1 RN Thing a Day – Day 11: When Is await Unnecessary?

The Basic Rule
Inside an async function:

👉 If you are just returning a Promise, you do NOT need await.

Simple Example
Look at these two functions:

Version 1

async function getData() {
  return await fetchData()
}

Version 2

async function getData() {
  return fetchData()
}

Both functions do exactly the same thing.

• They return a Promise
• They resolve to the same value
• No behavior difference

So in Version 1, the await is unnecessary.

Why This Works
An async function automatically wraps its return value in a Promise.

So when you write:

return fetchData()

JavaScript already knows it’s a Promise and returns it correctly.

Adding await just waits for the Promise and then returns the same result—without any benefit.

When await IS Needed
You need await only when you actually want to use the result.

async function getUserName() {
  const user = await fetchUser()
  return user.name
}

Here await is required because you need to access user.name.

Easy Rule to Remember

Use await when:

• You need the resolved value
• You want to do logic with the result
• You have multiple async steps

Skip await when:

• You are only returning a Promise
• No extra logic is needed

TL;DR
Inside an async function:
👉 If you are only returning a Promise, don’t use await.