# General Translation React SDKs (gt-react, gt-next): React Native Quickstart
URL: https://generaltranslation.com/en-US/docs/react/react-native-quickstart.mdx
---

title: React Native Quickstart
description: Add General Translation to a React Native app with gt-react-native, covering both Expo and the bare React Native CLI.
related:
  links:
    - /docs/react/guides/translating-jsx
    - /docs/react/guides/translating-strings
    - /docs/react/guides/managing-locales
    - /docs/react/guides/formatting-variables

---

`gt-react-native` adds automatic internationalization to React Native apps. You initialize General Translation at your app's entry point, add a Babel plugin for the polyfills React Native needs, and wrap your app in `GTProvider`.

This quickstart covers both Expo and the bare React Native CLI. For web React apps use the [React Quickstart](/docs/react/react-quickstart).

<Callout type="warning">
  `gt-react-native` is experimental and may not work for all projects. It ships a native module, so **Expo Go is not supported** — you need a development build.
</Callout>

## Quickstart [#quickstart]

Install the package, create a config file, set up polyfills, add a translation loader, initialize General Translation with the provider, mark content for translation, and generate translations.

### 1. Install `gt-react-native`

Install `gt-react-native` as a dependency and the [`gt` CLI](/docs/cli/quickstart) as a dev dependency.

<Tabs items={['npm', 'yarn', 'bun', 'pnpm']}>
  <Tab value="npm">
    ```bash
    npm install gt-react-native && npm install gt --save-dev
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab value="yarn">
    ```bash
    yarn add gt-react-native && yarn add --dev gt
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab value="bun">
    ```bash
    bun add gt-react-native && bun add --dev gt
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab value="pnpm">
    ```bash
    pnpm add gt-react-native && pnpm add --save-dev gt
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

*Note: On the bare React Native CLI, run `cd ios && pod install` after installing to link the native module.*

### 2. Create `gt.config.json`

Create a `gt.config.json` file in your project root. It declares your source language, your target locales, and where translation files are written.

```json title="gt.config.json"
{
  "defaultLocale": "en",
  "locales": ["es", "fr", "ja"],
  "files": {
    "gt": {
      "output": "src/_gt/[locale].json"
    }
  }
}
```

- `defaultLocale` — the language your app is written in.
- `locales` — the languages to translate into. Pick from the [supported locales](/docs/platform/dashboard/reference/supported-locales).
- `files.gt.output` — where the CLI writes translation files. `[locale]` is replaced with each locale code.

### 3. Set up polyfills

React Native's JavaScript runtime does not include the `Intl` APIs that `gt-react-native` needs. Add the included Babel plugin, pointing `entryPointFilePath` at your app's entry file.

<Tabs items={['Expo', 'React Native CLI']}>
  <Tab value="Expo">
    ```js title="babel.config.js"
    const { plugin: gtPlugin } = require('gt-react-native/plugin');
    const gtConfig = require('./gt.config.json');

    module.exports = function (api) {
      api.cache(true);
      return {
        presets: ['babel-preset-expo'],
        plugins: [
          [
            gtPlugin,
            {
              locales: [gtConfig.defaultLocale, ...gtConfig.locales],
              entryPointFilePath: require.resolve('expo-router/entry'),
            },
          ],
        ],
      };
    };
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab value="React Native CLI">
    ```js title="babel.config.js"
    const path = require('path');
    const { plugin: gtPlugin } = require('gt-react-native/plugin');
    const gtConfig = require('./gt.config.json');

    module.exports = {
      presets: ['module:@react-native/babel-preset'],
      plugins: [
        [
          gtPlugin,
          {
            locales: [gtConfig.defaultLocale, ...gtConfig.locales],
            entryPointFilePath: path.resolve(__dirname, 'index.js'),
          },
        ],
      ],
    };
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

The plugin is a **named export**, so destructure it: `const { plugin: gtPlugin } = require('gt-react-native/plugin')`. It injects the required `@formatjs` polyfills at the top of your entry file. If it does not work in your setup, import the polyfills manually — see [FormatJS's polyfill documentation](https://formatjs.github.io/docs/polyfills).

