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Uniwind — Complete Reference

Uniwind 1.5.0+ / Tailwind CSS v4 / React Native 0.81+ / Expo SDK 54+

If user has lower version, recommend updating to 1.5.0+ for best experience.

Uniwind brings Tailwind CSS v4 to React Native. All core React Native components support the className prop out of the box. Styles are compiled at build time — no runtime overhead.

Critical Rules

1. Tailwind v4 only — Use @import 'tailwindcss' not @tailwind base. Tailwind v3 is not supported.
2. Never construct classNames dynamically — Tailwind scans at build time. bg-${color}-500 will NOT work. Use complete string literals, mapping objects, or ternaries.
3. Never usecssInterop or remapProps — Those are NativeWind APIs. Uniwind does not override global components.
4. Notailwind.config.js — All config goes in global.css via @theme and @layer theme.
5. No ThemeProvider required — Use Uniwind.setTheme() directly.
6. withUniwindConfig must be the outermost Metro config wrapper.
7. NEVER wrapreact-native or react-native-reanimated components with withUniwind — View, Text, Pressable, Image, TextInput, ScrollView, FlatList, Switch, Modal, , , etc. already have full support built in. Wrapping them with will break behavior. Only use for components (e.g., , , ).
8. Font families: single font only — React Native doesn't support fallbacks. Use --font-sans: 'Roboto-Regular' not 'Roboto', sans-serif.
9. All theme variants must define the same set of CSS variables — If light defines --color-primary, then dark and every custom theme must too. Mismatched variables cause runtime errors.
10. accent- prefix is REQUIRED for non-style color props — This is crucial. Props like color (Button, ActivityIndicator), tintColor (Image), thumbColor (Switch), placeholderTextColor (TextInput) are NOT part of the style object. You MUST use the corresponding {propName}ClassName prop with accent- prefixed classes. Example: <ActivityIndicator colorClassName="accent-blue-500" /> NOT <ActivityIndicator className="text-blue-500" />. Regular Tailwind color classes (like ) only work on (which maps to ). For non-style color props, always use .
11. rem default is 16px — NativeWind used 14px. Set polyfills: { rem: 14 } in metro config if migrating.
12. cssEntryFile must be a relative path string — Use './global.css' not path.resolve(__dirname, 'global.css').
13. Deduplicate withcn() when mixing custom CSS classes and Tailwind — Uniwind does NOT auto-deduplicate. If a custom CSS class (.card { padding: 16px }) and a Tailwind utility (p-6) set the same property, both apply with unpredictable results. Always wrap with cn('card', 'p-6') when there's overlap.

Setup

Installation

# or other package manager
bun install uniwind tailwindcss

Requires Tailwind CSS v4+.

global.css

Create a CSS entry file:

@import 'tailwindcss';
@import 'uniwind';

Import in your App component (e.g., App.tsx or app/_layout.tsx), NOT in index.ts/index.js — importing there breaks hot reload:

// app/_layout.tsx or App.tsx
import './global.css';

The directory containing global.css is the app root — Tailwind scans for classNames starting from this directory.

Metro Configuration

const { getDefaultConfig } = require('expo/metro-config');
// Bare RN: const { getDefaultConfig } = require('@react-native/metro-config');
const { withUniwindConfig } = require('uniwind/metro');

const config = getDefaultConfig(__dirname);

// withUniwindConfig MUST be the OUTERMOST wrapper
module.exports = withUniwindConfig(config, {
  cssEntryFile: './global.css',           // Required — relative path from project root
  polyfills: { rem: 16 },                // Optional — base rem value (default 16)
  extraThemes: ['ocean', 'sunset'],       // Optional — custom themes beyond light/dark
  dtsFile: './uniwind-types.d.ts',        // Optional — TypeScript types output path
  debug: true,                            // Optional — log unsupported CSS in dev
  isTV: false,                            // Optional — enable TV platform support
});

For most flows, keep defaults, only provide cssEntryFile.

Wrapper order — Uniwind must wrap everything else:

// CORRECT
module.exports = withUniwindConfig(withOtherConfig(config, opts), { cssEntryFile: './global.css' });

// WRONG — Uniwind is NOT outermost
module.exports = withOtherConfig(withUniwindConfig(config, { cssEntryFile: './global.css' }), opts);

Vite Configuration (v1.2.0+)

If user has storybook setup, add extra vite config:

import tailwindcss from '@tailwindcss/vite';
import { uniwind } from 'uniwind/vite';
import { defineConfig } from 'vite';

export default defineConfig({
  plugins: [
    tailwindcss(),
    uniwind({
      cssEntryFile: './src/global.css',
      dtsFile: './src/uniwind-types.d.ts',
    }),
  ],
});

TypeScript

Uniwind auto-generates a .d.ts file (default: ./uniwind-types.d.ts) after running Metro. Place it in src/ or app/ for auto-inclusion, or add to tsconfig.json:

{ "include": ["./uniwind-types.d.ts"] }

If user has some typescript errors related to classNames, just run metro server to build the d.ts file.

