Rocket Ship #082 - Expo App Structure, NativeWind v5, Expo Live Activity, Native APIs with JS & React Native Buoy
Oct 7, 2025
27:07
This week’s episode covers the latest React Native ecosystem updates, a few personal wins, and what’s next for my upcoming projects.
⚛️ React Native Radar:
- React 19.2 – small update, big polish
- React Native 0.82 RC5 – new fixes before the full release
- Vega OS – Amazon’s new platform for apps and games
- React Native Enriched (RTE) – rich text editor by Software Mansion
- Nitro Fetch – faster networking from Margelo
- localStorage API with Expo SQLite
- Live Activities now even easier to integrate
- App structure best practices for clarity and scalability
- OS Animations library now open source
- Access iOS APIs directly from JS – new possibilities
- Voltra on the horizon
- UniWind public beta feedback looks promising
- NativeWind v5 preview released
- Header fix coming to React Native Screens
- React Native Buoy – floating debug & support tools inside your app
🔥 Tiny Wins:
- 🏃♂️ Ran a Marathon in 3:36
- 💪 Back to cutting & strength training
- 🚴♂️ Got a Zwift setup for indoor rides
🧠 Build in Public:
- 📱 Pocket Clone coming soon
- 🍔 Wolt Clone up next
- 🪐 Started a new Galaxies.dev Mission
🚨 Trending in Tech:
- React Conf is around the corner!
- AI tools getting practical—like testing Apple submissions automatically
🚀 Learn React Native: https://galaxies.dev/missions/zero-to-hero
🔥 Weekly Videos: https://www.youtube.com/@galaxies_dev
❤️ Socials
👨💻 Apps
- Matrix Manager: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/matrix-manager-task-manager/id6739463021
- Quick Track: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/quick-track-calorie-counter/id1669892980
- Text to Voice AI: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/text-to-voice-ai-reader/id6739965632
- Healthy Food Swap: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/healthy-food-swap/id6743627410
🔗 Links
- React 19.2: https://react.dev/blog/2025/10/01/react-19-2
- Vega OS: https://developer.amazon.com/apps-and-games/blogs/2025/09/announcing-vega-os
- React Native Enriched: https://github.com/software-mansion/react-native-enriched
- Nitro Fetch: https://github.com/margelo/react-native-nitro-fetch
- Expo Live Activity: https://github.com/software-mansion-labs/expo-live-activity
- Expo App Folder Structure: https://expo.dev/blog/expo-app-folder-structure-best-practices
- Animated Demos: https://github.com/enzomanuelmangano/demos
- Direct Native API Access: https://x.com/birch_js/status/1971619696991740259
- Voltra: https://x.com/saul_sharma/status/1972161677165473980
- Nativewind v5 Preview: https://x.com/nativewindcss/status/1971247806271848535
- React Native Buoy: https://github.com/LovesWorking/react-native-buoy