# Native is now the future of mobile at Shopify

DevFeed: [Native is now the future of mobile at Shopify](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/native-is-now-the-future-of-mobile-at-shopify-31158.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://simonwillison.net/2026/Sep/10/shopify-react-native/>)

Author: Simon Willison

Published: 2026-09-10T21:11:15Z

Content type: opinion

Language: en

Sources: [Simon Willison's Weblog](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/simon-willison-s-weblog.md>)

Topics: [Mobile](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/mobile.md>), [React Native](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/react-native.md>), [Shopify](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/shopify.md>), [AI-assisted coding](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/ai-assisted-coding.md>), [Kotlin](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/kotlin.md>), [Swift](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/swift.md>), [Open Source](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/open-source.md>), [Android](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/android.md>), [Generative AI](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/generative-ai.md>), [iOS](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/ios.md>)

Tags: [ai](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ai.md>), [ai-2-236](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ai-2-236.md>), [ai-assisted-search](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ai-assisted-search.md>), [ai-assisted-search-36](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ai-assisted-search-36.md>), [android](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/android.md>), [android-14](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/android-14.md>), [coding-agents](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/coding-agents.md>), [coding-agents-248](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/coding-agents-248.md>), [generative-ai](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/generative-ai.md>), [generative-ai-1-982](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/generative-ai-1-982.md>), [ios](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ios.md>), [ios-26](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ios-26.md>), [kotlin](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/kotlin.md>), [llms](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/llms.md>), [llms-1-948](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/llms-1-948.md>), [mobile](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/mobile.md>), [mobile-41](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/mobile-41.md>), [open-source](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/open-source.md>), [open-source-320](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/open-source-320.md>), [react](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/react.md>), [react-43](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/react-43.md>), [react-native](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/react-native.md>), [shopify](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/shopify.md>), [shopify-8](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/shopify-8.md>), [swift](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/swift.md>), [swift-12](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/swift-12.md>)

## AI overview

Shopify is moving its mobile apps from React Native back to separate Swift and Kotlin codebases. The article explains that AI agents can now handle enough implementation, translation, testing, and review work to reduce the cost of maintaining separate platforms. It also notes the planned relocation or archival of Shopify's React Native libraries.

## Source excerpt

Native is now the future of mobile at Shopify Shopify are moving from React Native back to separate Swift and Kotlin codebases for their native apps, for the exact reason you would expect: We decided to switch from native to React Native in 2020 for three reasons: Stop building the same features twice Allow developers to work across the stack Spend less time chasing feature parity and more time shipping value [...] Native still means building and maintaining software on two platforms, that cost has not disappeared. What changed is that agents can now do enough of the implementation, translation, testing, and review work that it's no longer the deciding factor it was in 2020. It's a well-written post, which gives full credit to React Native as a great platform for the six years they were using it. Shopify are the maintainers of three significant React Native libraries: react-native-skia, flash-list, and restyle. The first two are finding new homes; the third "has a smaller user base than our other libraries" and will be archived at the end of 2026. Via Hacker News Tags: android, mobile, open-source, ios, ai, react, generative-ai, llms, ai-assisted-search, coding-agents, swift, shopify