Native Tabs

Native tabs provide platform-native bottom tab navigation using iOS UITabBar and Android Material BottomNavigation components via react-native-screens.

Native tabs are currently in preview. The API may change. Use expo-router/unstable-native-tabs.

Installation

Ensure you have the required dependencies:

npx expo install react-native-screens

Basic Native Tabs

Import from the unstable package:

app/(tabs)/_layout.tsx

import { NativeTabs } from 'expo-router/unstable-native-tabs';

export default function TabLayout() {
  return (
    <NativeTabs>
      <NativeTabs.Trigger name="home" />
      <NativeTabs.Trigger name="explore" />
      <NativeTabs.Trigger name="profile" />
    </NativeTabs>
  );
}

From the source (NativeTabs.tsx:9-36):

/**
 * The component used to create native tabs layout.
 *
 * @example
 * import { NativeTabs } from 'expo-router/unstable-native-tabs';
 *
 * export default function Layout() {
 *   return (
 *     <NativeTabs>
 *       <NativeTabs.Trigger name="home" />
 *       <NativeTabs.Trigger name="settings" />
 *     </NativeTabs>
 *   );
 * }
 */
export const NativeTabs = Object.assign(
  (props: NativeTabsProps) => {
    return <NativeTabsNavigatorWrapper {...props} />;
  },
  { Trigger: NativeTabTrigger, BottomAccessory }
);

From CLAUDE.md:241-253:

### Native Tabs

Native tabs provide native bottom tab navigation using iOS UITabBar 
and Android Material BottomNavigation via `react-native-screens`.

- `NativeTabs` - Layout component using `useNavigationBuilder`
- `NativeTabs.Trigger` - Tab configuration (icon, label, badge)
- `NativeTabs.BottomAccessory` - iOS 26+ bottom accessory
- Icons: `sf` (SF Symbols), `drawable` (Android), `md` (Material), `src` (images)
- iOS-specific: blur effects, transparency, sidebar adaptable
- Android-specific: Material Design 3, dynamic colors, ripple effects

Configure Tabs

With Labels and Icons

app/(tabs)/_layout.tsx

import { NativeTabs } from 'expo-router/unstable-native-tabs';

export default function TabLayout() {
  return (
    <NativeTabs>
      <NativeTabs.Trigger name="home">
        <NativeTabs.Trigger.Label>Home</NativeTabs.Trigger.Label>
        <NativeTabs.Trigger.Icon platform="ios" name="house" />
        <NativeTabs.Trigger.Icon platform="android" name="home" />
      </NativeTabs.Trigger>
      
      <NativeTabs.Trigger name="explore">
        <NativeTabs.Trigger.Label>Explore</NativeTabs.Trigger.Label>
        <NativeTabs.Trigger.Icon platform="ios" name="safari" />
        <NativeTabs.Trigger.Icon platform="android" name="explore" />
      </NativeTabs.Trigger>
      
      <NativeTabs.Trigger name="profile">
        <NativeTabs.Trigger.Label>Profile</NativeTabs.Trigger.Label>
        <NativeTabs.Trigger.Icon platform="ios" name="person" />
        <NativeTabs.Trigger.Icon platform="android" name="person" />
      </NativeTabs.Trigger>
    </NativeTabs>
  );
}

Icon Types

SF Symbols (iOS)

<NativeTabs.Trigger.Icon
  platform="ios"
  type="sf"
  name="house.fill"
/>

Material Icons (Android)

<NativeTabs.Trigger.Icon
  platform="android"
  type="md"
  name="home"
/>

Android Drawables

<NativeTabs.Trigger.Icon
  platform="android"
  type="drawable"
  name="ic_home"
/>

Image Source

<NativeTabs.Trigger.Icon
  type="src"
  source={require('./home-icon.png')}
/>

Badges

Add notification badges:

<NativeTabs.Trigger name="notifications">
  <NativeTabs.Trigger.Label>Notifications</NativeTabs.Trigger.Label>
  <NativeTabs.Trigger.Icon platform="ios" name="bell" />
  <NativeTabs.Trigger.Badge>5</NativeTabs.Trigger.Badge>
</NativeTabs.Trigger>

With dynamic count:

export default function TabLayout() {
  const [unreadCount, setUnreadCount] = useState(0);
  
  return (
    <NativeTabs>
      <NativeTabs.Trigger name="messages">
        <NativeTabs.Trigger.Label>Messages</NativeTabs.Trigger.Label>
        <NativeTabs.Trigger.Icon platform="ios" name="message" />
        {unreadCount > 0 && (
          <NativeTabs.Trigger.Badge>{unreadCount}</NativeTabs.Trigger.Badge>
        )}
      </NativeTabs.Trigger>
    </NativeTabs>
  );
}

iOS-Specific Features

Blur Effects

<NativeTabs
  appearance={{
    ios: {
      style: 'defaultBlur', // or 'opaqueBlur', 'transparent'
    },
  }}
/>

