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Aneeqa Khan
Aneeqa Khan

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Top Icon Libraries to Enhance Your React Native App’s UI

#reactnative #javascript #programming #tutorial

In React Native, there are several popular libraries for using icons in your application. Here are some of the most commonly used icon libraries:

1. React Native Vector Icons

  • Description: The most popular and comprehensive icon library for React Native, featuring a wide range of icons from different icon sets.

  • Icon Packs: FontAwesome, Ionicons, MaterialIcons, Feather, and many more.

  • Installation:

npm install react-native-vector-icons
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  • Usage: 
import Icon from 'react-native-vector-icons/Ionicons';

<Icon name="home" size={30} color="#900" />
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2. React Native Paper

  • Description: A library that follows Material Design standards, and it includes built-in support for icons through react-native-vector-icons.

  • Icon Packs: Primarily MaterialIcons, but can integrate with any vector icon set.

  • Installation:

npm install react-native-paper
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  • Usage: 
import { IconButton } from 'react-native-paper';

<IconButton icon="camera" size={30} color="#900" />
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3. React Native Elements

  • Description: A UI toolkit for React Native that includes support for icons from react-native-vector-icons.
  • Icon Packs: FontAwesome, MaterialIcons, Feather, and more.
  • Installation: 
npm install react-native-elements
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  • Usage: 
import { Icon } from 'react-native-elements';

<Icon name="sc-telegram" type="evilicon" color="#517fa4" />
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4. Expo Vector Icons (for Expo projects)

  • Description: If you are using Expo, it includes react-native-vector-icons by default, so you don't need to install it separately.
  • Icon Packs: FontAwesome, Ionicons, MaterialIcons, and more.
  • Usage: 
import { Ionicons } from '@expo/vector-icons';

<Ionicons name="md-checkmark-circle" size={32} color="green" />
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5. React Native FontAwesome

  • Description: If you need specifically FontAwesome icons, this library is a direct wrapper around FontAwesome icons for React Native.
  • Installation: 
npm install react-native-fontawesome
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  • Usage: 
import { FontAwesomeIcon } from '@fortawesome/react-native-fontawesome';
import { faCoffee } from '@fortawesome/free-solid-svg-icons';

<FontAwesomeIcon icon={faCoffee} size={30} color="#900" />
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6. React Native Material Icons

  • Description: This is a simple and specific library for using Material Design icons in React Native apps.
  • Installation: 
npm install react-native-material-ui-icons
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  • Usage: 
import MaterialIcons from 'react-native-vector-icons/MaterialIcons';

<MaterialIcons name="alarm" size={30} color="#900" />
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7. React Native Feather Icons

  • Description: Feather icons are minimalistic and lightweight, offering a clean, modern look.
  • Installation: 
npm install react-native-feather
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  • Usage: 
import { Icon } from 'react-native-feather';

<Icon name="camera" size={24} color="black" />
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Each of these libraries offers a variety of icon sets, and the choice depends on your app’s design and requirements. The most commonly used and versatile library is react-native-vector-icons, which supports multiple icon sets and easily integrates with other UI libraries.

Thank you for reading! Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn or GitHub.

Top comments (1)

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abubakr_siddik_2abfdb7a profile image
AbuBakr (SiddiK) •

Great roundup! React Native Vector Icons is definitely the go‑to, but Hugeicons deserves a mention too. Its massive, consistent library makes it easy to keep UI polished without juggling multiple sets.