---
createdAt: 2025-06-18
updatedAt: 2025-12-30
title: React Native and Expo i18n - How to translate your React Native app – guide 2026
description: Discover how to make your React Native and Expo website multilingual. Follow the documentation to internationalize (i18n) and translate it.
keywords:
- Internationalization
- Documentation
- Intlayer
- React Native
- Expo
- JavaScript
slugs:
- doc
- environment
- react-native-and-expo
applicationTemplate: https://github.com/aymericzip/intlayer-react-native-template
history:
- version: 7.5.9
date: 2025-12-30
changes: Add init command
- version: 6.1.6
date: 2025-10-02
changes: Add debug section
- version: 5.5.10
date: 2025-06-29
changes: Init history
---
# Translate your React Native and Expo website using Intlayer | Internationalization (i18n)
## Table of Contents
<TOC/>
## What is Intlayer?
**Intlayer** is an **innovative, open-source internationalization (i18n) library** that simplifies multilingual support in modern applications. It works in many JavaScript/TypeScript environments, **including React Native** (via the `react-intlayer` package).
With Intlayer, you can:
- **Easily manage translations** using declarative dictionaries at the component level.
- **Ensure TypeScript support** with autogenerated types.
- **Dynamically localize** content, including **UI strings** (and in React for web, it can also localize HTML metadata, etc.).
- **Benefit from advanced features**, like dynamic locale detection and switching.
---
## Step 1: Install Dependencies
<iframe
src="https://stackblitz.com/github/aymericzip/intlayer-react-native-template?embed=1&ctl=1&file=intlayer.config.ts"
className="m-auto overflow-hidden rounded-lg border-0 max-md:size-full max-md:h-[700px] md:aspect-16/9 md:w-full"
title="Demo CodeSandbox - How to Internationalize your application using Intlayer"
sandbox="allow-forms allow-modals allow-popups allow-presentation allow-same-origin allow-scripts"
loading="lazy"
/>
See [Application Template](https://github.com/aymericzip/intlayer-react-native-template) on GitHub.
From your React Native project, install the following packages:
```bash packageManager="npm"
npm install intlayer react-intlayer
npm install --save-dev react-native-intlayer
npx intlayer init
```
```bash packageManager="pnpm"
pnpm add intlayer react-intlayer
pnpm add --save-dev react-native-intlayer
pnpm intlayer init
```
```bash packageManager="yarn"
yarn add intlayer react-intlayer
yarn add --save-dev react-native-intlayer
yarn intlayer init
```
```bash packageManager="bun"
bun add intlayer react-intlayer
bun add --dev react-native-intlayer
bunx intlayer init
```
### Packages
- **intlayer**
The core i18n toolkit for configuration, dictionary content, types generation, and CLI commands.
- **react-intlayer**
React integration that provides the context providers and React hooks you’ll use in React Native for obtaining and switching locales.
- **react-native-intlayer**
React Native integration that provides the Metro plugin for integrating Intlayer with the React Native bundler.
---
## Step 2: Create an Intlayer Config
In your project root (or anywhere convenient), create an **Intlayer config** file. It might look like this:
```ts fileName="intlayer.config.ts" codeFormat="typescript"
/**
* If Locales types is not available, try to set moduleResolution to "bundler" in your tsconfig.json
*/
import { Locales, type IntlayerConfig } from "intlayer";
const config: IntlayerConfig = {
internationalization: {
locales: [
Locales.ENGLISH,
Locales.FRENCH,
Locales.SPANISH,
// ... Add any other locales you need
],
defaultLocale: Locales.ENGLISH,
},
};
export default config;
```
```js fileName="intlayer.config.mjs" codeFormat="esm"
import { Locales } from "intlayer";
/** @type {import('intlayer').IntlayerConfig} */
const config = {
internationalization: {
locales: [
Locales.ENGLISH,
Locales.FRENCH,
Locales.SPANISH,
// ... Add any other locales you need
],
defaultLocale: Locales.ENGLISH,
},
};
export default config;
```
```js fileName="intlayer.config.js" codeFormat="commonjs"
const { Locales } = require("intlayer");
/** @type {import('intlayer').IntlayerConfig} */
const config = {
internationalization: {
locales: [Locales.ENGLISH, Locales.FRENCH, Locales.SPANISH],
defaultLocale: Locales.ENGLISH,
},
};
module.exports = config;
```
Within this config, you can:
- Configure your **list of supported locales**.