Scroll Edge Appearance

<NativeTabs
  appearance={{
    ios: {
      scrollEdgeAppearance: {
        style: 'opaqueBlur',
      },
    },
  }}
/>

<NativeTabs
  appearance={{
    ios: {
      sidebarAdaptable: true,
    },
  }}
/>

Android-Specific Features

Material Design 3

<NativeTabs
  appearance={{
    android: {
      elevation: 8,
      rippleColor: '#f4511e',
    },
  }}
/>

Dynamic Colors

<NativeTabs
  appearance={{
    android: {
      useDynamicColors: true,
    },
  }}
/>

Indicator Style

<NativeTabs
  appearance={{
    android: {
      indicatorStyle: 'pill', // or 'line'
    },
  }}
/>

Bottom Accessory (iOS 26+)

Add accessory content below tabs:

import { NativeTabs } from 'expo-router/unstable-native-tabs';

export default function TabLayout() {
  const placement = NativeTabs.BottomAccessory.usePlacement();
  
  return (
    <NativeTabs>
      <NativeTabs.Trigger name="home" />
      <NativeTabs.Trigger name="profile" />
      
      <NativeTabs.BottomAccessory>
        <View style={{ padding: 16, backgroundColor: '#f0f0f0' }}>
          <Text>Accessory Content</Text>
          <Text>Placement: {placement}</Text>
        </View>
      </NativeTabs.BottomAccessory>
    </NativeTabs>
  );
}

Hide Tabs

Hide tabs on specific screens:

app/details.tsx

import { NativeTabs } from 'expo-router/unstable-native-tabs';

export default function Details() {
  return (
    <>
      <NativeTabs.Screen options={{ tabBarHidden: true }} />
      <View>
        <Text>Details Screen</Text>
      </View>
    </>
  );
}

Combine with Stack:

app/
  (tabs)/
    _layout.tsx
    home/
      _layout.tsx     # Stack
      index.tsx
      details.tsx

app/(tabs)/home/_layout.tsx

import { Stack } from 'expo-router';

export default function HomeStack() {
  return <Stack />;
}

Platform-Specific Tabs

Show different tabs per platform:

import { Platform } from 'react-native';
import { NativeTabs } from 'expo-router/unstable-native-tabs';

export default function TabLayout() {
  return (
    <NativeTabs>
      <NativeTabs.Trigger name="home">
        <NativeTabs.Trigger.Icon
          platform="ios"
          name="house.fill"
        />
        <NativeTabs.Trigger.Icon
          platform="android"
          name="home"
        />
      </NativeTabs.Trigger>
      
      {Platform.OS === 'ios' && (
        <NativeTabs.Trigger name="ios-only">
          <NativeTabs.Trigger.Label>iOS Only</NativeTabs.Trigger.Label>
        </NativeTabs.Trigger>
      )}
    </NativeTabs>
  );
}

Tab Configuration

Initial Tab

export const unstable_settings = {
  initialRouteName: 'home',
};

export default function TabLayout() {
  return (
    <NativeTabs>
      <NativeTabs.Trigger name="home" />
      <NativeTabs.Trigger name="profile" />
    </NativeTabs>
  );
}

Tab Order

Tabs appear in the order they’re defined:

<NativeTabs>
  <NativeTabs.Trigger name="first" />   {/* Left/Top */}
  <NativeTabs.Trigger name="second" />
  <NativeTabs.Trigger name="third" />   {/* Right/Bottom */}
</NativeTabs>

Common Patterns

Conditional Tab Badge

export default function TabLayout() {
  const { hasUpdates } = useNotifications();
  
  return (
    <NativeTabs>
      <NativeTabs.Trigger name="updates">
        <NativeTabs.Trigger.Label>Updates</NativeTabs.Trigger.Label>
        <NativeTabs.Trigger.Icon platform="ios" name="bell" />
        {hasUpdates && (
          <NativeTabs.Trigger.Badge />
        )}
      </NativeTabs.Trigger>
    </NativeTabs>
  );
}

Dynamic Icon

export default function TabLayout() {
  const { isOnline } = useConnection();
  
  return (
    <NativeTabs>
      <NativeTabs.Trigger name="status">
        <NativeTabs.Trigger.Label>Status</NativeTabs.Trigger.Label>
        <NativeTabs.Trigger.Icon
          platform="ios"
          name={isOnline ? 'wifi' : 'wifi.slash'}
        />
      </NativeTabs.Trigger>
    </NativeTabs>
  );
}