### 4. Create a translation loader

Metro (React Native's bundler) does not support dynamic imports, so map each locale to its translation file with static `require` calls.

```ts title="loadTranslations.ts"
const translations: Record<string, unknown> = {
  es: require('./src/_gt/es.json'),
  fr: require('./src/_gt/fr.json'),
  ja: require('./src/_gt/ja.json'),
};

export function loadTranslations(locale: string) {
  return translations[locale] ?? {};
}
```

The CLI generates these files when you run `npx gt translate`.

### 5. Initialize General Translation and add the provider

Call [`initializeGT`](/docs/node/reference/functions/initialize-gt) once at your app's entry point, before rendering, then wrap your app in `GTProvider`. Unlike the web packages, `GTProvider` loads translations internally, so you do not pass a `translations` prop and normally do not need to pass `locale` either — it is auto-detected. An optional `locale` prop is still accepted if you need to override detection.

<Tabs items={['Expo', 'React Native CLI']}>
  <Tab value="Expo">
    ```tsx title="app/_layout.tsx"
    import { Slot } from 'expo-router';
    import { GTProvider, initializeGT } from 'gt-react-native';
    import gtConfig from '../gt.config.json';
    import { loadTranslations } from '../loadTranslations';

    // Initialize once, at the module level
    initializeGT({
      ...gtConfig,
      loadTranslations,
      projectId: process.env.EXPO_PUBLIC_GT_PROJECT_ID,
      devApiKey: process.env.EXPO_PUBLIC_GT_DEV_API_KEY,
    });

    export default function RootLayout() {
      return (
        <GTProvider>
          <Slot />
        </GTProvider>
      );
    }
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab value="React Native CLI">
    ```js title="index.js"
    import { AppRegistry } from 'react-native';
    import { initializeGT } from 'gt-react-native';
    import App from './App';
    import { name as appName } from './app.json';
    import gtConfig from './gt.config.json';
    import { loadTranslations } from './loadTranslations';

    // Initialize once, before the app is registered
    initializeGT({ ...gtConfig, loadTranslations });

    AppRegistry.registerComponent(appName, () => App);
    ```

    ```tsx title="App.tsx"
    import { GTProvider } from 'gt-react-native';
    import Home from './src/Home';

    export default function App() {
      return (
        <GTProvider>
          <Home />
        </GTProvider>
      );
    }
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

*Note: The `projectId` and `devApiKey` options enable on-demand translation during development. In Expo, expose them with the `EXPO_PUBLIC_` prefix.*

### 6. Mark content for translation

Wrap JSX in the [`<T>`](/docs/react/reference/components/t) component to translate it in place. For standalone strings such as `placeholder` and `accessibilityLabel` values, use the [`useGT`](/docs/react/reference/hooks/use-gt) hook. To build a language switcher, use the [`useLocaleSelector`](/docs/react/reference/hooks/use-locale-selector) hook — `gt-react-native` does not ship a prebuilt selector component.

```tsx title="src/Home.tsx"
import { Text, View, Pressable, TextInput } from 'react-native';
import { T, useGT, useLocaleSelector } from 'gt-react-native';

export default function Home() {
  const gt = useGT();
  const { locales, locale, setLocale } = useLocaleSelector();

  return (
    <View>
      <View style={{ flexDirection: 'row', gap: 8 }}>
        {locales.map((l) => (
          <Pressable key={l} onPress={() => setLocale(l)}>
            <Text style={{ fontWeight: l === locale ? 'bold' : 'normal' }}>
              {l}
            </Text>
          </Pressable>
        ))}
      </View>
      <T>
        <Text>Welcome to my app</Text>
      </T>
      <TextInput accessibilityLabel={gt('Email input field')} />
    </View>
  );
}
```

`useGT()` returns the translation function directly, so call it as `const gt = useGT();`.

### 7. Generate translations

Run the CLI to translate your project through the General Translation API.

```bash
npx gt translate
```

Add the command to your build script so production builds always have up-to-date translations:

```json title="package.json"
{
  "scripts": {
    "build": "npx gt translate && <your build command>"
  }
}
```

*Note: `npx gt translate` needs a Project ID and a production API key, set as `GT_PROJECT_ID` and `GT_API_KEY` in your environment. Run `npx gt auth` or visit the [Dashboard](/docs/platform/dashboard/get-started) to get them.*

## Next steps

- /docs/react/guides/translating-jsx
- /docs/react/guides/translating-strings
- /docs/react/guides/managing-locales
- /docs/react/guides/formatting-variables