Recommended pattern for global loading state in React Native apps?

[Tn0127]

I’m working on a React Native app with multiple async flows (API calls, screen transitions, background tasks).

What’s the recommended approach for managing a global loading state?

1. Options I’m considering:
2. Context API
3. Redux / Zustand
4. Screen-level local state

Curious what patterns have worked best for larger React Native apps and why.

[itisfine11]

I'e run into this a few times on larger RN apps, and what’s worked best for us is not trying to force everything into a single global loading state.

Most async stuff ends up being screen-level:

• initial fetch when a screen mounts
• submit / refresh / pagination
  Keeping that local makes the UI easier to reason about and avoids random global spinners showing up.

For things that truly block the whole app (auth bootstrap, app startup, forced re-sync), we keep loading state in a global store. We’ve used Zustand for this and it’s been pretty painless - small surface area and fewer unnecessary re-renders compared to Context.

We tried using Context for loading early on, but once the app grew it got messy:

• lots of re-renders
• hard to tell which async flow was actually “loading”
• easy to accidentally couple unrelated screens

One thing we avoid now is a single isLoading boolean. In real apps, multiple requests overlap and that flag becomes meaningless fast.

TL;DR:

• screen-level state for most loading
• global store only for app-wide flows
• avoid one global spinner for everything

That combo has scaled well for us so far.

[NineIT420]

For larger React Native apps, Zustand or Redux works best for managing global loading state because they provide predictable, centralized control across async flows and background tasks. Use screen-level local state for simple, isolated loading, and avoid Context API for frequent updates since it can trigger unnecessary re-renders and performance issues.
I hope this helps.

[starlight196826]

1️⃣ App Bootstrap Loading (blocking, once)
This is for:
• auth check
• token refresh
• feature flags
• initial API warm-up
Pattern: a top-level AppLoadingProvider
// AppBootstrap.tsx
if (!isBootstrapped) {
return ;
}
return ;
Key rules
• Happens once
• Blocks navigation
• Never reused for screen-level loading
✅ Best place: above your NavigationContainer

2️⃣ Screen / Route Loading (most common)
Each screen owns its own loading state.
const { data, isLoading, isFetching } = useQuery(...);
if (isLoading) {
return ;
}
Why this matters
• Prevents global flicker
• Allows partial UI rendering
• Keeps UX responsive
👉 Use skeletons, not spinners, whenever possible

3️⃣ Global Non-Blocking Loader (overlay)
For things like:
• form submit
• checkout
• “saving changes”
• bulk actions
Pattern: global overlay controlled by a counter (not boolean)
type LoadingContext = {
start: () => void;
stop: () => void;
};
{loadingCount > 0 && }
Why counter > boolean
• Multiple async ops
• No accidental early hide
• Scales safely
🚫 Anti-pattern:
setLoading(true);
await apiCall();
setLoading(false); // breaks if 2 calls overlap

4️⃣ Component-Level Loading (micro UX)
Buttons, lists, cards.

Rules:
• Never block the whole app
• Visual feedback only where action happened

5️⃣ Centralized async state (recommended)
Don’t reinvent loading flags.
Use:
• TanStack Query
• SWR
• Zustand (for non-server state)
useQuery({
queryKey: ['profile'],
queryFn,
staleTime: 5 * 60 * 1000,
});
You get:
• isLoading
• isFetching
• isRefetching
For free.

🧠 Ideal Loading Hierarchy (mental model)
App Bootstrap (1x, blocking)
└─ Screen Loading
└─ Component Loading
Global Overlay (cross-cutting)

[DreamSky-dev]

In larger RN apps, I’ve had the best results with a hybrid approach:
• Local (screen-level) loading for most async work (fetch, submit, pagination)
• Global store (Zustand/Redux) only for truly app-wide flows (auth bootstrap, app init, forced sync)
I avoid a single global isLoading flag - async requests overlap quickly and it becomes meaningless.
Context works early on, but at scale it tends to cause unnecessary re-renders and tight coupling.

Keeping loading state close to where it’s used, and global only when unavoidable, scales much better in real apps.
Thank you.