Expo Router Placement

project/
├── app/_layout.tsx    ← import '../global.css' here
├── components/
├── global.css         ← project root (best location)
└── metro.config.js    ← cssEntryFile: './global.css'

If global.css is in app/ dir, add @source for sibling directories:

@import 'tailwindcss';
@import 'uniwind';
@source '../components';

Tailwind IntelliSense (VS Code / Cursor / Windsurf)

{
  "tailwindCSS.classAttributes": [
    "class", "className", "headerClassName",
    "contentContainerClassName", "columnWrapperClassName",
    "endFillColorClassName", "imageClassName", "tintColorClassName",
    "ios_backgroundColorClassName", "thumbColorClassName",
    "trackColorOnClassName", "trackColorOffClassName",
    "selectionColorClassName", "cursorColorClassName",
    "underlineColorAndroidClassName", "placeholderTextColorClassName",
    "selectionHandleColorClassName", "colorsClassName",
    "progressBackgroundColorClassName", "titleColorClassName",
    "underlayColorClassName", "colorClassName",
    "backdropColorClassName", "backgroundColorClassName",
    "statusBarBackgroundColorClassName", "drawerBackgroundColorClassName",
    "ListFooterComponentClassName", "ListHeaderComponentClassName"
  ],
  "tailwindCSS.classFunctions": ["useResolveClassNames"]
}

Monorepo Support

Add @source directives in global.css for packages outside the CSS entry file's directory:

@import 'tailwindcss';
@import 'uniwind';
@source "../../packages/ui/src";
@source "../../packages/shared/src";

Also needed for node_modules packages that contain Uniwind classes (e.g., shared UI libraries).

Component Bindings

All core React Native components support className out of the box. Some have additional className props for sub-styles (like contentContainerClassName) and non-style color props (requiring accent- prefix).

Complete Reference

Legend : Props marked with ⚡ require the accent- prefix. Props in parentheses are platform-specific.

View

Text

Pressable

Supports active:, disabled:, focus: state selectors.

Image

TextInput

Supports focus:, active:, disabled: state selectors.

ScrollView

FlatList

SectionList

VirtualizedList

Switch

Note: Switch does NOT support className (className?: never in types). Use only the color-specific className props above. Supports disabled: state selector.

ActivityIndicator

Button

Note: Button does not support className (no style prop on RN Button).

Modal

RefreshControl

ImageBackground

SafeAreaView

KeyboardAvoidingView

InputAccessoryView

TouchableHighlight

Supports active:, disabled: state selectors.

TouchableOpacity

Supports active:, disabled: state selectors.

TouchableNativeFeedback

Supports active:, disabled: state selectors.

TouchableWithoutFeedback

Supports active:, disabled: state selectors.

Usage Examples

import { View, Text, Pressable, TextInput, ScrollView, FlatList, Switch, Image, ActivityIndicator, Modal, RefreshControl, Button } from 'react-native';

// View — basic layout
<View className="flex-1 bg-background p-4">
  <Text className="text-foreground text-lg font-bold">Title</Text>
</View>

// Pressable — with press/focus states
<Pressable className="bg-primary px-6 py-3 rounded-lg active:opacity-80 active:bg-primary/90 focus:ring-2">
  <Text className="text-white text-center font-semibold">Press Me</Text>
</Pressable>

// TextInput — with focus state and accent- color props
<TextInput
  className="border border-border rounded-lg px-4 py-2 text-base text-foreground focus:border-primary"
  placeholderTextColorClassName="accent-muted"
  selectionColorClassName="accent-primary"
  cursorColorClassName="accent-primary"
  selectionHandleColorClassName="accent-primary"
  underlineColorAndroidClassName="accent-transparent"
  placeholder="Enter text..."
/>

// ScrollView — with content container
<ScrollView className="flex-1" contentContainerClassName="p-4 gap-4">
  {/* content */}
</ScrollView>

// FlatList — with all sub-style props
<FlatList
  className="flex-1"
  contentContainerClassName="p-4 gap-3"
  columnWrapperClassName="gap-3"
  ListHeaderComponentClassName="pb-4"
  ListFooterComponentClassName="pt-4"
  endFillColorClassName="accent-gray-100"
  numColumns={2}
  data={items}
  renderItem={({ item }) => <ItemCard item={item} />}
/>

// Switch — no className support, use color-specific props only
<Switch
  thumbColorClassName="accent-white"
  trackColorOnClassName="accent-primary"
  trackColorOffClassName="accent-gray-300 dark:accent-gray-700"
  ios_backgroundColorClassName="accent-gray-200"
/>

// Image — tint color
<Image className="w-6 h-6" tintColorClassName="accent-primary" source={icon} />

// ActivityIndicator
<ActivityIndicator className="m-4" colorClassName="accent-primary" size="large" />

// Button — only colorClassName (no className)
<Button colorClassName="accent-primary" title="Submit" onPress={handleSubmit} />

// Modal — backdrop color
<Modal className="flex-1" backdropColorClassName="accent-black/50">
  {/* content */}
</Modal>

// RefreshControl — platform-specific color props
<RefreshControl
  className="p-4"
  tintColorClassName="accent-primary"
  titleColorClassName="accent-gray-500"
  colorsClassName="accent-primary"
  progressBackgroundColorClassName="accent-white dark:accent-gray-800"
/>

// ImageBackground — separate image styling
<ImageBackground
  className="flex-1 justify-center items-center"
  imageClassName="opacity-50"
  tintColorClassName="accent-blue-500"
  source={bgImage}
>
  <Text className="text-white text-2xl font-bold">Overlay</Text>
</ImageBackground>

// KeyboardAvoidingView
<KeyboardAvoidingView
  behavior="padding"
  className="flex-1 bg-white"
  contentContainerClassName="p-4 justify-end"
>
  <TextInput className="border border-gray-300 rounded-lg p-3" placeholder="Type..." />
</KeyboardAvoidingView>

