Fetching Data

fetch and TanStack Query

React Native provides the standard fetch API, so any HTTP client works. Doing it by hand in useEffect means writing loading, error, retry, caching and refetch logic yourself. TanStack Query (React Query) manages server state: useQuery caches results by a query key, deduplicates requests, retries failures and refetches stale data; useMutation handles writes and lets you invalidate related queries. On mobile, wire its focusManager to AppState so data refreshes when the app returns to the foreground, and its onlineManager to a network-status library so it pauses while offline. Remember that phones lose connectivity often, so design loading, error and empty states for every screen.

Remote data, local data, app state

Server data needs caching and retries, local data needs the right storage, and app state needs a simple home.

Loading products with useQuery

TanStack Query v5-style API; check the docs for your version.

import { QueryClient, QueryClientProvider, useQuery } from "@tanstack/react-query";
import { ActivityIndicator, FlatList, Text } from "react-native";

const queryClient = new QueryClient();

type Product = { id: string; name: string };

async function fetchProducts(): Promise<Product[]> {
  const res = await fetch("https://api.example.com/products");
  if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`HTTP ${res.status}`);
  return res.json();
}

function Products() {
  const { data, isPending, isError, refetch, isRefetching } = useQuery({
    queryKey: ["products"],
    queryFn: fetchProducts,
  });
  if (isPending) return <ActivityIndicator />;
  if (isError) return <Text onPress={() => refetch()}>Could not load. Tap to retry.</Text>;
  return (
    <FlatList
      data={data}
      keyExtractor={(p) => p.id}
      renderItem={({ item }) => <Text>{item.name}</Text>}
      refreshing={isRefetching}
      onRefresh={refetch}
    />
  );
}

export default function App() {
  return (
    <QueryClientProvider client={queryClient}>
      <Products />
    </QueryClientProvider>
  );
}

localhost is not your computer

On a physical device, localhost means the phone itself. Use your machine's LAN address or a tunnel, and remember that release builds generally require HTTPS (iOS App Transport Security, Android cleartext rules).

Quick check: What does TanStack Query mainly manage for you?

• Native view layout
• Server state: caching, deduplication, retries and refetching of remote data
• App signing keys
• Push notification tokens on the server