What is react-native-splash-screen?

crazycodeboy/react-native-splash-screen — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-06-26

★ 5,660JavaAudience · developerComplexity · 2/5Setup · moderate

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((rn-splash-screen))
    What it does
      Shows splash screen
      Hides on command
      Native performance
    Platforms
      iOS
      Android
    API
      show method
      hide method
    Setup steps
      Install npm package
      Link native code
      Modify AppDelegate
      Modify MainActivity

mindmap root((rn-splash-screen)) What it does Shows splash screen Hides on command Native performance Platforms iOS Android API show method hide method Setup steps Install npm package Link native code Modify AppDelegate Modify MainActivity

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What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Add a branded splash screen to your React Native app that stays visible until your initial data has loaded, replacing the default blank screen.

USE CASE 2

Control exactly when the splash screen disappears, for example, hide it only after your navigation stack and authentication state are ready.

USE CASE 3

Eliminate the white flash on React Native app startup and replace it with a proper branded loading experience for users on both iOS and Android.

USE CASE 4

Keep the splash screen visible during an API prefetch so users never see empty content when the app first opens.

What is it built with?

React NativeJavaScriptJavaiOSAndroid

How does it compare?

	crazycodeboy/react-native-splash-screen	elderdrivers/edxposed	springside/springside4
Stars	5,660	5,661	5,663
Language	Java	Java	Java
Setup difficulty	moderate	hard	moderate
Complexity	2/5	4/5	3/5
Audience	developer	developer	developer

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · moderate Time to first run · 30min

Requires manual native linking changes to both iOS AppDelegate and Android MainActivity files, automatic linking via react-native link may still need manual verification.

No license information was mentioned, check the repository directly for terms.

So what is it?

React Native Splash Screen is a library that adds a splash screen to mobile apps built with React Native, the framework for building iOS and Android apps using JavaScript. A splash screen is the branded image or screen that appears while the app is loading before any interactive content is ready. Without a library like this one, React Native apps often show a brief white or black blank screen during startup, which looks unfinished. The library works by showing the native platform's splash screen immediately when the app process starts, then keeping it visible until your JavaScript code explicitly calls a hide function. This means you can control exactly when the splash screen disappears, for instance after your initial data has loaded or your navigation stack is ready. Installation involves two steps: adding the npm package and then linking it to both the iOS and Android native projects. The library supports automatic linking (using react-native link) or manual steps for each platform. For Android, you modify the main activity class to show the splash screen before React loads. For iOS, you modify the AppDelegate file similarly. The API is minimal. SplashScreen.show() makes the splash screen visible and SplashScreen.hide() dismisses it. You call hide() from your app's JavaScript code once the app is ready to display its main content. The library works on both iOS and Android. The repository includes example projects showing the expected setup for each platform. The README notes version compatibility: version 3 and above is required for React Native 0.47.0 and newer. Older versions of React Native should use v2.1.0. A sister project called flutter_splash_screen is available for apps built with Flutter instead of React Native.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1

I've installed react-native-splash-screen but it disappears immediately on Android before my data loads. Show me the correct place to call SplashScreen.hide() inside a React Navigation setup.

Prompt 2

How do I set up react-native-splash-screen manually for an iOS project that doesn't use Expo? Give me the exact changes needed in AppDelegate.mm.

Prompt 3

My React Native app crashes on startup after adding react-native-splash-screen. Here is the error log, what did I misconfigure in the Android MainActivity?

Prompt 4

Show me how to use react-native-splash-screen with React Navigation so the splash screen stays visible until the initial route is ready and the navigation stack is fully mounted.

Frequently asked questions