Replay AI: Ultimate Guide to Building React Native Application Using Videos in 2026

TL;DR: Replay AI empowers developers to build React Native applications from video recordings, streamlining the development process by automatically generating code based on observed user behavior.

Replay AI: Ultimate Guide to Building React Native Applications Using Videos in 2026#

The year is 2026. Traditional screenshot-to-code tools are relics of the past. Developers need speed, accuracy, and an understanding of intent. That's where Replay AI steps in, revolutionizing React Native development. Instead of static images, Replay analyzes video to reconstruct functional UIs, bridging the gap between design and implementation. This guide will walk you through leveraging Replay AI to build robust React Native applications.

The Problem with Traditional UI Development#

Building mobile applications can be a tedious process. Designing interfaces in tools like Figma, then manually translating those designs into React Native code, is time-consuming and prone to errors. Existing screenshot-to-code tools offer a partial solution, but they lack the ability to understand user behavior and create dynamic, multi-page applications. They simply recreate what they see, without understanding why the user interacted with the UI in a specific way.

Replay tackles this problem head-on by focusing on Behavior-Driven Reconstruction. It analyzes video recordings of user interactions to understand the underlying logic and generate code that accurately reflects the intended functionality.

Introducing Replay: Video-to-Code Revolution#

Replay is a video-to-code engine that uses advanced AI, powered by Gemini, to reconstruct working UIs from screen recordings. Unlike traditional methods, Replay understands the intent behind user actions, leading to more accurate and functional code generation. It's not just about replicating pixels; it's about understanding the flow and logic of the application.

Key Features of Replay#

Replay offers a comprehensive suite of features designed to accelerate React Native development:

• •Multi-Page Generation: Replay can generate code for entire application flows, not just single screens, making it ideal for complex applications.
• •Supabase Integration: Seamlessly integrate with Supabase for backend functionality, including data storage and authentication.
• •Style Injection: Automatically apply consistent styling throughout your application, ensuring a cohesive user experience.
• •Product Flow Maps: Visualize the user journey through your application, identifying potential bottlenecks and areas for improvement.
• •Behavior-Driven Reconstruction: Understands user intent from video to generate more accurate and functional code.

Building a React Native App with Replay: A Step-by-Step Guide#

Let's walk through a practical example of building a React Native application using Replay. We'll create a simple to-do list app.

Step 1: Record a User Flow

First, record a video of yourself interacting with a to-do list app prototype. This could be a low-fidelity prototype built in Figma or even a hand-drawn mockup. The key is to demonstrate the core functionality:

• •Adding a new task
• •Marking a task as complete
• •Deleting a task

💡 Pro Tip: Speak clearly while recording, describing your actions. This helps Replay better understand your intent.

Step 2: Upload the Video to Replay

Upload the video recording to the Replay platform. Replay will analyze the video and begin reconstructing the UI. This process may take a few minutes, depending on the length and complexity of the video.

Step 3: Review and Refine the Generated Code

Once Replay has finished analyzing the video, it will generate React Native code. Review the code carefully, paying attention to:

• •Component structure
• •State management
• •Event handlers
• •Styling

Replay's AI is powerful, but it may not always perfectly capture your intentions. You may need to make some manual adjustments to ensure the code meets your specific requirements.

📝 Note: Replay provides a visual interface for reviewing and editing the generated code, making it easy to identify and correct any errors.

Step 4: Integrate with Supabase (Optional)

If you want to persist the to-do list data, you can integrate Replay with Supabase. Replay can automatically generate the necessary database schema and API endpoints to store and retrieve data.

To integrate with Supabase, you'll need to:

1. •Create a Supabase project.
2. •Provide Replay with your Supabase API key and URL.
3. •Define the data schema for your to-do list items.

Replay will then generate the necessary code to interact with your Supabase database.

Step 5: Deploy and Test Your Application

Once you're satisfied with the generated code, you can deploy and test your React Native application. Use your preferred method for building and deploying React Native apps (e.g., Expo, React Native CLI).