// InputAccessoryView
<InputAccessoryView
  className="p-4 border-t border-gray-300"
  backgroundColorClassName="accent-white dark:accent-gray-800"
>
  <Button title="Done" onPress={dismissKeyboard} />
</InputAccessoryView>

// TouchableHighlight — underlay color
<TouchableHighlight
  className="bg-blue-500 px-6 py-3 rounded-lg"
  underlayColorClassName="accent-blue-600 dark:accent-blue-700"
  onPress={handlePress}
>
  <Text className="text-white font-semibold">Press Me</Text>
</TouchableHighlight>

The accent- Prefix Pattern

React Native components have props like color, tintColor, thumbColor that are NOT part of the style object. To set these via Tailwind classes, use the accent- prefix with the corresponding {propName}ClassName prop:

// color prop → colorClassName with accent- prefix
<ActivityIndicator colorClassName="accent-blue-500 dark:accent-blue-400" />
<Button colorClassName="accent-primary" title="Submit" />

// tintColor prop → tintColorClassName
<Image className="w-6 h-6" tintColorClassName="accent-red-500" source={icon} />

// thumbColor → thumbColorClassName
<Switch thumbColorClassName="accent-white" trackColorOnClassName="accent-primary" />

// placeholderTextColor → placeholderTextColorClassName
<TextInput placeholderTextColorClassName="accent-gray-400 dark:accent-gray-600" />

CRITICAL Rule : className maps to the style prop — it handles layout, typography, backgrounds, borders, etc. But React Native has many color props that live OUTSIDE of style (like color, tintColor, thumbColor, placeholderTextColor). These require a separate {propName}ClassName prop with the accent- prefix. Without accent-, the class resolves to a style object — but these props expect a plain color string.

// WRONG — className sets style, but ActivityIndicator's color is NOT a style prop
<ActivityIndicator className="text-blue-500" />  // color will NOT be set

// CORRECT — use the dedicated colorClassName prop with accent- prefix
<ActivityIndicator colorClassName="accent-blue-500" />  // color IS set to #3b82f6

// WRONG — tintColor is not a style prop on Image
<Image className="tint-blue-500" source={icon} />  // won't work

// CORRECT
<Image tintColorClassName="accent-blue-500" source={icon} />

Styling Third-Party Components

withUniwind (Recommended)

Wrap once at module level, use with className everywhere:

import { withUniwind } from 'uniwind';
import { Image as ExpoImage } from 'expo-image';
import { BlurView as RNBlurView } from 'expo-blur';
import { LinearGradient as RNLinearGradient } from 'expo-linear-gradient';

// Module-level wrapping (NEVER inside render functions)
export const Image = withUniwind(ExpoImage);
export const BlurView = withUniwind(RNBlurView);
export const LinearGradient = withUniwind(RNLinearGradient);

withUniwind automatically maps:

• style → className
• {name}Style → {name}ClassName
• {name}Color → {name}ColorClassName (with accent- prefix)

For custom prop mappings:

const StyledProgressBar = withUniwind(ProgressBar, {
  width: {
    fromClassName: 'widthClassName',
    styleProperty: 'width',
  },
});

Usage patterns:

• Used in one file only — define the wrapped component in that same file

• Used across multiple files — wrap once in a shared module (e.g., components/styled.ts) and re-export

  // components/styled.ts import { withUniwind } from 'uniwind'; import { Image as ExpoImage } from 'expo-image'; export const Image = withUniwind(ExpoImage);

  // Then import everywhere: import { Image } from '@/components/styled';

NEVER call withUniwind on the same component in multiple files.

CRITICAL : Do NOT use withUniwind on components from react-native or react-native-reanimated. These already have built-in className support:

// WRONG — View already supports className natively
const StyledView = withUniwind(View);        // DO NOT DO THIS
const StyledText = withUniwind(Text);        // DO NOT DO THIS
const StyledAnimatedView = withUniwind(Animated.View); // DO NOT DO THIS

// CORRECT — only wrap third-party components
const StyledExpoImage = withUniwind(ExpoImage);     // expo-image
const StyledBlurView = withUniwind(BlurView);        // expo-blur
const StyledMotiView = withUniwind(MotiView);        // moti

useResolveClassNames

Converts Tailwind class strings to React Native style objects. Use for one-off cases or components that only accept style:

import { useResolveClassNames } from 'uniwind';

const headerStyle = useResolveClassNames('bg-primary p-4');
const cardStyle = useResolveClassNames('bg-card dark:bg-card rounded-lg shadow-sm');

// React Navigation screen options
<Stack.Navigator screenOptions={{ headerStyle, cardStyle }} />

Comparison

Dynamic ClassNames

NEVER do this (Tailwind scans at build time)

// BROKEN — template literal with variable
<View className={`bg-${color}-500`} />
<Text className={`text-${size}`} />

Correct patterns

// Ternary with complete class names
<View className={isActive ? 'bg-primary' : 'bg-muted'} />

// Mapping object
const colorMap = {
  primary: 'bg-blue-500 text-white',
  danger: 'bg-red-500 text-white',
  ghost: 'bg-transparent text-foreground',
};
<Pressable className={colorMap[variant]} />

// Array join for multiple conditions
<View className={[
  'p-4 rounded-lg',
  isActive && 'bg-primary',
  isDisabled && 'opacity-50',
].filter(Boolean).join(' ')} />

tailwind-variants (tv)

