expo-tailwind-setup
expo
Set up Tailwind CSS v4 in Expo with react-native-css and NativeWind v5 for universal styling
bunx add-skill expo/skills -s expo-tailwind-setupLoading…
expo
Set up Tailwind CSS v4 in Expo with react-native-css and NativeWind v5 for universal styling
bunx add-skill expo/skills -s expo-tailwind-setupLoading…
This guide covers setting up Tailwind CSS v4 in Expo using react-native-css and NativeWind v5 for universal styling across iOS, Android, and Web.
This setup uses:
# Install dependencies
npx expo install tailwindcss@^4 nativewind@5.0.0-preview.2 react-native-css@0.0.0-nightly.5ce6396 @tailwindcss/postcss tailwind-merge clsx
Add resolutions for lightningcss compatibility:
// package.json
{
"resolutions": {
"lightningcss": "1.30.1"
}
}
Create or update metro.config.js:
// metro.config.js
const { getDefaultConfig } = require("expo/metro-config");
const { withNativewind } = require("nativewind/metro");
/** @type {import('expo/metro-config').MetroConfig} */
const config = getDefaultConfig(__dirname);
module.exports = withNativewind(config, {
// inline variables break PlatformColor in CSS variables
inlineVariables: false,
// We add className support manually
globalClassNamePolyfill: false,
});
Create postcss.config.mjs:
// postcss.config.mjs
export default {
plugins: {
"@tailwindcss/postcss": {},
},
};
Create src/global.css:
@import "tailwindcss/theme.css" layer(theme);
@import "tailwindcss/preflight.css" layer(base);
@import "tailwindcss/utilities.css";
/* Platform-specific font families */
@media android {
:root {
--font-mono: monospace;
--font-rounded: normal;
--font-serif: serif;
--font-sans: normal;
}
}
@media ios {
:root {
--font-mono: ui-monospace;
--font-serif: ui-serif;
--font-sans: system-ui;
--font-rounded: ui-rounded;
}
}
With Tailwind v4 and NativeWind v5, you do NOT need a babel.config.js for Tailwind. Remove any NativeWind babel presets if present:
// DELETE babel.config.js if it only contains NativeWind config
// The following is NO LONGER needed:
// module.exports = function (api) {
// api.cache(true);
// return {
// presets: [
// ["babel-preset-expo", { jsxImportSource: "nativewind" }],
// "nativewind/babel",
// ],
// };
// };
Since react-native-css requires explicit CSS element wrapping, create reusable components:
src/tw/index.tsx)import {
useCssElement,
useNativeVariable as useFunctionalVariable,
} from "react-native-css";
import { Link as RouterLink } from "expo-router";
import Animated from "react-native-reanimated";
import React from "react";
import {
View as RNView,
Text as RNText,
Pressable as RNPressable,
ScrollView as RNScrollView,
TouchableHighlight as RNTouchableHighlight,
TextInput as RNTextInput,
StyleSheet,
} from "react-native";
// CSS-enabled Link
export const Link = (
props: React.ComponentProps<typeof RouterLink> & { className?: string }
) => {
return useCssElement(RouterLink, props, { className: "style" });
};
Link.Trigger = RouterLink.Trigger;
Link.Menu = RouterLink.Menu;
Link.MenuAction = RouterLink.MenuAction;
Link.Preview = RouterLink.Preview;
// CSS Variable hook
export const useCSSVariable =
process.env.EXPO_OS !== "web"
? useFunctionalVariable
: (variable: string) => `var(${variable})`;
// View
export type ViewProps = React.ComponentProps<typeof RNView> & {
className?: string;
};
export const View = (props: ViewProps) => {
return useCssElement(RNView, props, { className: "style" });
};
View.displayName = "CSS(View)";
// Text
export const Text = (
props: React.ComponentProps<typeof RNText> & { className?: string }
) => {
return useCssElement(RNText, props, { className: "style" });
};
Text.displayName = "CSS(Text)";
// ScrollView
export const ScrollView = (
props: React.ComponentProps<typeof RNScrollView> & {
className?: string;
contentContainerClassName?: string;
}
) => {
return useCssElement(RNScrollView, props, {
className: "style",
contentContainerClassName: "contentContainerStyle",
});
};
ScrollView.displayName = "CSS(ScrollView)";
// Pressable
export const Pressable = (
props: React.ComponentProps<typeof RNPressable> & { className?: string }
) => {
return useCssElement(RNPressable, props, { className: "style" });
};
Pressable.displayName = "CSS(Pressable)";
// TextInput
export const TextInput = (
props: React.ComponentProps<typeof RNTextInput> & { className?: string }
) => {
return useCssElement(RNTextInput, props, { className: "style" });
};
TextInput.displayName = "CSS(TextInput)";
// AnimatedScrollView
export const AnimatedScrollView = (
props: React.ComponentProps<typeof Animated.ScrollView> & {
className?: string;
contentClassName?: string;
contentContainerClassName?: string;
}
) => {
return useCssElement(Animated.ScrollView, props, {
className: "style",
contentClassName: "contentContainerStyle",
contentContainerClassName: "contentContainerStyle",
});
};
// TouchableHighlight with underlayColor extraction
function XXTouchableHighlight(
props: React.ComponentProps<typeof RNTouchableHighlight>
) {
const { underlayColor, ...style } = StyleSheet.flatten(props.style) || {};
return (
<RNTouchableHighlight
underlayColor={underlayColor}
{...props}
style={style}
/>
);
}
export const TouchableHighlight = (
props: React.ComponentProps<typeof RNTouchableHighlight>
