React Native Testing

RNTL v13 API Reference

Complete API reference for @testing-library/react-native v13.x (React 18+).

Test renderer: react-test-renderer Element type: ReactTestInstance

Table of Contents

• Core Pattern

• render / renderAsync

• screen

• Queries

• User Event

• Fire Event / fireEventAsync

• Jest Matchers

• Async Utilities

• Other Helpers

• renderHook / renderHookAsync

• Configuration

• Accessibility

• React 19 Compatibility (v13.3+)

• Available Legacy APIs

Core Pattern

import { render, screen, userEvent } from '@testing-library/react-native';

jest.useFakeTimers(); // recommended when using userEvent

test('description', async () => {
  const user = userEvent.setup();
  render(<Component />); // sync in v13

  const button = screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Submit' });
  await user.press(button);

  expect(screen.getByText('Done')).toBeOnTheScreen();
});

render / renderAsync

function render(component: React.Element<any>, options?: RenderOptions): RenderResult;

render is synchronous in v13. Returns helpers and queries immediately.

renderAsync (v13.3+)

async function renderAsync(
  component: React.Element<any>,
  options?: RenderAsyncOptions,
): Promise<RenderAsyncResult>;

Use renderAsync for React 19 or Suspense components. When using renderAsync, use rerenderAsync and unmountAsync instead of their sync counterparts.

Options

Example

import { render, screen } from '@testing-library/react-native';

render(<MyApp />);
expect(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'start' })).toBeOnTheScreen();

// With wrapper
render(<MyComponent />, {
  wrapper: ({ children }) => <ThemeProvider>{children}</ThemeProvider>,
});

// Async (React 19 / Suspense)
await renderAsync(<SuspenseComponent />);

screen

let screen: {
  ...queries;
  rerender(element: React.Element<unknown>): void;          // sync
  rerenderAsync(element: React.Element<unknown>): Promise<void>;  // v13.3+
  unmount(): void;                                            // sync
  unmountAsync(): Promise<void>;                              // v13.3+
  debug(options?: { message?: string; mapProps?: MapPropsFunction }): void;
  toJSON(): ReactTestRendererJSON | null;
  root: ReactTestInstance;        // root host element
  UNSAFE_root: ReactTestInstance; // root composite element (avoid)
};

The screen object provides queries and utilities for the currently rendered UI. Assigned after render(), cleared after each test via auto-cleanup.

Methods

• rerender(element) — Re-render with new root element (sync). Triggers lifecycle events.

• rerenderAsync(element) — Async version for React 19 / Suspense (v13.3+).

• unmount() — Unmount the tree (sync). Usually not needed (auto-cleanup).

• unmountAsync() — Async version for React 19 / Suspense (v13.3+).

• debug({ message?, mapProps? }) — Pretty-print the rendered tree. Use mapProps to filter/transform props in output.

• toJSON() — Get JSON representation (for snapshot testing).

• root — The rendered root host element (ReactTestInstance).

• UNSAFE_root — Root composite element. Avoid; use proper queries instead.

Queries

Each query = variant + predicate (e.g., getByRole = getBy + ByRole).

Query Variants

findBy* / findAllBy* accept optional waitForOptions: { timeout?, interval?, onTimeout? }.

Query Predicates

*ByRole (preferred)

getByRole(role: TextMatch, options?: {
  name?: TextMatch;
  disabled?: boolean;
  selected?: boolean;
  checked?: boolean | 'mixed';
  busy?: boolean;
  expanded?: boolean;
  value?: { min?: number; max?: number; now?: number; text?: TextMatch };
  includeHiddenElements?: boolean;
}): ReactTestInstance;

Matches elements by role or accessibilityRole. Element must be an accessibility element:

• Text, TextInput, Switch are by default

• View needs accessible={true} (or use Pressable/TouchableOpacity)

Common roles: button, text, heading (alias: header), searchbox, switch, checkbox, radio, img, link, alert, menu, menuitem, tab, tablist, progressbar, slider, spinbutton, timer, toolbar.

screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Submit' });
screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Submit', disabled: true });
screen.getByRole('checkbox', { checked: true });
screen.getByRole('slider', { value: { now: 50, min: 0, max: 100 } });

*ByLabelText

getByLabelText(text: TextMatch, options?: { exact?: boolean; normalizer?: Function; includeHiddenElements?: boolean }): ReactTestInstance;

Matches by aria-label/accessibilityLabel or text content of element referenced by aria-labelledby/accessibilityLabelledBy.