For complex component styling with variants and compound variants:

import { tv } from 'tailwind-variants';

const button = tv({
  base: 'font-semibold rounded-lg px-4 py-2 items-center justify-center',
  variants: {
    color: {
      primary: 'bg-blue-500 text-white',
      secondary: 'bg-gray-500 text-white',
      danger: 'bg-red-500 text-white',
      ghost: 'bg-transparent text-foreground border border-border',
    },
    size: {
      sm: 'text-sm px-3 py-1.5',
      md: 'text-base px-4 py-2',
      lg: 'text-lg px-6 py-3',
    },
    disabled: {
      true: 'opacity-50',
    },
  },
  compoundVariants: [
    { color: 'primary', size: 'lg', class: 'bg-blue-600' },
  ],
  defaultVariants: { color: 'primary', size: 'md' },
});

<Pressable className={button({ color: 'primary', size: 'lg' })}>
  <Text className="text-white font-semibold">Click</Text>
</Pressable>

cn Utility — Class Deduplication

Uniwind does NOT auto-deduplicate conflicting classNames. This means if the same property appears in multiple classes, both will be applied and the result is unpredictable. This is especially critical when mixing custom CSS classes with Tailwind utilities.

Setup

npm install tailwind-merge clsx



// lib/cn.ts
import { type ClassValue, clsx } from 'clsx';
import { twMerge } from 'tailwind-merge';

export function cn(...inputs: ClassValue[]) {
  return twMerge(clsx(inputs));
}

When cn Is Required

1. Merging className props — component accepts external className that may conflict:

import { cn } from '@/lib/cn';

<View className={cn('p-4 bg-white', props.className)} />
<Text className={cn('text-base', isActive && 'text-primary', disabled && 'opacity-50')} />

2. CRITICAL: Mixing custom CSS classes with Tailwind utilities — if your custom CSS class sets a property that a Tailwind utility also sets, you MUST use cn() to deduplicate:

/* global.css */
.card {
  background-color: white;
  border-radius: 12px;
  padding: 16px;
}



// WRONG — both .card (padding: 16px) and p-6 (padding: 24px) apply, result is unpredictable
<View className="card p-6" />

// CORRECT — cn deduplicates, p-6 wins over .card's padding
<View className={cn('card', 'p-6')} />

3. tv() output combined with extra classes — tv already handles its own variants, but if you add more classes on top:

<Pressable className={cn(button({ color: 'primary' }), props.className)} />

When cn Is NOT Needed

• Static className with no conflicts: <View className="flex-1 p-4 bg-white" />
• Single custom CSS class with no overlapping Tailwind: <View className="card-shadow mt-4" /> (if card-shadow only sets box-shadow which no Tailwind class also sets)

Theming

Quick Setup (dark: prefix)

Works immediately — no configuration needed:

<View className="bg-white dark:bg-gray-900">
  <Text className="text-black dark:text-white">Themed</Text>
</View>

Best for small apps and prototyping. Does not scale to custom themes.

Scalable Setup (CSS Variables)

Define in global.css, use everywhere without dark: prefix:

@layer theme {
  :root {
    @variant light {
      --color-background: #ffffff;
      --color-foreground: #111827;
      --color-foreground-secondary: #6b7280;
      --color-card: #ffffff;
      --color-border: #e5e7eb;
      --color-muted: #9ca3af;
      --color-primary: #3b82f6;
      --color-danger: #ef4444;
      --color-success: #10b981;
    }
    @variant dark {
      --color-background: #000000;
      --color-foreground: #ffffff;
      --color-foreground-secondary: #9ca3af;
      --color-card: #1f2937;
      --color-border: #374151;
      --color-muted: #6b7280;
      --color-primary: #3b82f6;
      --color-danger: #ef4444;
      --color-success: #10b981;
    }
  }
}



// Auto-adapts to current theme — no dark: prefix needed
<View className="bg-card border border-border p-4 rounded-lg">
  <Text className="text-foreground text-lg font-bold">Title</Text>
  <Text className="text-muted mt-2">Subtitle</Text>
</View>

Variable naming: --color-background → bg-background, text-background.

Prefer CSS variables over explicitdark: variants — they're cleaner, maintain easier, and work with custom themes automatically.

Custom Themes

Step 1 — Define in global.css:

@layer theme {
  :root {
    @variant light { /* ... */ }
    @variant dark { /* ... */ }
    @variant ocean {
      --color-background: #0c4a6e;
      --color-foreground: #e0f2fe;
      --color-primary: #06b6d4;
      --color-card: #0e7490;
      --color-border: #155e75;
      /* Must define ALL the same variables as light/dark */
    }
  }
}

Step 2 — Register in metro.config.js (exclude light/dark — they're automatic):

module.exports = withUniwindConfig(config, {
  cssEntryFile: './global.css',
  extraThemes: ['ocean'],
});

Restart Metro after adding themes.

Step 3 — Use:

Uniwind.setTheme('ocean');

Theme API

import { Uniwind, useUniwind } from 'uniwind';

// Imperative (no re-render)
Uniwind.setTheme('dark');          // Force dark
Uniwind.setTheme('light');         // Force light
Uniwind.setTheme('system');        // Follow device (re-enables adaptive themes)
Uniwind.setTheme('ocean');         // Custom theme (must be in extraThemes)
Uniwind.currentTheme;              // Current theme name
Uniwind.hasAdaptiveThemes;         // true if following system

// Reactive hook (re-renders on change)
const { theme, hasAdaptiveThemes } = useUniwind();

Uniwind.setTheme('light') / setTheme('dark') also calls Appearance.setColorScheme to sync native components (Alert, Modal, system dialogs).