) => {
return useCssElement(XXTouchableHighlight, props, { className: "style" });
};
TouchableHighlight.displayName = "CSS(TouchableHighlight)";
src/tw/image.tsx)import { useCssElement } from "react-native-css";
import React from "react";
import { StyleSheet } from "react-native";
import Animated from "react-native-reanimated";
import { Image as RNImage } from "expo-image";
const AnimatedExpoImage = Animated.createAnimatedComponent(RNImage);
export type ImageProps = React.ComponentProps<typeof Image>;
function CSSImage(props: React.ComponentProps<typeof AnimatedExpoImage>) {
// @ts-expect-error: Remap objectFit style to contentFit property
const { objectFit, objectPosition, ...style } =
StyleSheet.flatten(props.style) || {};
return (
<AnimatedExpoImage
contentFit={objectFit}
contentPosition={objectPosition}
{...props}
source={
typeof props.source === "string" ? { uri: props.source } : props.source
}
// @ts-expect-error: Style is remapped above
style={style}
/>
);
}
export const Image = (
props: React.ComponentProps<typeof CSSImage> & { className?: string }
) => {
return useCssElement(CSSImage, props, { className: "style" });
};
Image.displayName = "CSS(Image)";
src/tw/animated.tsx)import * as TW from "./index";
import RNAnimated from "react-native-reanimated";
export const Animated = {
...RNAnimated,
View: RNAnimated.createAnimatedComponent(TW.View),
};
Import CSS-wrapped components from your tw directory:
import { View, Text, ScrollView, Image } from "@/tw";
export default function MyScreen() {
return (
<ScrollView className="flex-1 bg-white">
<View className="p-4 gap-4">
<Text className="text-xl font-bold text-gray-900">Hello Tailwind!</Text>
<Image
className="w-full h-48 rounded-lg object-cover"
source={{ uri: "https://example.com/image.jpg" }}
/>
</View>
</ScrollView>
);
}
Add custom theme variables in your global.css using @theme:
@layer theme {
@theme {
/* Custom fonts */
--font-rounded: "SF Pro Rounded", sans-serif;
/* Custom line heights */
--text-xs--line-height: calc(1em / 0.75);
--text-sm--line-height: calc(1.25em / 0.875);
--text-base--line-height: calc(1.5em / 1);
/* Custom leading scales */
--leading-tight: 1.25em;
--leading-snug: 1.375em;
--leading-normal: 1.5em;
}
}
Use platform media queries for platform-specific styling:
@media ios {
:root {
--font-sans: system-ui;
--font-rounded: ui-rounded;
}
}
@media android {
:root {
--font-sans: normal;
--font-rounded: normal;
}
}
Create a CSS file for Apple semantic colors:
/* src/css/sf.css */
@layer base {
html {
color-scheme: light;
}
}
:root {
/* Accent colors with light/dark mode */
--sf-blue: light-dark(rgb(0 122 255), rgb(10 132 255));
--sf-green: light-dark(rgb(52 199 89), rgb(48 209 89));
--sf-red: light-dark(rgb(255 59 48), rgb(255 69 58));
/* Gray scales */
--sf-gray: light-dark(rgb(142 142 147), rgb(142 142 147));
--sf-gray-2: light-dark(rgb(174 174 178), rgb(99 99 102));
/* Text colors */
--sf-text: light-dark(rgb(0 0 0), rgb(255 255 255));
--sf-text-2: light-dark(rgb(60 60 67 / 0.6), rgb(235 235 245 / 0.6));
/* Background colors */
--sf-bg: light-dark(rgb(255 255 255), rgb(0 0 0));
--sf-bg-2: light-dark(rgb(242 242 247), rgb(28 28 30));
}
/* iOS native colors via platformColor */
@media ios {
:root {
--sf-blue: platformColor(systemBlue);
--sf-green: platformColor(systemGreen);
--sf-red: platformColor(systemRed);
--sf-gray: platformColor(systemGray);
--sf-text: platformColor(label);
--sf-text-2: platformColor(secondaryLabel);
--sf-bg: platformColor(systemBackground);
--sf-bg-2: platformColor(secondarySystemBackground);
}
}
/* Register as Tailwind theme colors */
@layer theme {
@theme {
--color-sf-blue: var(--sf-blue);
--color-sf-green: var(--sf-green);
--color-sf-red: var(--sf-red);
--color-sf-gray: var(--sf-gray);
--color-sf-text: var(--sf-text);
--color-sf-text-2: var(--sf-text-2);
--color-sf-bg: var(--sf-bg);
--color-sf-bg-2: var(--sf-bg-2);
}
}
Then use in components:
<Text className="text-sf-text">Primary text</Text>
<Text className="text-sf-text-2">Secondary text</Text>
<View className="bg-sf-bg">...</View>
Use the useCSSVariable hook:
import { useCSSVariable } from "@/tw";
function MyComponent() {
const blue = useCSSVariable("--sf-blue");
return <View style={{ borderColor: blue }} />;
}
@tailwindcss/postcss instead of tailwindcss@import "tailwindcss/..." instead of @tailwind directives@theme in CSS instead of tailwind.config.jsuseCssElement for className supportwithNativewind with different options (inlineVariables: false)useCssElementwithNativewind appliedplatformColor() in @media ios blockslight-dark() for web/AndroidAdd className to component props:
type Props = React.ComponentProps<typeof RNView> & { className?: string };
Use when you need to run Flow type checking, or when seeing Flow type errors in React code.
Use when you want to validate changes before committing, or when you need to check all React contribution requirements.
Use when feature flag tests fail, flags need updating, understanding @gate pragmas, debugging channel-specific test failures, or adding new flags to React.
Use when you need to check feature flag states, compare channels, or debug why a feature behaves differently across release channels.