Shopify is reversing its earlier decision to use React Native for mobile app development and is returning to native development with Swift and Kotlin. The company initially adopted React Native in 2020 to streamline feature development across platforms and enable more developers to contribute. While React Native delivered significant benefits, recent advances in large language models (LLMs) have altered the cost-benefit equation.
Since 2021, Shopify has integrated LLMs into its software development workflow, initially for code generation and bug fixes. By late 2025, these AI models demonstrated the ability to reduce the overhead of building and maintaining parallel native apps by automating much of the implementation, translation, testing, and review work. This capability has made native development more viable and attractive.
Shopify found that native development offers closer integration with platform capabilities and first-party tools, with fewer layers between code and hardware. Although native apps require maintaining separate codebases for iOS and Android, AI assistance has significantly lowered this burden.
To manage the transition, Shopify is migrating its major apps, including the Shop app and the larger Shopify app, using a greenfield approach. AI agents help rebuild features in Swift and Kotlin by referencing existing React Native implementations. The Shop app was fully rebuilt and released in just 12 weeks with AI assistance.
Shopify developed a system called Helix to ensure quality during migration. Helix breaks down the migration into small checkpoints that require passing tests, visual reviews, and human approval before proceeding. This iterative process helps prevent unmaintainable code and ensures stability.
To speed up AI-driven development cycles, Shopify decoupled business logic from the user interface, enabling agents to test and iterate on code rapidly via a command-line interface without relying on slow simulator interactions. This architecture supports autonomous agent workflows and faster feedback loops.
Shopify will continue supporting its React Native open-source libraries through 2026, with plans to transition stewardship to other organizations. The company acknowledges the contributions of the React Native community and partners who helped make the initial React Native adoption successful.
This shift reflects how advances in AI are reshaping software development strategies, enabling companies to revisit previous technology choices and optimize for current capabilities. Shopify’s approach aims to deliver higher-quality mobile experiences more efficiently while maintaining rigorous standards for performance and stability.
The company is actively hiring engineers to support this ambitious mobile engineering effort, which combines native development expertise with AI-driven software engineering.