By default Uniwind uses "system" theme - follows device color scheme. If user wants to override it, just call Uniwind.setTheme with desired theme. It can be done above the React component to avoid theme switching at runtime.

Theme Switcher Example

import { View, Pressable, Text, ScrollView } from 'react-native';
import { Uniwind, useUniwind } from 'uniwind';

export const ThemeSwitcher = () => {
  const { theme, hasAdaptiveThemes } = useUniwind();
  const activeTheme = hasAdaptiveThemes ? 'system' : theme;

  const themes = [
    { name: 'light', label: 'Light' },
    { name: 'dark', label: 'Dark' },
    { name: 'system', label: 'System' },
  ];

  return (
    <ScrollView horizontal showsHorizontalScrollIndicator={false}>
      <View className="flex-row gap-2 p-4">
        {themes.map((t) => (
          <Pressable
            key={t.name}
            onPress={() => Uniwind.setTheme(t.name)}
            className={`px-4 py-3 rounded-lg items-center ${
              activeTheme === t.name ? 'bg-primary' : 'bg-card border border-border'
            }`}
          >
            <Text className={`text-sm ${
              activeTheme === t.name ? 'text-white' : 'text-foreground'
            }`}>
              {t.label}
            </Text>
          </Pressable>
        ))}
      </View>
    </ScrollView>
  );
};

ScopedTheme

Apply a different theme to a subtree without changing the global theme:

import { ScopedTheme } from 'uniwind';

<View className="gap-3">
  <PreviewCard />

  <ScopedTheme theme="dark">
    <PreviewCard />  {/* Renders with dark theme */}
  </ScopedTheme>

  <ScopedTheme theme="ocean">
    <PreviewCard />  {/* Renders with ocean theme */}
  </ScopedTheme>
</View>

• Nearest ScopedTheme wins (nested scopes supported)
• Hooks (useUniwind, useResolveClassNames, useCSSVariable) resolve against the nearest scoped theme
• withUniwind-wrapped components inside the scope also resolve scoped theme values
• Custom themes require registration in extraThemes

useCSSVariable

Access CSS variable values in JavaScript:

import { useCSSVariable } from 'uniwind';

const primaryColor = useCSSVariable('--color-primary');
const spacing = useCSSVariable('--spacing-4');

// Multiple variables at once
const [bg, fg] = useCSSVariable(['--color-background', '--color-foreground']) as [string, string]

Use for: animations, chart libraries, third-party component configs, calculations with design tokens.

It's required to cast the result of useCSSVariable as it can return: string | number | undefined. Uniwind doesn't know if given variable exist and what type it is, so it returns union type.

Runtime CSS Variable Updates

Update theme variables at runtime (e.g., user-selected brand colors or API-driven themes):

Uniwind.updateCSSVariables('light', {
  '--color-primary': '#ff6600',
  '--color-background': '#fafafa',
});

Updates are theme-specific and take effect immediately.

@theme static

For JS-only values not used in classNames:

@theme static {
  --chart-line-width: 2;
  --chart-dot-radius: 4;
  --animation-duration: 300;
}

Access via useCSSVariable('--chart-line-width'). Use for: chart configs, animation durations, native module values.

OKLCH Colors support

Perceptually uniform color format — wider gamut, consistent lightness:

@layer theme {
  :root {
    @variant light {
      --color-primary: oklch(0.5 0.2 240);
      --color-background: oklch(1 0 0);
    }
    @variant dark {
      --color-primary: oklch(0.6 0.2 240);
      --color-background: oklch(0.13 0.004 17.69);
    }
  }
}

Platform Selectors

Apply platform-specific styles directly in className:

// Individual platforms
<View className="ios:bg-red-500 android:bg-blue-500 web:bg-green-500" />

// native: shorthand (iOS + Android)
<View className="native:bg-blue-500 web:bg-gray-500" />

// TV platforms
<View className="tv:p-8 android-tv:bg-black apple-tv:bg-gray-900" />

// Combine with other utilities
<View className="p-4 ios:pt-12 android:pt-6 web:pt-4" />

Platform variants in @layer theme for global values (use @variant, not @media):

@layer theme {
  :root {
    @variant ios { --font-sans: 'SF Pro Text'; }
    @variant android { --font-sans: 'Roboto-Regular'; }
    @variant web { --font-sans: 'Inter'; }
  }
}

Prefer platform selectors overPlatform.select() — cleaner syntax, no imports needed.

