Introduction
nativecn is shadcn for Expo apps: Components you copy into your app and own, built so AI agents can build and verify whole mobile apps.
Installation
Create a new Expo app with nativecn, or add nativecn to an existing one.
components.json
The project file that records your Preset, Structure, aliases and agents.
CLI
Every nativecn-cli command and flag: init, create, add, agents and mcp.
Changelog
What changed in each nativecn release.
Theming
Tokens, Colour Roles, Scale, Scheme, createStyles and fonts.
Presets & Styles
Style, Base Colour, Accent Colour, Radius and fonts: chosen once, baked into your code.
Folder structure
Flat and feature Structures, Destinations and the placement rule.
AI agents
Rules, Skills, the nativecn MCP server, the Plugin and the Visual QA Loop.
Alert
Alert, AlertTitle and AlertDescription: an inline message with Variants (default, destructive, success, warning, info), each with a default icon.
Avatar
Round user image (expo-image) with fallback initials, in sizes sm, md and lg.
Badge
Small status label with Variants default, secondary, outline, destructive, success and warning.
Button
Button with Variants (primary, secondary, outline, ghost, destructive, link), Sizes, an icon slot, loading and status; icon-only requires aria-label.
Card
Card surface with CardHeader, CardTitle, CardDescription, CardContent and CardFooter; onPress makes the whole card pressable.
Checkbox
Checkbox with an optional label, controlled or uncontrolled, an indeterminate (mixed) state and a haptic tick.
Chip
Chip (plain, toggle or removable, with an optional icon) and ChipGroup (single or multiple choice on the SelectionGroup Primitive), with a haptic tick.
Container
Wraps a Screen: safe-area edges, scrolling, keyboard avoidance, Token padding and a max content width.
Drawer
Drawer panel content for Expo Router's drawer (expo-router/drawer): DrawerContent, DrawerHeader, DrawerSection, DrawerItem (label, icon, href, badge; active from the current route) and DrawerFooter.
Empty State
What a Screen or list shows when there is nothing to show yet: an icon, a title, a description and an action.
FormField
Lays out a control with its Label, description and error, and links them for screen readers ("Email, text field, Enter a valid email").
Icon
Every glyph: a Lucide icon at a Token size in a Colour Role, decorative unless labelled.
Input
Single-line text field with Sizes, a leading icon, error/success status, a focus ring and an automatic Show/Hide password toggle.
InputOTP
One-time code field: one hidden input drives N cells; numeric keyboard, SMS/Keychain autofill, paste, onComplete, error/success status and secure.
Label
A field's visible label in the label type Variant, with a required marker read as "required".
List
Settings-style rows: ListSection, ListSectionHeader, ListSectionFooter and ListItem (title, description, icon, trailing, chevron, destructive, onPress); FlashList-safe.
Progress
A horizontal progress bar: a value 0–100 that animates, or indeterminate; role progressbar with its value.
RadioGroup
RadioGroup and RadioGroupItem: a single choice from a list on the SelectionGroup Primitive, vertical or horizontal, with a haptic tick.
SchemeSwitcher
Theme switcher / dark mode toggle: System, Light and Dark as SegmentedTabs, or one icon button cycling through them. Calls setScheme, which persists the choice.
SearchField
Search box with a search icon, an automatic clear (×) button, a loading spinner and onSubmit from the keyboard's Search key.
SegmentedTabs
In-screen tabs (not navigation): segmented or underline Variants, an animated indicator, and only the selected tab's content rendered.
Separator
A hairline divider, horizontal or vertical, decorative by default.
Skeleton
A placeholder shape shown while content loads; pulses unless Reduce Motion is on, hidden from screen readers.
Slider
Pick a number in a range by dragging or tapping (Gesture Handler + Reanimated), snapped to steps with a haptic tick; adjustable for screen readers.
Spinner
An indeterminate loading indicator in a Colour Role, announced as busy; still under Reduce Motion.
Switch
A themed on/off Switch, identical on iOS and Android, with an optional label, a thumb that slides (instant under Reduce Motion) and a haptic tick.
TabNavigation
The bottom tab bar: the custom tabBar of an Expo Router JS Tabs Layout, with classic and floating Variants, per-tab icons and badges from Tabs.Screen options.
Text
All text: the type ramp as Variants, text Colour Roles, alignment and the font-scaling switch.
Textarea
Multi-line text field that grows from minRows to maxRows, with a character counter when maxLength is set.
Toast
Sonner-style Toasts: a <Toaster /> in the root Layout and toast(), toast.success/error/info/warning/dismiss. At most 3 stacked, 4s auto-dismiss, swipe away, announced, above native modals.
Profile header + grouped sections
Drawer panel with a profile header (avatar, name, email, plan Badge), labelled sections (Main, Workspace, Support) and Log out pinned in the footer.
SaaS workspace
Drawer panel for a SaaS workspace: logo and name with a close button, an Accent Colour onboarding item with a 5 Steps Badge, main items, a bottom group (Notifications with a count, Settings, Docs, Help) and a footer with a team switcher and the user's avatar.
Cover header
Drawer panel with a dark cover (large avatar, name, View profile, a bell with a count, an overflow button and a round + action), icon items active in Accent Colour text, a divider and text-only secondary items.
Classic centred
A centred sign-in Screen: logo, email and password, Forgot password, an "or" divider, then Apple and Google, and a Sign up link.
Social-first hero
A social-first sign-in Screen: a dark brand hero (logo, headline, subtitle, centred) above a panel where Apple and Google lead and "Continue with email" reveals the email form.
Email-first, two steps
An email-first sign-in Screen in two steps: the email, then the password, with "Email me a code instead" switching to a 6-digit code (InputOTP). Lucide chevron-left Back buttons.
Classic single form
A classic sign-up Screen on one scroll: Apple and Google on top, "or", then name, email and password, a terms Checkbox with Terms and Privacy Policy links, Create account, and a Sign in link.
Step-by-step wizard
A sign-up wizard, one question per step under a Progress bar: email, name, password, then a 6-digit code (InputOTP). Lucide chevron-left Back buttons; the Continue button rides above the keyboard.
Social-first + verify
A brand-led, passwordless sign-up Screen: the logo and headline centred above Apple and Google; "Sign up with email" reveals the email field, and Send code moves on to a 6-digit code (InputOTP).
announce
Reliable screen-reader announcements on iOS and Android (Button and Input status, Toast, error, success and warning Alerts).
FocusChain
Automatic Next/Done between fields in on-screen order; Done submits the form.
FormField context
Links a field to its label, description and error for screen readers; passes status, disabled and required down.
Keyboard
KeyboardProvider setup, a scroll view that keeps the focused field above the keyboard, and a footer that keeps a form's main button above it.
Portal
Renders content above every Screen (above native modals on iOS), layered and safe-area aware.
Pressable
Pressed look from a Style Slot, tap area extended to 48, no handlers while disabled or loading, optional haptics, role and aria-* states.
SelectionGroup
Single or multiple choice within a group, with radio, tab or checkbox roles and selected states.
useControllableState
One implementation of controlled and uncontrolled values for form controls.
useMotion
Enter/exit animations and timing/spring configs from the motion Tokens; instant when Reduce Motion is on.
Theme
Tokens, Scale, Colour Roles, ThemeProvider, createStyles and the navigation theme.
