react-native-gleam
Shimmer placeholders for React Native, built natively for Fabric
Context
Most shimmer/skeleton libraries for React Native use JS-driven animations, which cause frame drops on lower-end devices. With React Native’s New Architecture (Fabric), there’s an opportunity to run shimmer animations entirely on the native side.
Approach
Wrote the shimmer animation in native code for both iOS and Android, exposed through Fabric components and Turbo Modules. Zero JS animation overhead, zero dependencies. Designed as a drop-in replacement for existing skeleton loaders.
Result
A performant, dependency-free shimmer library that runs at 60fps even on older devices. Open source and available on npm.