Data Selectors

Style based on prop values using data-[prop=value]:utility:

// Boolean props
<Pressable
  data-selected={isSelected}
  className="border rounded px-3 py-2 data-[selected=true]:ring-2 data-[selected=true]:ring-primary"
/>

// String props
<View
  data-state={isOpen ? 'open' : 'closed'}
  className="p-4 data-[state=open]:bg-muted/50 data-[state=closed]:bg-transparent"
/>

// Tabs pattern
<Pressable
  data-selected={route.key === current}
  className="px-4 py-2 rounded-md text-foreground/60
    data-[selected=true]:bg-primary data-[selected=true]:text-white"
>
  <Text>{route.title}</Text>
</Pressable>

// Toggle pattern
<Pressable
  data-checked={enabled}
  className="h-6 w-10 rounded-full bg-muted data-[checked=true]:bg-primary"
>
  <View className="h-5 w-5 rounded-full bg-background translate-x-0 data-[checked=true]:translate-x-4" />
</Pressable>

Rules :

• Only equality selectors supported (data-[prop=value])
• No presence-only selectors (data-[prop] — not supported)
• No has-data-* parent selectors (not supported in React Native)
• Booleans match both boolean and string forms

Interactive States

// active: — when pressed
<Pressable className="bg-primary active:bg-primary/80 active:opacity-90 active:scale-95">
  <Text className="text-white">Press me</Text>
</Pressable>

// disabled: — when disabled prop is true
<Pressable
  disabled={isLoading}
  className="bg-primary disabled:bg-gray-300 disabled:opacity-50"
>
  <Text className="text-white disabled:text-gray-500">Submit</Text>
</Pressable>

// focus: — keyboard/accessibility focus
<TextInput
  className="border border-border rounded-lg px-4 py-2 focus:border-primary focus:ring-2 focus:ring-primary/20"
/>

<Pressable className="bg-card rounded-lg p-4 focus:ring-2 focus:ring-primary">
  <Text className="text-foreground">Focusable</Text>
</Pressable>

Components with state support:

• Pressable : active:, disabled:, focus:
• TextInput : active:, disabled:, focus:
• Switch : disabled:
• Text : active:, disabled:
• TouchableOpacity / TouchableHighlight / TouchableNativeFeedback / TouchableWithoutFeedback : active:,

Responsive Breakpoints

Mobile-first — unprefixed styles apply to all sizes, prefixed styles apply at that breakpoint and above:

// Responsive padding and typography
<View className="p-4 sm:p-6 lg:p-8">
  <Text className="text-base sm:text-lg lg:text-xl font-bold">Responsive</Text>
</View>

// Responsive grid (1 col → 2 col → 3 col)
<View className="flex-row flex-wrap">
  <View className="w-full sm:w-1/2 lg:w-1/3 p-2">
    <View className="bg-card p-4 rounded"><Text>Item</Text></View>
  </View>
</View>

// Responsive visibility
<View className="hidden sm:flex flex-row gap-4">
  <Text>Visible on tablet+</Text>
</View>
<View className="flex sm:hidden">
  <Text>Mobile only</Text>
</View>

Custom breakpoints:

@theme {
  --breakpoint-xs: 480px;
  --breakpoint-tablet: 820px;
  --breakpoint-3xl: 1920px;
}

Usage: xs:p-2 tablet:p-4 3xl:p-8

Design mobile-first — start with base styles (no prefix), enhance with breakpoints:

// CORRECT — mobile-first
<View className="w-full sm:w-3/4 md:w-1/2 lg:w-1/3" />

// WRONG — desktop-first (reversed order is confusing and fragile)
<View className="w-full lg:w-1/2 md:w-3/4 sm:w-full" />

Safe Area Utilities

Padding

Margin

Positioning

Compound Variants

Setup

Uniwind Free (default) — requires react-native-safe-area-context to update insets. Wrap your App component in SafeAreaProvider and SafeAreaListener and call Uniwind.updateInsets(insets) in the onChange callback:

import { SafeAreaProvider, SafeAreaListener } from 'react-native-safe-area-context';
import { Uniwind } from 'uniwind';

export default function App() {
  return (
    <SafeAreaProvider>
      <SafeAreaListener
        onChange={({ insets }) => {
          Uniwind.updateInsets(insets);
        }}
      >
        <View className="pt-safe px-safe">{/* content */}</View>
      </SafeAreaListener>
    </SafeAreaProvider>
  );
}

Uniwind Pro — automatic, no setup needed. Insets injected from native layer.

CSS Functions

Uniwind provides CSS functions for device-aware and theme-aware styling. These can be used everywhere (custom CSS classes, @utility, etc.) — but NOT inside @theme {} (which only accepts static values). Use @utility to create reusable Tailwind-style utility classes:

hairlineWidth()

Returns the thinnest line width displayable on the device. Use for subtle borders and dividers.

@utility h-hairline { height: hairlineWidth(); }
@utility border-hairline { border-width: hairlineWidth(); }
@utility w-hairline { width: calc(hairlineWidth() * 10); }



<View className="h-hairline bg-gray-300" />
<View className="border-hairline border-gray-200 rounded-lg p-4" />

fontScale(multiplier?)

Multiplies a base value by the device's font scale accessibility setting. Ensures text respects user preferences for larger or smaller text.

• fontScale() — uses multiplier 1 (device font scale × 1)

• fontScale(0.9) — smaller scale

• fontScale(1.2) — larger scale

  @utility text-sm-scaled { font-size: fontScale(0.9); } @utility text-base-scaled { font-size: fontScale(); } @utility text-lg-scaled { font-size: fontScale(1.2); }

  <Text className="text-sm-scaled text-gray-600">Small accessible text</Text> <Text className="text-base-scaled">Regular accessible text</Text>

pixelRatio(multiplier?)

Multiplies a value by the device's pixel ratio. Creates pixel-perfect designs that scale across screen densities.