*ByPlaceholderText

getByPlaceholderText(text: TextMatch, options?: { exact?: boolean; normalizer?: Function; includeHiddenElements?: boolean }): ReactTestInstance;

Matches TextInput by placeholder prop.

*ByText

getByText(text: TextMatch, options?: { exact?: boolean; normalizer?: Function; includeHiddenElements?: boolean }): ReactTestInstance;

Matches by text content. Joins <Text> siblings to find matches (like RN runtime).

*ByDisplayValue

getByDisplayValue(value: TextMatch, options?: { exact?: boolean; normalizer?: Function; includeHiddenElements?: boolean }): ReactTestInstance;

Matches TextInput by current display value.

*ByHintText

getByHintText(hint: TextMatch, options?: { exact?: boolean; normalizer?: Function; includeHiddenElements?: boolean }): ReactTestInstance;

Matches by accessibilityHint prop. Also available as getByA11yHint / getByAccessibilityHint.

*ByTestId (last resort)

getByTestId(testId: TextMatch, options?: { exact?: boolean; normalizer?: Function; includeHiddenElements?: boolean }): ReactTestInstance;

Matches by testID prop. Use only when other queries don't work.

TextMatch

type TextMatch = string | RegExp;

• String: exact full match by default. Use { exact: false } for case-insensitive substring match.

• RegExp: substring match by default. Use anchors (^...$) for full match.

screen.getByText('Hello World'); // exact full match
screen.getByText('llo Worl', { exact: false }); // substring, case-insensitive
screen.getByText(/World/); // regex substring
screen.getByText(/^hello world$/i); // regex full match, case-insensitive

Common Query Options

• includeHiddenElements (alias: hidden): Include elements hidden from accessibility. Default: false.

• exact: Default true. When false, matches substrings case-insensitively. No effect on RegExp.

• normalizer: Custom text normalization function. Default trims whitespace and collapses multiple spaces. Use getDefaultNormalizer({ trim?, collapseWhitespace? }) to customize.

User Event

Prefer userEvent over fireEvent. User Event simulates realistic interaction sequences on host elements only, with proper event data.

Setup

const user = userEvent.setup(options?: { delay?: number; advanceTimers?: (delay: number) => Promise<void> | void });

press(element)

await user.press(element): Promise<void>;

Full press lifecycle: pressIn → press → pressOut. Minimum 130ms. Use fake timers to speed up.

longPress(element, options?)

await user.longPress(element, { duration?: number }): Promise<void>;

Long press (default 500ms). Emits pressIn, longPress, pressOut.

type(element, text, options?)

await user.type(textInput, text: string, options?: {
  skipPress?: boolean;    // skip pressIn/pressOut
  skipBlur?: boolean;     // skip endEditing/blur
  submitEditing?: boolean; // trigger submitEditing
}): Promise<void>;

Character-by-character typing on TextInput. Appends to existing text (use clear() first to replace).

Event sequence per character: keyPress → change → changeText → selectionChange (+ contentSizeChange for multiline).

clear(element)

await user.clear(textInput): Promise<void>;

Clears TextInput content. Events: focus → selectionChange → keyPress → change → changeText → selectionChange → endEditing → blur.

paste(element, text)

await user.paste(textInput, text: string): Promise<void>;

Pastes text into TextInput. Events: focus → selectionChange → change → changeText → selectionChange → endEditing → blur.

scrollTo(element, options)

await user.scrollTo(scrollView, options: {
  y: number; momentumY?: number;   // vertical scroll
  // OR
  x: number; momentumX?: number;   // horizontal scroll
  contentSize?: { width: number; height: number };
  layoutMeasurement?: { width: number; height: number };
}): Promise<void>;

Scrolls a host ScrollView (including FlatList). Match scroll direction to horizontal prop. Pass contentSize and layoutMeasurement for FlatList updates. Remembers last scroll position between calls.

Fire Event / fireEventAsync

Use when userEvent doesn't support the event or when triggering events on composite elements.

fireEvent (sync)

function fireEvent(element: ReactTestInstance, eventName: string, ...data: unknown[]): void;

Traverses tree bottom-up looking for onXxx handler. Does not auto-pass event data.

Convenience Methods

fireEvent.press(element, ...data): void;
fireEvent.changeText(element, ...data): void;
fireEvent.scroll(element, ...data): void;

fireEventAsync (v13.3+, for React 19 / Suspense)

async function fireEventAsync(element: ReactTestInstance, eventName: string, ...data: unknown[]): Promise<unknown>;
fireEventAsync.press(element, ...data): Promise<unknown>;
fireEventAsync.changeText(element, ...data): Promise<unknown>;
fireEventAsync.scroll(element, ...data): Promise<unknown>;

Jest Matchers

Available automatically with any @testing-library/react-native import. No setup needed.

