What is FlashList?
FlashList is a high-performance list component for React Native that delivers smooth, 60 FPS scrolling without blank cells. Built by Shopify, it’s a drop-in replacement for FlatList that uses view recycling to dramatically improve performance. Fast & performant React Native list. No more blank cells. Swap from FlatList in seconds. Get instant performance.FlashList v2 is designed exclusively for React Native’s new architecture. If you’re using the old architecture or FlashList v1.x, please refer to the v1 documentation.
Why FlashList?
Superior Performance
No more blank cells during scrolling. FlashList uses view recycling to ensure smooth 60 FPS performance even with complex item components.
Drop-in Replacement
Simply change the component name from FlatList to FlashList. If you know FlatList, you already know FlashList.
No Estimates Required
Unlike v1, FlashList v2 automatically handles item sizing without any estimates. Dynamic sizes work out of the box.
Advanced Features
Built-in support for masonry layouts, sticky headers, multiple item types, and maintaining visible content position.
Key Features
View Recycling
FlashList recycles views instead of destroying them, dramatically reducing memory overhead and eliminating blank cells during scrolling.Dynamic Sizing
FlashList v2 is super fast and doesn’t need any size estimates. Items can have dynamic heights and widths that change at runtime.Multiple Item Types
Optimize performance for lists with different item types usinggetItemType. FlashList maintains separate recycling pools for each type.
Masonry Layouts
Create Pinterest-style layouts with varying item heights and column spans using the built-in masonry layout support.Maintain Visible Content Position
Automatically handles content shifts when adding items at the top or bottom - perfect for chat interfaces and infinite scroll. Enabled by default in v2.JS-Only Solution
FlashList v2 is a JavaScript-only solution with no native dependencies, making it easier to maintain while delivering exceptional performance.Performance Benefits
60 FPS Scrolling
Maintains smooth 60 FPS even with thousands of items and complex components.
Reduced Memory
Efficient view recycling reduces memory footprint by up to 10x compared to FlatList.
Lower CPU Usage
Recycling views instead of creating new ones significantly reduces CPU overhead.
Real-World Benefits
- Reduced frame drops: Maintains consistent performance during rapid scrolling
- Fast initial render: Optimized for quick first paint
- Smoother scrolling: Predictable performance even with complex item layouts
- Better user experience: No more jarring blank cells or stuttering
Next Steps
Installation
Install FlashList in your React Native project
Quick Start
Build your first FlashList in minutes