• pixelRatio() — uses multiplier 1 (device pixel ratio × 1)

• pixelRatio(2) — double the pixel ratio

  @utility w-icon { width: pixelRatio(); } @utility w-avatar { width: pixelRatio(2); }

  <Image source={{ uri: 'avatar.png' }} className="w-avatar rounded-full" />

light-dark(lightValue, darkValue)

Returns different values based on the current theme mode. Automatically adapts when the theme changes — no manual switching logic needed.

• First parameter: value for light theme

• Second parameter: value for dark theme

  @utility bg-adaptive { background-color: light-dark(#ffffff, #1f2937); } @utility text-adaptive { color: light-dark(#111827, #f9fafb); } @utility border-adaptive { border-color: light-dark(#e5e7eb, #374151); }

  <View className="bg-adaptive border-adaptive border rounded-lg p-4"> <Text className="text-adaptive">Adapts to light/dark theme</Text> </View>

Also works in custom CSS classes (not just @utility):

.adaptive-card {
  background-color: light-dark(#ffffff, #1f2937);
  color: light-dark(#111827, #f9fafb);
}

Custom CSS & Utilities

Custom CSS Classes

Uniwind supports custom CSS class names defined in global.css. They are compiled at build time — no runtime overhead. Use them when you need styles that are hard to express as Tailwind utilities (e.g., complex box-shadow, multi-property bundles).

/* global.css */
.card-shadow {
  background-color: white;
  border-radius: 12px;
  box-shadow: 0 2px 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.08);
}

.adaptive-surface {
  background-color: light-dark(#ffffff, #1f2937);
  color: light-dark(#111827, #f9fafb);
}

.container {
  flex: 1;
  width: 100%;
  max-width: 1200px;
}

Apply via className just like any Tailwind class:

<View className="card-shadow" />

Mixing Custom CSS with Tailwind

You can combine custom CSS classes with Tailwind utilities in a single className:

<View className="card-shadow p-4 m-2">
  <Text className="adaptive-surface mb-2">{title}</Text>
  <View className="container flex-row">{children}</View>
</View>

WARNING : If a custom CSS class and a Tailwind utility set the same property , you MUST use cn() to deduplicate. Without cn(), both values apply and the result is unpredictable:

// WRONG — .container sets flex:1, and flex-1 also sets flex:1 (harmless but wasteful)
// WRONG — .container sets width:100%, and w-full also sets width:100% (redundant)
// DANGEROUS — .card-shadow sets border-radius:12px, and rounded-2xl sets border-radius:16px — CONFLICT!
<View className="card-shadow rounded-2xl" />

// CORRECT — cn ensures rounded-2xl wins
import { cn } from '@/lib/cn';
<View className={cn('card-shadow', 'rounded-2xl')} />

Rule of thumb : If your custom CSS class sets properties that might overlap with Tailwind utilities you'll also use, always wrap with cn(). See cn Utility section for full setup.

Guidelines for Custom CSS

• Keep selectors flat — no deep nesting or child selectors
• Prefer Tailwind utilities for simple, single-property styles
• Use custom classes for complex or multi-property bundles that would be verbose in className
• Use light-dark() for theme-aware custom classes
• Custom classes are great for shared design tokens that don't fit Tailwind's naming (e.g., .card, .chip, .badge-dot)

Custom Utilities (@utility)

The @utility directive creates utility classes that work exactly like built-in Tailwind classes. Three main use cases:

1. Variable-driven utilities (runtime-injected values)

Create a utility whose value comes from a CSS variable injected at runtime via updateCSSVariables. Use @theme static to declare the variable so Uniwind tracks it even before it is updated:

/* global.css */
@theme static {
  --header-height: 0px;
}

@utility p-safe-header {
  padding-top: var(--header-height);
}

Inject the real value at runtime (e.g., from react-navigation's layout event):

import { Uniwind } from 'uniwind'

// e.g., inside a navigation layout listener
Uniwind.updateCSSVariables(Uniwind.currentTheme, {
  '--header-height': headerHeight,
})



<View className="p-safe-header flex-1" />

2. Brand-new utilities (no Tailwind equivalent)

For styles that have no built-in Tailwind class:

@utility h-hairline { height: hairlineWidth(); }
@utility text-scaled { font-size: fontScale(); }
@utility card-shadow {
  box-shadow: 0 4px 6px -1px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1), 0 2px 4px -1px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06);
}

Usage like any Tailwind class: <View className="h-hairline card-shadow" />

3. Overriding existing Tailwind utilities

Use @utility to completely replace what a built-in class does. Example: make border always use --color-primary:

@utility border {
  border-width: 1px;
  border-style: solid;
  border-color: var(--color-primary);
}

@theme Directive

Customize Tailwind design tokens in global.css:

@theme {
  /* Colors */
  --color-primary: #3b82f6;
  --color-brand-500: #3b82f6;
  --color-brand-900: #1e3a8a;

  /* Typography */
  --font-sans: 'Roboto-Regular';
  --font-sans-medium: 'Roboto-Medium';
  --font-sans-bold: 'Roboto-Bold';
  --font-mono: 'FiraCode-Regular';

  /* Spacing & sizing */
  --text-base: 15px;
  --spacing-4: 16px;
  --radius-lg: 12px;

  /* Breakpoints */
  --breakpoint-tablet: 820px;
}

Usage: bg-brand-500, text-brand-900, font-sans, font-mono, rounded-lg.

Fonts

React Native requires a single font per family — no fallbacks:

@theme {
  --font-sans: 'Roboto-Regular';
  --font-sans-bold: 'Roboto-Bold';
  --font-mono: 'FiraCode-Regular';
}

Font name must exactly match the font file name (without extension).