typescript
// Example of a React Native component generated by Replay
import React, { useState } from 'react';
import { View, Text, TextInput, Button, FlatList, StyleSheet } from 'react-native';

interface Todo {
  id: string;
  text: string;
  completed: boolean;
}

const App = () => {
  const [todos, setTodos] = useState<Todo[]>([]);
  const [text, setText] = useState('');

  const addTodo = () => {
    if (text.trim()) {
      setTodos([...todos, { id: Date.now().toString(), text: text, completed: false }]);
      setText('');
    }
  };

  const toggleComplete = (id: string) => {
    setTodos(
      todos.map((todo) =>
        todo.id === id ? { ...todo, completed: !todo.completed } : todo
      )
    );
  };

  const deleteTodo = (id: string) => {
    setTodos(todos.filter((todo) => todo.id !== id));
  };

  return (
    <View style={styles.container}>
      <Text style={styles.title}>To-Do List</Text>
      <View style={styles.inputContainer}>
        <TextInput
          style={styles.input}
          placeholder="Add a new task"
          value={text}
          onChangeText={setText}
        />
        <Button title="Add" onPress={addTodo} />
      </View>
      <FlatList
        data={todos}
        keyExtractor={(item) => item.id}
        renderItem={({ item }) => (
          <View style={styles.todoItem}>
            <Text
              style={[styles.todoText, item.completed && styles.completedTodo]}
              onPress={() => toggleComplete(item.id)}
            >
              {item.text}
            </Text>
            <Button title="Delete" onPress={() => deleteTodo(item.id)} />
          </View>
        )}
      />
    </View>
  );
};

const styles = StyleSheet.create({
  container: {
    flex: 1,
    padding: 20,
    backgroundColor: '#f0f0f0',
  },
  title: {
    fontSize: 24,
    fontWeight: 'bold',
    marginBottom: 20,
    textAlign: 'center',
  },
  inputContainer: {
    flexDirection: 'row',
    marginBottom: 20,
  },
  input: {
    flex: 1,
    borderWidth: 1,
    borderColor: '#ccc',
    padding: 10,
    marginRight: 10,
  },
  todoItem: {
    flexDirection: 'row',
    alignItems: 'center',
    justifyContent: 'space-between',
    padding: 10,
    marginBottom: 10,
    backgroundColor: '#fff',
    borderRadius: 5,
  },
  todoText: {
    fontSize: 16,
  },
  completedTodo: {
    textDecorationLine: 'line-through',
    color: 'gray',
  },
});

export default App;

⚠️ Warning: Always thoroughly test your application after code generation. Replay significantly reduces development time, but it's crucial to ensure the generated code functions correctly and meets your specific requirements.

Benefits of Using Replay for React Native Development#

Using Replay for React Native development offers several key benefits:

• •Faster Development: Dramatically reduce development time by automatically generating code from video recordings.
• •Improved Accuracy: Replay's behavior analysis ensures more accurate code generation compared to screenshot-to-code tools.
• •Enhanced Collaboration: Easily share video recordings and generated code with your team, facilitating collaboration and communication.
• •Reduced Errors: Minimize manual coding errors by leveraging Replay's AI-powered code generation.
• •Focus on Logic: Shift your focus from writing boilerplate code to implementing complex application logic and features.

Advanced Techniques with Replay#

Beyond the basic workflow, Replay allows for advanced techniques to further optimize your development process:

• •Custom Component Mapping: Define custom mappings between UI elements in your video and specific React Native components. This allows you to tailor the generated code to your project's specific needs.
• •State Management Strategies: Specify the state management strategy you want Replay to use (e.g., Redux, Context API). Replay will then generate code that integrates seamlessly with your chosen state management solution.
• •Automated Testing: Integrate Replay with your automated testing framework to automatically generate unit tests for your React Native components.

javascript
// Example of a Replay configuration file for custom component mapping
{
  "mappings": {
    "Button": "TouchableOpacity",
    "TextField": "TextInput"
  }
}

The Future of React Native Development with Replay#

Replay is poised to revolutionize React Native development by empowering developers to build applications faster, more accurately, and with greater collaboration. By leveraging the power of video and AI, Replay bridges the gap between design and implementation, allowing developers to focus on what matters most: creating innovative and engaging user experiences.

Frequently Asked Questions#

Is Replay free to use?#

Replay offers a free tier with limited features. Paid plans are available for users who require more advanced functionality and higher usage limits.

How is Replay different from v0.dev?#

While v0.dev primarily focuses on generating UI components from text prompts, Replay analyzes video recordings to understand user behavior and reconstruct entire application flows. Replay excels at understanding the intent behind user interactions, leading to more accurate and functional code generation.

What types of videos can I upload to Replay?#

Replay supports a wide range of video formats, including MP4, MOV, and AVI. The video should clearly show the user interacting with the UI.

Can I use Replay to build native iOS and Android applications?#

Yes, Replay generates React Native code, which can be used to build native iOS and Android applications.

---

Ready to try behavior-driven code generation? Get started with Replay - transform any video into working code in seconds.