Initial SDK setup

This reference article covers how to install the Braze SDK for React Native. Installing the Braze React Native SDK provides basic analytics functionality and lets you integrate in-app messages and Content Cards for both iOS and Android with just one codebase.

Prerequisites and compatibility

To set up this SDK, React Native v0.71 or later is required. For the full list of supported versions, see our React Native SDK GitHub repository.

React Native New Architecture Support

Using Braze with the New Architecture

The Braze React Native SDK is compatible with any apps using the React Native New Architecture starting from SDK version 2.0.1+.

As of SDK version 6.0.0, Braze has been upgraded internally to a React Native Turbo Module, which can still be used with either the New Architecture or the legacy bridge architecture. Because the Turbo Module is backwards compatible, no migration steps are required other than the breaking changes mentioned in the Changelog and requiring React Native v0.70+.

Step 1: Integrate the Braze library

• npm
• yarn

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npm install @braze/react-native-sdk

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yarn add @braze/react-native-sdk

Step 2: Complete native setup

• expo
• android
• ios

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expo install @braze/expo-plugin

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{
  "expo": {
    "plugins": [
      [
        "@braze/expo-plugin",
        {
          "androidApiKey": "YOUR-ANDROID-API-KEY",
          "iosApiKey": "YOUR-IOS-API-KEY",
          "baseUrl": "YOUR-SDK-ENDPOINT",
          "sessionTimeout": 60,
          "enableGeofence": false,
          "enableBrazeIosPush": false,
          "enableFirebaseCloudMessaging": false,
          "firebaseCloudMessagingSenderId": "YOUR-FCM-SENDER-ID",
          "androidHandlePushDeepLinksAutomatically": true,
          "enableSdkAuthentication": false,
          "logLevel": 0,
          "minimumTriggerIntervalInSeconds": 0,
          "enableAutomaticLocationCollection": false,
          "enableAutomaticGeofenceRequests": false,
          "dismissModalOnOutsideTap": true,
          "androidPushNotificationHtmlRenderingEnabled": true,
          "androidNotificationAccentColor": "#ff3344",
          "androidNotificationLargeIcon": "@drawable/custom_app_large_icon",
          "androidNotificationSmallIcon": "@drawable/custom_app_small_icon",
          "iosRequestPushPermissionsAutomatically": false,
          "enableBrazeIosPushStories": true,
          "iosPushStoryAppGroup": "group.com.example.myapp.PushStories"
        }
      ],
    ]
  }
}

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expo prebuild

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buildscript {
    dependencies {
        ...
        // Choose your Kotlin version
        classpath("org.jetbrains.kotlin:kotlin-gradle-plugin:1.8.10")
    }
}

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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<resources>
<string name="com_braze_api_key">YOU_APP_IDENTIFIER_API_KEY</string>
<string translatable="false" name="com_braze_custom_endpoint">YOUR_CUSTOM_ENDPOINT_OR_CLUSTER</string>
</resources>

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<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE" />

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import com.braze.BrazeActivityLifecycleCallbackListener;

@Override
public void onCreate() {
    super.onCreate();
    ...
    registerActivityLifecycleCallbacks(new BrazeActivityLifecycleCallbackListener());
}

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import com.braze.BrazeActivityLifecycleCallbackListener

override fun onCreate() {
    super.onCreate()
    ...
    registerActivityLifecycleCallbacks(BrazeActivityLifecycleCallbackListener())
}

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@Override
public void onNewIntent(Intent intent) {
    super.onNewIntent(intent);
    setIntent(intent);
}

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override fun onNewIntent(intent: Intent) {
    super.onNewIntent(intent)
    setIntent(intent)
}

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pod 'BrazeKit', :podspec => 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/braze-inc/braze-swift-sdk-prebuilt-dynamic/{your-version}/BrazeKit.podspec'
pod 'BrazeUI', :podspec => 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/braze-inc/braze-swift-sdk-prebuilt-dynamic/{your-version}/BrazeUI.podspec'
pod 'BrazeLocation', :podspec => 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/braze-inc/braze-swift-sdk-prebuilt-dynamic/{your-version}/BrazeLocation.podspec'

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# To install using the React Native New Architecture
cd ios && RCT_NEW_ARCH_ENABLED=1 pod install

# To install using the React Native legacy architecture
cd ios && pod install

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import BrazeKit

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func application(
    _ application: UIApplication,
    didFinishLaunchingWithOptions launchOptions: [UIApplication.LaunchOptionsKey : Any]? = nil
) -> Bool {
    // Setup Braze
    let configuration = Braze.Configuration(
        apiKey: "{BRAZE_API_KEY}",
        endpoint: "{BRAZE_ENDPOINT}")
    // Enable logging and customize the configuration here.
    configuration.logger.level = .info
    let braze = BrazeReactBridge.perform(
      #selector(BrazeReactBridge.initBraze(_:)),
      with: configuration
    ).takeUnretainedValue() as! Braze

    AppDelegate.braze = braze

    /* Other configuration */

    return true
}

// MARK: - AppDelegate.braze

static var braze: Braze? = nil

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#import <BrazeKit/BrazeKit-Swift.h>
#import "BrazeReactBridge.h"

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- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application
    didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:(NSDictionary *)launchOptions {
  // Setup Braze
  BRZConfiguration *configuration = [[BRZConfiguration alloc] initWithApiKey:@"{BRAZE_API_KEY}"
                                                                    endpoint:@"{BRAZE_ENDPOINT}"];
  // Enable logging and customize the configuration here.
  configuration.logger.level = BRZLoggerLevelInfo;
  Braze *braze = [BrazeReactBridge initBraze:configuration];
  AppDelegate.braze = braze;

  /* Other configuration */

  return YES;
}

#pragma mark - AppDelegate.braze

static Braze *_braze = nil;

+ (Braze *)braze {
  return _braze;
}

+ (void)setBraze:(Braze *)braze {
  _braze = braze;
}

Step 3: Usage

Once installed, you can import the library in your React Native code:

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import Braze from "@braze/react-native-sdk";

Reference our sample project for more details.

Test your basic integration

At this point, you can verify that the SDK is integrated by checking session statistics in the dashboard. If you run your application on either platform, you should see a new session in dashboard (in the Overview section).

You can start a session for a particular user by calling the following code in your app.

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Braze.changeUser("userId");

For example, you can assign the user ID at the startup of the app:

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import React, { useEffect } from "react";
import Braze from "@braze/react-native-sdk";

const App = () => {
  useEffect(() => {
    Braze.changeUser("some-user-id");
  }, []);

  return (
    <div>
      ...
    </div>
  )

You can then search for the user with some-user-id in the dashboard under User Search. There, you can verify that session and device data have been logged.