- Set a **default** locale.
- Later, you may add more advanced options (e.g., logs, custom content directories, etc.).
- See the [Intlayer configuration docs](https://github.com/aymericzip/intlayer/blob/main/docs/docs/en/configuration.md) for more.
## Step 3: Add the Metro plugin
Metro is a bundler for React Native. It is the default bundler for React Native projects created with the `react-native init` command. To use Intlayer with Metro, you need to add the plugin to your `metro.config.js` file:
```js fileName="metro.config.js"
const { getDefaultConfig } = require("expo/metro-config");
const { configMetroIntlayer } = require("react-native-intlayer/metro");
module.exports = (async () => {
const defaultConfig = getDefaultConfig(__dirname);
return await configMetroIntlayer(defaultConfig);
})();
```
> Note: `configMetroIntlayer` is a promise function. Use `configMetroIntlayerSync` instead if you want to use it synchronously, or avoid IFFE (Immediately Invoked Function Expression).
> Note: `configMetroIntlayerSync` does not allow to build intlayer dictionaries on server start
## Step 4: Add the Intlayer provider
To keep synchronized the user language across your application, you need to wrap your root component with the `IntlayerProvider` component from `react-intlayer-native`.
> Make sure to use the provider from `react-native-intlayer` instead of `react-intlayer`. The export from `react-native-intlayer` includes polyfills for the web API.
Also, you need to add the `intlayerPolyfill` function to your `index.js` file to ensure that Intlayer can work properly.
```tsx fileName="app/_layout.tsx" codeFormat="typescript"
import { Stack } from "expo-router";
import { getLocales } from "expo-localization";
import { IntlayerProvider } from "react-native-intlayer";
import { type FC } from "react";
const getDeviceLocale = () => getLocales()[0]?.languageTag;
const RootLayout: FC = () => {
return (
<IntlayerProvider defaultLocale={getDeviceLocale()}>
<Stack>
<Stack.Screen name="(tabs)" options={{ headerShown: false }} />
</Stack>
</IntlayerProvider>
);
};
export default RootLayout;
```
```jsx fileName="app/_layout.mjx" codeFormat="esm"
import { Stack } from "expo-router";
import { getLocales } from "expo-localization";
import { IntlayerProvider } from "react-native-intlayer";
const getDeviceLocale = () => getLocales()[0]?.languageTag;
const RootLayout = () => {
return (
<IntlayerProvider defaultLocale={getDeviceLocale()}>
<Stack>
<Stack.Screen name="(tabs)" options={{ headerShown: false }} />
</Stack>
</IntlayerProvider>
);
};
export default RootLayout;
```
```jsx fileName="app/_layout.cjx" codeFormat="commonjs"
const { Stack } = require("expo-router");
const { getLocales } = require("expo-localization");
const { IntlayerProvider } = require("react-native-intlayer");
const getDeviceLocale = () => getLocales()[0]?.languageTag;
const RootLayout = () => {
return (
<IntlayerProvider defaultLocale={getDeviceLocale()}>
<Stack>
<Stack.Screen name="(tabs)" options={{ headerShown: false }} />
</Stack>
</IntlayerProvider>
);
};
module.exports = RootLayout;
```
## Step 5: Declare Your Content
Create **content declaration** files anywhere in your project (commonly within `src/`), using any of the extension formats that Intlayer supports:
- `.content.json`
- `.content.ts`
- `.content.tsx`
- `.content.js`
- `.content.jsx`
- `.content.mjs`
- `.content.mjx`
- `.content.cjs`
- `.content.cjx`
- etc.
