Shadows make an app’s UI (user interface) easier to use, add depth, and help users see many different sides of UI elements (user interface), and help create an appearance of depth and hierarchy. You need to pay attention to how shadows are created and used within a mobile application that uses React Native in order to create a better user experience (UX) by providing your users with the feeling of depth when they look at the application.
To build applications that work across both iOS and Android platforms, it is best to utilize the Platform API to define separate shadow properties for each platform or use a third-party shadow library.
Key Shadow Properties
- shadowColor: This refers to the colour of the shadow; it is able to be applied on both iOS & Android, but iOS requires some additional properties, whereas Android requires elevation.
- shadowOffset: This specifies the width & height of the shadow (iOS only).
- shadowOpacity: This is a value ranging from 0 (fully transparent) to 1 (fully opaque) that determines how much transparency the shadow will contain (iOS only).
- shadowRadius: The amount of blur applied to the shadow (iOS only).
- elevation: This property indicates how much depth will be in the View, thereby creating a drop shadow (Android only).
Using Third-Party Libraries:
To produce a more consistent look and feel between devices without using manual conditional styling, you can use third-party libraries such as react-native-shadow-2 or react-native-drop-shadow.
When creating a cross-platform application with third-party libraries, you will generally only need to write one set of properties. The third-party shadow libraries convert shadow properties to make them compatible with both iOS and Android platforms; so, you only need to define a shadow property once instead of separately for iOS and Android platforms.
Key Considerations
- overflow: ‘hidden’: Setting overflow: ‘hidden’ on a container with a shadow can sometimes prevent the shadow from appearing on iOS devices.
- Background Color on Android: You must define backgroundColor for the elevation shadow to appear correctly on Android.
- Text Shadows: Text components support textShadowOffset, textShadowColor, and textShadowRadius on both platforms.
Example
import { View, StyleSheet, Platform } from 'react-native';
const MyShadowComponent = () => {
return (
<View style={styles.card}>
{/* Content goes here */}
</View>
);
};
const styles = StyleSheet.create({
card: {
width: 150,
height: 150,
backgroundColor: '#fff', // Required for Android shadow
borderRadius: 8,
margin: 16,
...Platform.select({
ios: {
shadowColor: '#000',
shadowOffset: { width: 0, height: 4 },
shadowOpacity: 0.3,
shadowRadius: 6,
},
android: {
elevation: 10, // Higher value for a more pronounced shadow
},
}),
},
});
export default MyShadowComponent;Conclusion
Working with shadows in React Native not only adds a visual hierarchy to your application, but there are also platform-specific differences in creating and applying shadows to your application. The shadow properties and elevation combination are the key to having visually appealing and professional-looking mobile apps today.
To create shadows, it’s best to start off with subtle shadows for your design, then test out the designs you have created on a variety of devices before finalizing your designs so that you give all your users the best possible experience.
FAQ
1. Why doesn’t my shadow work on Android?
Shadow properties aren’t supported by Android; therefore, elevation is the only way to set shadows on an Android device.
2. Am I able to use shadow-color and elevation simultaneously?
Yes. You should combine both for cross-platform compatibility.
3. Why isn’t my shadow visible on iOS?
Make sure:
- backgroundColor is set
- shadowOpacity is greater than 0
- The component has proper dimensions
- You are not using overflow: ‘hidden’
4. Which library is best for advanced shadow effects?
The react-native-shadow-2 library is frequently used due to its greater level of customization and cross-platform consistency.
