A React Native template with the hard parts done

Create an app

GitHub template

Click Use this template on the GitHub repository, clone your copy, then:

pnpm install
bundle install
pnpm bootstrap --name Acme --bundle-id com.acme.app --display-name "Acme"

React Native CLI

npx @react-native-community/cli@20.2.0 init Acme --template bareship --skip-install --install-pods false
cd Acme
pnpm install
bundle install
pnpm bootstrap --name Acme --bundle-id com.acme.app --display-name "Acme"

The CLI can’t install with pnpm, so it skips the install. Leave out --package-name: bootstrap sets the bundle id and keeps dev, staging and prod apart.

bootstrap renames the Xcode project, schemes, Android package, bundle ids, display names and URL schemes, then runs pod install. Start an emulator or simulator, run pnpm android or pnpm ios, and sign in with demo@example.com / password123.

It runs with no accounts

You don’t need a backend, a Firebase project or an Apple Developer team to build the app, run it or put it on a phone. Development builds serve sample data from a mock backend inside the app, and every service falls back when its account is missing:

• No backend: the mock backend answers sign-in, the feed and every other request.
• No Firebase: crash reports and analytics go to the console, feature flags use their defaults, and notifications stay local.
• No Apple or Google account: debug builds run on simulators and emulators, and a demo APK installs on any Android phone.

When you’re ready, Going live lists what to add and what each step switches on.

What’s inside

Offline writes that wait

A write made offline is saved, survives a restart, and is sent in order when the connection returns, each with its own idempotency key. Offline

Tokens in the Keychain

Access and refresh tokens live in the iOS Keychain and Android Keystore, never in plain storage. One refresh serves every request waiting on it. Session

An architecture the linter enforces

Layers import downward only and features never import each other. ESLint and dependency-cruiser fail the build otherwise. Architecture

Firebase when you want it

Crashlytics, Analytics, Remote Config and push switch on when you add a Firebase file, and fall back without one. Set up Firebase

Three environments

Dev, staging and prod install side by side, each with its own app id, name, icon badge, URL scheme and .env file. Environments

English and Arabic, right to left

Typed translation keys, a lint rule against hard-coded text, plural rules on Hermes, and layouts that mirror for right-to-left languages. Forms and i18n

Generators

pnpm gen feature orders writes a working screen, its API call, mock data, strings, a deep link and tests that pass. Generators

Releases with fastlane

Version bumps on both platforms, release builds, match signing, and uploads to TestFlight and Play internal testing. Releasing

A demo you can remove

A feed, likes and a component showroom show every pattern. pnpm strip-examples removes them and leaves a blank Home tab. Demo code

A supply-chain policy

pnpm refuses packages younger than 3 days and install scripts you haven’t allowed, and Renovate groups updates. Decision 0003

Writes that work offline

Every write in the app picks one of four behaviours, so users always know what happened to what they did.

Pattern	What the user sees	Use it for
A	The change appears at once and syncs in the background	Low-stakes toggles
B	The change appears at once, marked “Waiting to sync” until it’s sent	Likes, comments, edits
C	The form is disabled while offline, with the reason	Sign-in, payments
D	The screen is replaced by an offline message	Account deletion, checkout

Writes queued with A or B survive closing the app and are sent in order when the connection returns. An offline banner sits under the header while the phone is offline. How to choose and use a pattern

Built for AI agents

The rules your team follows are written down where coding agents read them, and the linter checks the result.

• AGENTS.md holds the commands, architecture rules and conventions. Claude Code, Cursor and Copilot are pointed at it.
• Skills for adding a feature, a screen or an endpoint run the generators, then walk the agent through fields, offline behaviour, strings and tests. Callstack’s React Native skills are included and pinned.
• Accessible by default: screens use ARIA roles and labels, so agents that drive the app on a simulator read the screen as text instead of guessing from screenshots.

How agents work with the template

Is this for you?

A good fit if you

• want to own ios/ and android/ and see every native change - build an app that has to work offline and keep users’ writes - work in a team, or with AI agents, and want the rules checked - want to start from working code and remove what you don’t need

Not a fit if you

• want Expo’s managed workflow or Expo Go: start from an Expo template instead - need a backend: this is the app side only, with a mock backend to build against - want a UI kit: it has about 15 primitives, not a full component library

Get started

1. Create an app with Use this template on GitHub, or with the React Native CLI (see Create an app).

2. Install the JavaScript and Ruby dependencies:

   pnpm install && bundle install

3. Give the app its name and bundle id:

   pnpm bootstrap --name Acme --bundle-id com.acme.app --display-name "Acme"

4. Start an emulator or simulator, then run the app and sign in with demo@example.com / password123:

   pnpm android

5. When you start on your own screens, remove the demo and add your first feature:

   pnpm strip-examples
   pnpm gen feature orders

Read the introduction

Questions

Do I need a backend to start?

No. Development builds use a mock backend inside the app. When your API is ready, set API_URL and API_MOCKS=false in the environment’s .env file. Use your API

Do I need Firebase?

No. Without a Firebase file the app logs crashes and analytics to the console, uses default feature flags and shows notifications locally. Add the file when you want the real services.

Which platforms and versions does it support?

iOS 15.1 and later, and Android 7.0 (API 24) and later, on React Native 0.87 with the New Architecture. Version matrix

Can I move to Expo later?

Every change to ios/ and android/ is listed with its Expo equivalent in Native changes, and native libraries sit behind small interfaces, so the app code doesn’t depend on how the native side is built.

How do I get template updates into my app?

Your app owns its copy of the code, so nothing updates on its own. The changelog lists each change; copy the ones you want.

What does it cost?

Nothing. It’s open source under the MIT license.