Example (TypeScript with TSX nodes for React Native):
```tsx fileName="src/app.content.tsx" contentDeclarationFormat="typescript"
import { t, type Dictionary } from "intlayer";
import type { ReactNode } from "react";
/**
* Content dictionary for our "app" domain
*/
import { t, type Dictionary } from "intlayer";
const homeScreenContent = {
key: "home-screen",
content: {
title: t({
en: "Welcome!",
fr: "Bienvenue!",
es: "¡Bienvenido!",
}),
},
} satisfies Dictionary;
export default homeScreenContent;
```
```jsx fileName="src/app.content.mjx" contentDeclarationFormat="esm"
import { t } from "intlayer";
import { ReactNode } from "react";
/** @type {import('intlayer').Dictionary} */
const appContent = {
key: "home-screen",
content: {
title: t({
en: "Welcome!",
fr: "Bienvenue!",
es: "¡Bienvenido!",
}),
},
};
export default appContent;
```
```jsx fileName="src/app.content.csx" contentDeclarationFormat="commonjs"
const { t } = require("intlayer");
/** @type {import('intlayer').Dictionary} */
const appContent = {
key: "home-screen",
content: {
title: t({
en: "Welcome!",
fr: "Bienvenue!",
es: "¡Bienvenido!",
}),
},
};
module.exports = appContent;
```
```json fileName="src/app.content.json" contentDeclarationFormat="json"
{
"$schema": "https://intlayer.org/schema.json",
"key": "app",
"content": {
"title": {
"nodeType": "translation",
"translation": {
"en": "Welcome!",
"fr": "Bienvenue!",
"es": "¡Bienvenido!"
}
}
}
}
```
> For details on content declarations, see [Intlayer’s content docs](https://github.com/aymericzip/intlayer/blob/main/docs/docs/en/dictionary/content_file.md).
---
## Step 4: Use Intlayer in Your Components
Use the `useIntlayer` hook in child components to get localized content.
### Example
```tsx fileName="app/(tabs)/index.tsx" codeFormat="typescript"
import { Image, StyleSheet, Platform } from "react-native";
import { useIntlayer } from "react-intlayer";
import { HelloWave } from "@/components/HelloWave";
import ParallaxScrollView from "@/components/ParallaxScrollView";
import { ThemedText } from "@/components/ThemedText";
import { ThemedView } from "@/components/ThemedView";
import { type FC } from "react";
const HomeScreen = (): FC => {
const { title, steps } = useIntlayer("home-screen");
return (
<ParallaxScrollView
headerBackgroundColor={{ light: "#A1CEDC", dark: "#1D3D47" }}
headerImage={
<Image
source={require("@/assets/images/partial-react-logo.png")}
style={styles.reactLogo}
/>
}
>
<ThemedView style={styles.titleContainer}>
<ThemedText type="title">{title}</ThemedText>
<HelloWave />
</ThemedView>
</ParallaxScrollView>
);
};
const styles = StyleSheet.create({
titleContainer: {
flexDirection: "row",
alignItems: "center",
gap: 8,
},
});
export default HomeScreen;
```
```jsx fileName="app/(tabs)/index.content.msx" codeFormat="esm"
import { Image, StyleSheet, Platform } from "react-native";
import { useIntlayer } from "react-intlayer";
import { HelloWave } from "@/components/HelloWave";
import ParallaxScrollView from "@/components/ParallaxScrollView";
import { ThemedText } from "@/components/ThemedText";
import { ThemedView } from "@/components/ThemedView";
const HomeScreen = () => {
const { title, steps } = useIntlayer("home-screen");
return (
<ParallaxScrollView
headerBackgroundColor={{ light: "#A1CEDC", dark: "#1D3D47" }}
headerImage={
<Image
source={require("@/assets/images/partial-react-logo.png")}
style={styles.reactLogo}
/>
}
>
<ThemedView style={styles.titleContainer}>
<ThemedText type="title">{title}</ThemedText>
<HelloWave />
</ThemedView>
</ParallaxScrollView>
);
};
const styles = StyleSheet.create({
titleContainer: {
flexDirection: "row",
alignItems: "center",
gap: 8,
},
});
export default HomeScreen;
```
```jsx fileName="app/(tabs)/index.content.csx" codeFormat="commonjs"
const { Image, StyleSheet, Platform } = require("react-native");
const { useIntlayer } = require("react-intlayer");
const { HelloWave } = require("@/components/HelloWave");