[Infinite15]

For large React Native apps, use a centralized state store (Zustand or Redux) for global loading states, and local state for screen-specific loaders.

[coolpenguin-dev]

Recommended approach: Use Zustand (or Redux Toolkit) for global loading states in larger React Native apps.

Why:

• Context API re-renders all subscribed components when loading changes (performance concern)
• Screen-level state doesn't work well for cross-screen operations
• Zustand is lightweight, has minimal boilerplate, and avoids unnecessary re-renders

Simple pattern:

// store.js (Zustand)
const useStore = create((set) => ({
  isLoading: false,
  setLoading: (loading) => set({ isLoading: loading }),
}))

// Use in components
const isLoading = useStore((state) => state.isLoading)

For complex flows: Track multiple loading states:

loadingStates: {
  'user-profile': true,
  'dashboard-data': false
}

Alternative: Use React Query or RTK Query if you're mainly loading from APIs - they handle loading states automatically.

Bottom line: Zustand for custom global loading, React Query for API-based loading.

[bee-dev215]

For large React Native apps, a hierarchical approach to managing loading state is most effective.
Use screen-level local state for UI-specific loading, such as button spinners or form submissions.
This simplifies components and prevents unnecessary full re-renders.
A global store is ideal for common asynchronous flows, such as authentication, app initialization, or background sync.
Zustand is often preferred due to its lightweight API and minimal boilerplate code.
Redux is still a good choice for complex side effects or middleware.
The Context API should be used with caution, as frequent use of the loading state can result in full re-renders.
Avoid using a single global loading boolean for the entire app.
Instead, model loading state by function or asynchronous operation (e.g., auth.loading, data.fetching).
This approach scales well, supports parallel asynchronous flows, and improves maintainability.

[coco-whisper]

✅ Recommended Approach: Use Zustand (or Redux Toolkit) for Global Loading State
For larger apps, Zustand is often preferred over Context API because:

• It avoids unnecessary re-renders (Context causes all consumers to re-render on any change).
• It’s lightweight, has a simple API, and integrates well with async logic.
• You can structure your store to support multiple named loading states (e.g., isLoading('userProfile'), isLoading('checkout')) instead of one monolithic boolean.

Why Not Plain Context API?

• Performance: Every time the loading state updates, all components consuming the context re-render—even if they don’t care about that specific loader.
• Scalability: Hard to manage multiple independent loading states without splitting into many contexts.

Screen-Level Local State?

• Good for isolated UI feedback (e.g., button spinners).
• Not sufficient for global indicators (e.g., top-bar spinner, modal overlay) that need to reflect any background activity.

Bonus: Combine Approaches

• Many mature apps use a hybrid strategy:
• Zustand/Redux for global loading visibility (e.g., “is anything loading?”).
  Local state for screen-specific or optimistic UI updates.

👉 Use Zustand (or Redux Toolkit if you're already using Redux) with named loading keys. It scales well, avoids performance pitfalls, and keeps your async flows decoupled from UI rendering concerns.

[nhattran945]

In larger RN apps, the pattern that scales best is not treating “loading” as one global concept.

What works well:

Screen-level loading for most async work

Data fetch on mount, pull-to-refresh, pagination, form submit → keep it local (or let React Query/SWR handle it).

This keeps UX predictable and avoids random global spinners.

Global store only for truly app-wide flows

Things like:

• auth bootstrap
• token refresh / forced re-sync
• app initialization

These belong in a small global store (Zustand or Redux Toolkit). Zustand is often enough and avoids Context-wide re-renders.

Avoid a single global isLoading boolean

Async ops overlap quickly. Use:

• scoped flags (e.g. authLoading, syncing)
• or a counter-based overlay loader if you really need a global spinner

Prefer async state libraries for server data

TanStack Query / RTK Query already give you:
isLoading, isFetching, caching, retries — no need to mirror that into global state.

[projectadampoland-max]

Best Practices:

• Avoid overloading global state - Keep screen/component-specific loading local

• Use operation IDs - For tracking specific async operations

• Consider error states - Loading states should reset on error

I- mplement timeouts - Prevent indefinite loading states

• Test with slow networks - Ensure UX remains smooth