Element Existence

Element Content

Element State

Element Style

Other

Async Utilities

waitFor

function waitFor<T>(
  expectation: () => T,
  options?: { timeout?: number; interval?: number },
): Promise<T>;

Runs expectation every interval (default 50ms) until timeout (default 1000ms). Callback must throw on failure. Auto-detects and works with Jest fake timers.

Rules:

• No side effects inside callback (no fireEvent/userEvent)

• One assertion per waitFor

• Never pass empty callback

• Prefer findBy* over waitFor + getBy*

waitForElementToBeRemoved

function waitForElementToBeRemoved<T>(
  expectation: () => T,
  options?: { timeout?: number; interval?: number },
): Promise<T>;

Waits until the queried element is removed. Element must be initially present.

Other Helpers

within / getQueriesForElement

function within(element: ReactTestInstance): Queries;

Scoped queries on a subtree. Useful for querying within a single FlatList item or a specific screen.

const item = within(screen.getByTestId('list-item-1'));
expect(item.getByText('Title')).toBeOnTheScreen();

act

function act(callback: () => void): void;
function act(callback: () => Promise<void>): Promise<void>;

Re-exported from react-test-renderer. Usually not needed — render, fireEvent, userEvent, and waitFor handle it internally.

cleanup

function cleanup(): void;

Unmounts rendered trees and clears screen. Automatic after each test (if test runner supports afterEach). Don't call manually unless using @testing-library/react-native/pure.

renderHook / renderHookAsync

renderHook (sync)

function renderHook<Result, Props>(
  hookFn: (props?: Props) => Result,
  options?: { initialProps?: Props; wrapper?: React.ComponentType; concurrentRoot?: boolean },
): { result: { current: Result }; rerender: (props: Props) => void; unmount: () => void };

renderHookAsync (v13.3+)

async function renderHookAsync<Result, Props>(
  hookFn: (props?: Props) => Result,
  options?: { initialProps?: Props; wrapper?: React.ComponentType; concurrentRoot?: boolean },
): Promise<{
  result: { current: Result };
  rerenderAsync: (props: Props) => Promise<void>;
  unmountAsync: () => Promise<void>;
}>;

Renders a test component that calls the provided hook. Use act() when calling functions returned by the hook that trigger state updates.

const { result } = renderHook(() => useCount());
expect(result.current.count).toBe(0);
act(() => {
  result.current.increment();
});
expect(result.current.count).toBe(1);

// With wrapper
renderHook(() => useHook(), {
  wrapper: ({ children }) => <Provider>{children}</Provider>,
});

Configuration

function configure(
  options: Partial<{
    asyncUtilTimeout: number; // default timeout for waitFor/findBy* (default: 1000ms)
    defaultIncludeHiddenElements: boolean; // default for includeHiddenElements option (default: false)
    defaultDebugOptions: Partial<DebugOptions>;
    concurrentRoot: boolean; // default concurrent rendering (default: true)
  }>,
): void;

function resetToDefaults(): void;

Environment Variables

Accessibility

isHiddenFromAccessibility

function isHiddenFromAccessibility(element: ReactTestInstance | null): boolean;

Also available as isInaccessible() alias.

Element is hidden when it or any ancestor has:

• display: none style

• aria-hidden={true}

• accessibilityElementsHidden={true} (iOS)

• importantForAccessibility="no-hide-descendants" (Android)

• Sibling with aria-modal={true} or accessibilityViewIsModal={true} (iOS)

React 19 Compatibility (v13.3+)

For React 19 or Suspense, use async variants:

import { renderAsync, screen, fireEventAsync } from '@testing-library/react-native';

test('async component', async () => {
  await renderAsync(<SuspenseComponent />);
  await fireEventAsync.press(screen.getByRole('button'));
  expect(screen.getByText('Result')).toBeOnTheScreen();
});

Use rerenderAsync/unmountAsync instead of rerender/unmount when using renderAsync.

Available Legacy APIs

These are available in v13 but deprecated. Prefer standard alternatives:

• update(element) — Alias for rerender. Use rerender() instead.

• getQueriesForElement(element) — Alias for within. Use within() instead.

• UNSAFE_getByType, UNSAFE_getAllByType, UNSAFE_queryByType, UNSAFE_queryAllByType — Query by React component type. Use proper queries instead.

• UNSAFE_getByProps, UNSAFE_getAllByProps, UNSAFE_queryByProps, UNSAFE_queryAllByProps — Query by props. Use proper queries instead.