Vibe Coding for Mobile Apps: React Native + AI Guide

Mobile app development has always been intimidating. You need to learn platform-specific languages (Swift for iOS, Kotlin for Android), understand different UI paradigms, and deal with app store submission processes.

But with React Native and Vibe Coding, you can build cross-platform mobile apps using the same workflow you use for web development.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll build a mobile app from scratch using only natural language prompts in Cursor.

What We're Building

App Name: FitTrack
Purpose: A fitness tracking app
Features:
* Home screen with daily step count
* Workout logger
* Progress charts
* Settings screen
* Works on both iOS and Android

Tech Stack:
* React Native
* Expo (for easy development and deployment)
* React Navigation (for screens)
* AsyncStorage (for local data)

Step 1: Set Up the Environment

Install Prerequisites

“`bash

Install Node.js (if not already installed)

Install Expo CLI

npm install -g expo-cli
“`

Create a New Project

“`bash
npx create-expo-app@latest fittrack
cd fittrack
“`

Open in Cursor

“`bash
cursor .
“`

Step 2: The Initial App Structure Prompt

Open Cursor's Composer (`Cmd+I`) and paste:

> “I'm building a fitness tracking mobile app called FitTrack using React Native and Expo. Set up the basic app structure with:
> 1. Bottom tab navigation with 3 screens: Home, Workouts, Settings
> 2. Use React Navigation for routing
> 3. Create placeholder components for each screen
> 4. Use a modern color scheme (blues and purples)
> 5. Make sure it works on both iOS and Android
>
> Install necessary dependencies and update App.js with the navigation setup.”

Press Enter and wait.

Step 3: Review the Generated Structure

Cursor will:
1. Install dependencies (`@react-navigation/native`, `@react-navigation/bottom-tabs`)
2. Create screen components
3. Set up navigation

Generated File Structure:

“`
src/
├── screens/
│ ├── HomeScreen.js
│ ├── WorkoutsScreen.js
│ └── SettingsScreen.js
├── components/
│ └── (will be added later)
└── navigation/
└── AppNavigator.js
“`

Step 4: Build the Home Screen

Prompt:
> “Create the HomeScreen component. It should display:
> – A greeting with the user's name (hardcoded as ‘Alex' for now)
> – Today's date
> – A large circular progress indicator showing steps (current: 6,543 / goal: 10,000)
> – Three metric cards showing: Calories (450), Distance (4.2 km), Active Minutes (32)
> – Use a gradient background
> – Make it look modern and professional”

Cursor will generate a beautiful home screen with all the requested elements.

Step 5: Build the Workouts Screen

Prompt:
> “Create the WorkoutsScreen. It should:
> – Display a list of recent workouts (use dummy data for now)
> – Each workout card shows: exercise name, duration, calories burned, and date
> – Have a floating action button (FAB) at the bottom right to add a new workout
> – When the FAB is pressed, show a modal with a form to log a new workout
> – The form should have: exercise type (dropdown), duration (number input), notes (text area)
> – Save new workouts to AsyncStorage”

Step 6: Add Charts to Track Progress

Prompt:
> “Add a ‘Progress' tab to the navigation. On this screen:
> – Show a line chart of steps over the last 7 days
> – Show a bar chart of workouts per week
> – Use the ‘react-native-chart-kit' library
> – Use dummy data for now
> – Make the charts responsive and visually appealing”

Step 7: Implement Data Persistence

Prompt:
> “Update the app to use AsyncStorage for data persistence:
> 1. Create a data service file (`src/services/storage.js`) with functions to save and load workouts
> 2. Update WorkoutsScreen to load workouts from storage on mount
> 3. When a new workout is added, save it to storage
> 4. Add error handling for storage operations”

Step 8: Add Animations

Mobile apps feel more polished with animations.

Prompt:
> “Add smooth animations to the app:
> – Fade-in animation when screens load
> – Slide-up animation when the workout modal appears
> – Bounce animation when the FAB is pressed
> – Use React Native's Animated API”

Step 9: Test on Real Devices

Run on iOS Simulator (Mac only)

“`bash
npm run ios
“`

Run on Android Emulator

“`bash
npm run android
“`

Test on Your Phone

1. Install the Expo Go app from the App Store / Play Store
2. Run `npm start`
3. Scan the QR code with your phone

Step 10: Iterate with Vibes

Iteration 1: Add Dark Mode

Prompt:
> “Add dark mode support. Create a theme context that toggles between light and dark themes. Add a switch in the Settings screen to toggle dark mode. Save the preference to AsyncStorage.”

Iteration 2: Add Notifications

Prompt:
> “Add local notifications to remind the user to log their workout. Use expo-notifications. Allow the user to set a reminder time in the Settings screen.”

Iteration 3: Add Onboarding

Prompt:
> “Create an onboarding flow for first-time users. It should have 3 screens explaining the app's features. Show this only on the first launch. Use AsyncStorage to track if the user has completed onboarding.”

Step 11: Prepare for App Store Submission

Update App Icon and Splash Screen

Prompt:
> “Generate an app icon and splash screen for FitTrack. The icon should be a simple, modern design with a running shoe or fitness theme. Use blue and purple gradients.”

Build for Production

“`bash

For iOS

eas build –platform ios

For Android

eas build –platform android
“`

Advanced: Adding Native Features

Once you're comfortable, you can add native features:

Camera Integration

Prompt:
> “Add a feature to take a photo of meals for calorie tracking. Use expo-camera to access the device camera.”

Health Data Integration

Prompt:
> “Integrate with Apple Health (iOS) and Google Fit (Android) to sync step data automatically.”

Push Notifications

Prompt:
> “Set up push notifications using Firebase Cloud Messaging to send motivational messages.”

Common Mobile Development Challenges (And How AI Helps)

Challenge 1: Platform-Specific Code

Solution: Prompt the AI to handle platform differences automatically using `Platform.OS`.

Challenge 2: Performance Optimization

Prompt:
> “Optimize the WorkoutsScreen for large lists. Use FlatList with proper optimization (keyExtractor, getItemLayout, etc.).”

Challenge 3: Responsive Design

Prompt:
> “Make all screens responsive to different screen sizes. Use Dimensions API and percentage-based widths.”

Conclusion

Building mobile apps used to require months of learning platform-specific technologies. With React Native and Vibe Coding, you can build cross-platform apps using the same skills you use for web development.

At BYS Marketing, we've built multiple mobile apps for clients using this approach. We can go from concept to App Store submission in weeks, not months.

—

Have an app idea?
Contact BYS Marketing. We turn ideas into apps faster than you thought possible.