const ParallaxScrollView = require("@/components/ParallaxScrollView");
const { ThemedText } = require("@/components/ThemedText");
const { ThemedView } = require("@/components/ThemedView");
const HomeScreen = () => {
const { title, steps } = useIntlayer("home-screen");
return (
<ParallaxScrollView
headerBackgroundColor={{ light: "#A1CEDC", dark: "#1D3D47" }}
headerImage={
<Image
source={require("@/assets/images/partial-react-logo.png")}
style={styles.reactLogo}
/>
}
>
<ThemedView style={styles.titleContainer}>
<ThemedText type="title">{title}</ThemedText>
<HelloWave />
</ThemedView>
</ParallaxScrollView>
);
};
const styles = StyleSheet.create({
titleContainer: {
flexDirection: "row",
alignItems: "center",
gap: 8,
},
});
module.exports = HomeScreen;
```
> When using `content.someKey` in string-based props (e.g., a button’s `title` or a `Text` component’s `children`), **call `content.someKey.value`** to get the actual string.
---
## (Optional) Step 5: Change the App Locale
To switch locales from within your components, you can use the `useLocale` hook’s `setLocale` method:
```tsx fileName="src/components/LocaleSwitcher.tsx" codeFormat="typescript"
import { type FC } from "react";
import { View, Text, TouchableOpacity, StyleSheet } from "react-native";
import { getLocaleName } from "intlayer";
import { useLocale } from "react-intlayer";
export const LocaleSwitcher: FC = () => {
const { setLocale, availableLocales } = useLocale();
return (
<View style={styles.container}>
{availableLocales.map((locale) => (
<TouchableOpacity
key={locale}
style={styles.button}
onPress={() => setLocale(locale)}
>
<Text style={styles.text}>{getLocaleName(locale)}</Text>
</TouchableOpacity>
))}
</View>
);
};
const styles = StyleSheet.create({
container: {
flexDirection: "row",
justifyContent: "center",
alignItems: "center",
gap: 8,
},
button: {
paddingVertical: 6,
paddingHorizontal: 12,
borderRadius: 6,
backgroundColor: "#ddd",
},
text: {
fontSize: 14,
fontWeight: "500",
color: "#333",
},
});
```
```jsx fileName="src/components/LocaleSwitcher.msx" codeFormat="esm"
import { View, Text, TouchableOpacity, StyleSheet } from "react-native";
import { getLocaleName } from "intlayer";
import { useLocale } from "react-intlayer";
export const LocaleSwitcher = () => {
const { setLocale, availableLocales } = useLocale();
return (
<View style={styles.container}>
{availableLocales.map((locale) => (
<TouchableOpacity
key={locale}
style={styles.button}
onPress={() => setLocale(locale)}
>
<Text style={styles.text}>{getLocaleName(locale)}</Text>
</TouchableOpacity>
))}
</View>
);
};
const styles = StyleSheet.create({
container: {
flexDirection: "row",
justifyContent: "center",
alignItems: "center",
gap: 8,
},
button: {
paddingVertical: 6,
paddingHorizontal: 12,
borderRadius: 6,
backgroundColor: "#ddd",
},
text: {
fontSize: 14,
fontWeight: "500",
color: "#333",
},
});
```
```jsx fileName="src/components/LocaleSwitcher.csx" codeFormat="commonjs"
const { View, Text, TouchableOpacity, StyleSheet } = require("react-native");
const { getLocaleName } = require("intlayer");
const { useLocale } = require("react-intlayer");
const LocaleSwitcher = () => {
const { setLocale, availableLocales } = useLocale();
return (
<View style={styles.container}>
{availableLocales.map((locale) => (
<TouchableOpacity
key={locale}
style={styles.button}
onPress={() => setLocale(locale)}
>
<Text style={styles.text}>{getLocaleName(locale)}</Text>
</TouchableOpacity>
))}
</View>
);
};
const styles = StyleSheet.create({
container: {
flexDirection: "row",
justifyContent: "center",
alignItems: "center",
gap: 8,
},
button: {
paddingVertical: 6,
paddingHorizontal: 12,
borderRadius: 6,
backgroundColor: "#ddd",
},
text: {
fontSize: 14,
fontWeight: "500",
color: "#333",
},
});
```
This triggers a re-render of all components that use Intlayer content, now showing translations for the new locale.
