness

Day 2 kicked off with Seth Webster again, making sure no one was still in a food coma from the night before. The real showstopper was Nicola Corti, who gave us the State of React Native—let’s just say, it’s alive and thriving with 78 million downloads in 2023. Want proof React Native is everywhere? Look no further than the Microsoft Start Menu, Meta apps, and yes, your beloved Facebook Marketplace product page.

Riccardo Cipolleschi took it up a notch by announcing that React Native’s New Architecture is officially in Beta. Basically, if you haven’t started migrating your app yet, this is your sign. (Or just wait another six months, it’s fine).

Expo users got their moment in the spotlight too, with Kadi Kraman sharing the latest features and improvements in Expo. Spoiler: starting with a framework like Expo for new apps is now the recommended way to go. If you’re one of those brave souls who still starts every app from scratch, well, good luck.

Community, Accessibility, and… Let’s Break Rules

As with any good conference, it wasn’t just keynotes and product demos. We also had talks covering accessibility (because no one wants to be that developer who ignores it), error reporting (you’ve got errors, we’ve got solutions), and even some rebellious thinking like Let’s Break React Rules by Charlotte Isambert. Because rules are, apparently, meant to be broken. Who knew?

The React Compiler: Open Source for the Brave

Probably the most anticipated (or feared) announcement: the React Compiler is now open source. If you're ready to dive into the bleeding edge of optimization, now’s your chance. Joe Savona, Sathya Gunasekaran, and Mofei Zhang unleashed an experimental version for all you adventurous folks who love to break things—by design, of course.

Thank You, Vibes Officer, Sponsors, and Everyone Else

A big thank you to all the speakers, staff, and especially Ashley Narcisse, our beloved Chief Vibes Officer, for keeping the energy high (and let’s be honest, getting the crowd to clap). Huge shout-out to the Westin Hotel for keeping everyone caffeinated and to the AV team for making sure we didn’t spend two days looking at a blank screen. And of course, thanks to sponsors like Remix, Amazon, and Expo—because let’s face it, without them, we'd all be attending this event from our living rooms in pajamas.

Final Thoughts: React Isn’t Just Code—It’s a Community

If there’s one thing React Conf 2024 proved, it’s that React is more than just a library—it’s a movement. A community that comes together to learn, innovate, and occasionally break a few rules along the way. Whether you’re building with React, React Native, or still stuck in your Angular days (sorry, not sorry), React Conf 2024 showed us that the future of UI engineering is here—and it’s React.

So, until next year, keep building, keep breaking rules, and for the love of JSX, don’t forget your useEffect.

Francesco Masciopinto