Theme-Based Appearance

export default function TabLayout() {
  const { theme } = useTheme();
  
  return (
    <NativeTabs
      appearance={{
        ios: {
          style: theme === 'dark' ? 'opaqueBlur' : 'defaultBlur',
        },
        android: {
          useDynamicColors: theme === 'auto',
        },
      }}
    >
      <NativeTabs.Trigger name="home" />
    </NativeTabs>
  );
}

Migration from Tabs

Before (Regular Tabs)

import { Tabs } from 'expo-router';

export default function TabLayout() {
  return (
    <Tabs>
      <Tabs.Screen
        name="home"
        options={{
          tabBarIcon: ({ color }) => <Icon name="home" color={color} />,
        }}
      />
    </Tabs>
  );
}

After (Native Tabs)

import { NativeTabs } from 'expo-router/unstable-native-tabs';

export default function TabLayout() {
  return (
    <NativeTabs>
      <NativeTabs.Trigger name="home">
        <NativeTabs.Trigger.Icon platform="ios" name="house" />
        <NativeTabs.Trigger.Icon platform="android" name="home" />
      </NativeTabs.Trigger>
    </NativeTabs>
  );
}

Best Practices

Use Native Icons

// Good: Platform-native icons
<NativeTabs.Trigger.Icon platform="ios" type="sf" name="house" />
<NativeTabs.Trigger.Icon platform="android" type="md" name="home" />

// Avoid: Custom images when native icons exist
<NativeTabs.Trigger.Icon type="src" source={require('./home.png')} />

Provide Platform-Specific Icons

// Good: Optimized for each platform
<NativeTabs.Trigger name="home">
  <NativeTabs.Trigger.Icon platform="ios" name="house.fill" />
  <NativeTabs.Trigger.Icon platform="android" name="home" />
</NativeTabs.Trigger>

// Avoid: Single icon for all platforms
<NativeTabs.Trigger name="home">
  <NativeTabs.Trigger.Icon type="src" source={require('./icon.png')} />
</NativeTabs.Trigger>

Keep Tab Count Reasonable

// Good: 3-5 tabs
<NativeTabs>
  <NativeTabs.Trigger name="home" />
  <NativeTabs.Trigger name="search" />
  <NativeTabs.Trigger name="profile" />
</NativeTabs>

// Avoid: Too many tabs
<NativeTabs>
  {/* 6+ tabs */}
</NativeTabs>

Limitations

Currently in preview - API may change
Requires react-native-screens 4.0+
Some features require iOS 26+ or Android 12+
Bottom accessory only works on iOS 26+
Sidebar adaptable only on iPadOS 18+

Next Steps

Tab Navigation

Compare with regular tabs

Stack Navigation

Combine with stacks

Layouts

Understand layouts

Navigation

Navigate between tabs

​Native Tabs

​Installation

​Basic Native Tabs

​Configure Tabs

​With Labels and Icons

​Icon Types

​SF Symbols (iOS)

​Material Icons (Android)

​Android Drawables

​Image Source

​Badges

​iOS-Specific Features

​Blur Effects

​Scroll Edge Appearance

​Sidebar Adaptable (iPadOS 18+)

​Android-Specific Features

​Material Design 3

​Dynamic Colors

​Indicator Style

​Bottom Accessory (iOS 26+)

​Hide Tabs

​Nested Navigation

​Platform-Specific Tabs

​Tab Configuration

​Initial Tab

​Tab Order

​Common Patterns

​Conditional Tab Badge

​Dynamic Icon

​Theme-Based Appearance

​Migration from Tabs

​Before (Regular Tabs)

​After (Native Tabs)

​Best Practices

​Use Native Icons

​Provide Platform-Specific Icons

​Keep Tab Count Reasonable

​Limitations

​Next Steps

Tab Navigation

Stack Navigation

Layouts

Navigation

Native Tabs

Installation

Basic Native Tabs

Configure Tabs

With Labels and Icons

Icon Types

SF Symbols (iOS)

Material Icons (Android)

Android Drawables

Image Source

Badges

iOS-Specific Features

Blur Effects

Scroll Edge Appearance

Sidebar Adaptable (iPadOS 18+)

Android-Specific Features

Material Design 3

Dynamic Colors

Indicator Style

Bottom Accessory (iOS 26+)

Hide Tabs

Nested Navigation

Platform-Specific Tabs

Tab Configuration

Initial Tab

Tab Order

Common Patterns

Conditional Tab Badge

Dynamic Icon

Theme-Based Appearance

Migration from Tabs

Before (Regular Tabs)

After (Native Tabs)

Best Practices

Use Native Icons

Provide Platform-Specific Icons

Keep Tab Count Reasonable

Limitations

Next Steps