> See [`useLocale` docs](https://github.com/aymericzip/intlayer/blob/main/docs/docs/en/packages/react-intlayer/useLocale.md) for more details.
## Configure TypeScript (if you use TypeScript)
Intlayer generates type definitions in a hidden folder (by default `.intlayer`) to improve autocompletion and catch translation errors:
```json5
// tsconfig.json
{
// ... your existing TS config
"include": [
"src", // your source code
".intlayer/types/**/*.ts", // <-- ensure the auto-generated types are included
// ... anything else you already include
],
}
```
This is what enables features like:
- **Autocompletion** for your dictionary keys.
- **Type checking** that warns if you access a non-existent key or mismatch the type.
---
## Git Configuration
To avoid committing auto-generated files by Intlayer, add the following to your `.gitignore`:
```plaintext
# Ignore the files generated by Intlayer
.intlayer
```
---
### VS Code Extension
To improve your development experience with Intlayer, you can install the official **Intlayer VS Code Extension**.
[Install from the VS Code Marketplace](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=intlayer.intlayer-vs-code-extension)
This extension provides:
- **Autocompletion** for translation keys.
- **Real-time error detection** for missing translations.
- **Inline previews** of translated content.
- **Quick actions** to easily create and update translations.
For more details on how to use the extension, refer to the [Intlayer VS Code Extension documentation](https://intlayer.org/doc/vs-code-extension).
---
## Go Further
- **Visual Editor**: Use the [Intlayer Visual Editor](https://github.com/aymericzip/intlayer/blob/main/docs/docs/en/intlayer_visual_editor.md) to manage translations visually.
- **CMS Integration**: You can also externalize and fetch your dictionary content from a [CMS](https://github.com/aymericzip/intlayer/blob/main/docs/docs/en/intlayer_CMS.md).
- **CLI Commands**: Explore the [Intlayer CLI](https://github.com/aymericzip/intlayer/blob/main/docs/docs/en/cli/index.md) for tasks like **extracting translations** or **checking missing keys**.
Enjoy building your **React Native** apps with fully powered i18n through **Intlayer**!
---
### Debug
React Native can be less stable than React Web, so pay extra attention to version alignment.
Intlayer primarily targets the Web Intl API; on React Native you must include the appropriate polyfills.
Checklist:
- Use the latest versions of `intlayer`, `react-intlayer`, and `react-native-intlayer`.
- Enable the Intlayer polyfill.
- If you use `getLocaleName` or other Intl-API-based utilities, import these polyfills early (for example in `index.js` or `App.tsx`):
```ts
import "intl";
import "@formatjs/intl-getcanonicallocales/polyfill";
import "@formatjs/intl-locale/polyfill";
import "@formatjs/intl-pluralrules/polyfill";
import "@formatjs/intl-displaynames/polyfill";
import "@formatjs/intl-listformat/polyfill";
import "@formatjs/intl-numberformat/polyfill";
import "@formatjs/intl-relativetimeformat/polyfill";
import "@formatjs/intl-datetimeformat/polyfill";
```
- Verify your Metro configuration (resolver aliases, asset plugins, `tsconfig` paths) if modules fail to resolve.
---
