Improving mobile UX with react-native-inappbrowser-reborn

In this tutorial, we will learn how to improve the mobile user experience (UX) by integrating an in-app browser using the react-native-inappbrowser-reborn library. The in-app browser enhances UX by providing a consistent UI/UX and essential functionalities such as event handling, JavaScript execution, URL loading, and navigation controls.

To get started, make sure you have React Native CLI installed and a React Native application set up without using Expo. Also, ensure that you have Xcode or an Android Emulator installed. The complete code for this tutorial can be found on GitHub.

Third-party authentication methods, such as single sign-on (SSO), can lead to poor UX when users are redirected to an external web browser. The react-native-inappbrowser-reborn library eliminates this issue by seamlessly integrating an in-app browser into the mobile app.

To install the library, run the command "npm install react-native-inappbrowser-reborn" in the project folder.

Next, configure the project for iOS by opening the project in your code editor and adding the necessary configuration. Then, run the command "npx pod-install" in your terminal.

For Android, update the AndroidManifest.xml file with the required settings.

To open the in-app browser, import the necessary components and use the Open() function, providing the URL and customizing the browser settings.

To enhance UX during third-party authentication, create a login screen with a login form and a button. Use the Open() function to open the in-app browser, passing the authentication URL and redirect URI. After receiving the access token from the URL, make a request to retrieve the user's profile information.

By following these steps, you can integrate an in-app browser into your React Native application and improve the mobile user experience.