# General Translation React SDKs (gt-react, gt-next, gt-react-native): Set up React Native
URL: https://generaltranslation.com/en-US/docs/react/react-native/setup.mdx
Docs index: https://generaltranslation.com/llms.txt
Description: Initialize General Translation in a React Native app, add the provider, and load translations, for both Expo and the bare React Native CLI.

`gt-react-native` is set up at your app's entry point: you call [`initializeGT`](/docs/react/reference/config#initialize) once at the module level, then wrap your app in [`<GTProvider>`](/docs/react/reference/components/gt-provider). Unlike the web packages, the provider loads translations itself, so you do not pass it a `translations` prop and it resolves the `locale` from the device by default.

This page covers the React Native-specific parts of setup. For the full step-by-step path including installation and the CLI, follow the [React Native Quickstart](/docs/react/react-native-quickstart). For the polyfill plugin that setup depends on, see [Plugin](/docs/react/react-native/plugin).

<Callout type="warn">
  **Warning:** `gt-react-native` ships a native module, so Expo Go is not supported — run a development build (`npx expo run:ios` / `run:android`). On the bare React Native CLI, run `cd ios && pod install` after installing.
</Callout>

## Initialize General Translation [#initialize]

Call [`initializeGT`](/docs/react/reference/config#initialize) once, at the module level of your entry file, before your app renders. Spread in your `gt.config.json` and pass a [`loadTranslations`](/docs/react/reference/functions/load-translations) function. Add `projectId` and `devApiKey` to enable on-demand translation during development.

```tsx
import { 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,
});
```

[`initializeGT`](/docs/react/reference/config#initialize) accepts the same locale and delivery options as the other frameworks — see the [configuration reference](/docs/react/reference/config#initialization). `gt.config.json` is not read automatically, so import it and spread it into the call.

*Note: in Expo, public environment variables must be prefixed with `EXPO_PUBLIC_`. Never expose a production API key in your app bundle.*

## Add the provider [#provider]

Wrap your app in [`<GTProvider>`](/docs/react/reference/components/gt-provider). In React Native, the provider loads the active locale's translations internally and manages locale state, so it does not require a `translations` prop and resolves the `locale` from the device by default (you can still pass an optional `locale` override — see below). It renders a loading fallback while translations load; pass a `fallback` prop to customize it.

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

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

The provider also accepts optional `locale`, `region`, and `enableI18n` props to override the values it would otherwise resolve from the device.

## Load translations [#load-translations]

Metro, React Native's bundler, does not support dynamic imports, so map each locale to its translation file with static `require` calls. The CLI generates these files when you run [`npx gt translate`](/docs/cli/reference/commands/translate).

```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] ?? {};
}
```

## Entry points [#entry-points]

Where you call [`initializeGT`](/docs/react/reference/config#initialize) depends on your project type.

<Tabs items={['Expo', 'React Native CLI']}>
  <Tab value="Expo">
    Initialize in your root layout, at the module level, then render the provider.

    ```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';

    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">
    Initialize in `index.js`, before the app is registered, and add the provider in `App.tsx`.

    ```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';

    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>

Both entry points also need the [polyfill plugin](/docs/react/react-native/plugin) configured in `babel.config.js`, or the `Intl` APIs `gt-react-native` relies on will be missing.

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