Expo : Configure fonts in app.json with the expo-font plugin, then reference in CSS.

Bare RN : Use react-native-asset to link fonts, same CSS config.

Platform-specific fonts (use @variant, not @media):

@layer theme {
  :root {
    @variant ios { --font-sans: 'SF Pro Text'; }
    @variant android { --font-sans: 'Roboto-Regular'; }
    @variant web { --font-sans: 'system-ui'; }
  }
}

Gradients

Built-in support — no extra dependencies:

<View className="bg-gradient-to-r from-red-500 via-yellow-500 to-green-500 p-4 rounded-lg">
  <Text className="text-white font-bold">Gradient</Text>
</View>

For expo-linear-gradient, you can wrap it with withUniwind for className-based layout and styling (padding, border-radius, flex, etc.), but the colors prop is an array that cannot be resolved via className — it must be provided explicitly. Use useCSSVariable to get theme-aware colors:

import { useCSSVariable } from 'uniwind';
import { withUniwind } from 'uniwind';
import { LinearGradient as RNLinearGradient } from 'expo-linear-gradient';

const LinearGradient = withUniwind(RNLinearGradient);

function GradientCard() {
  // useCSSVariable returns string | number | undefined
  const primary = useCSSVariable('--color-primary');
  const secondary = useCSSVariable('--color-secondary');

  // Guard against undefined — LinearGradient.colors requires valid ColorValues
  if (!primary || !secondary) {
    return null;
  }

  return (
    <LinearGradient
      className="flex-1 rounded-2xl p-6"
      colors={[primary as string, secondary as string]}
    >
      <Text className="text-white font-bold">Themed gradient</Text>
    </LinearGradient>
  );
}

Alternatively, export a wrapped component from a shared module for reuse:

// components/styled.ts
import { withUniwind } from 'uniwind';
import { LinearGradient as RNLinearGradient } from 'expo-linear-gradient';

export const LinearGradient = withUniwind(RNLinearGradient);



// usage — className handles layout, colors still passed manually
import { LinearGradient } from '@/components/styled';

<LinearGradient className="rounded-xl p-4" colors={['#ff6b6b', '#4ecdc4']}>
  <Text className="text-white">Static gradient</Text>
</LinearGradient>

React Navigation Integration

Use useResolveClassNames for screen options that only accept style objects:

import { useResolveClassNames } from 'uniwind';

function Layout() {
  const headerStyle = useResolveClassNames('bg-background');
  const headerTitleStyle = useResolveClassNames('text-foreground font-bold');

  return (
    <Stack.Navigator
      screenOptions={{
        headerStyle,
        headerTitleStyle,
      }}
    />
  );
}

Keep React Navigation's <ThemeProvider> if already in use — it manages navigation-specific theming.

UI Kit Compatibility

• HeroUI Native : Works with Uniwind. Uses tailwind-variants (tv) internally. Apply className directly on HeroUI components. Bun users : Bun uses symlinks for node_modules, which can cause Tailwind's Oxide scanner to miss library classes in production builds. Fix: use the resolved path in @source and hoist the package:

  @source "../../node_modules/heroui-native/lib";
  
  
  # .npmrc
  public-hoist-pattern[]=heroui-native
  

• react-native-reusables : Compatible.

• Gluestack v4.1+ : Compatible.

• Lucide React Native : Use withUniwind(LucideIcon) with colorClassName="accent-blue-500" for icon color. Works for all Lucide icons.

Use semantic color tokens (bg-primary, text-foreground) for theme consistency across UI kits.

Supported vs Unsupported Classes

React Native uses the Yoga layout engine. Key differences from web CSS:

• No CSS cascade/inheritance — styles don't inherit from parents
• Flexbox by default — all views use flexbox with flexDirection: 'column'
• Limited CSS properties — no floats, grid, pseudo-elements

Supported (all standard Tailwind)

Layout, spacing, sizing, typography, colors, borders, effects, flexbox, positioning, transforms, interactive states.

Unsupported (web-specific, silently ignored)

• hover: visited: — use Pressable active: instead
• before: after: placeholder: — pseudo-elements
• float-* clear-* columns-*
• print: screen:

Uniwind Pro

Paid upgrade with 100% API compatibility. Built on a 2nd-generation C++ engine for apps that demand the best performance. $99/seat (billed annually). Pricing and licensing: https://uniwind.dev/pricing

Pricing & Licensing

• $99/seat per year (VAT excluded unless applicable)
• Individual License : Personal Pro license per engineer
• Team License : Single key management — add or remove members instantly
• CI/CD License : Full support for automated and headless build environments
• Enterprise : Custom plans available (contact support@uniwind.dev)
• Priority Support : Critical issues resolved with priority response times

Overview

• C++ style engine : Forged on the 2nd-gen Unistyles C++ engine. Injects styles directly into the ShadowTree without triggering React re-renders — a direct, optimized highway between classNames and the native layer
• Performance : Benchmarked at ~55ms (vs StyleSheet 49ms, traditional Uniwind 81ms, NativeWind 197ms) — near-native speed
• 40+ className props update without re-renders (all component bindings listed above)
• Reanimated animations : animate-* and transition-* via className (Reanimated v4)
• Native insets & runtime values: Automatic safe area injection, device rotation, and font size updates — no SafeAreaListener setup needed
• Theme transitions : Native animated transitions when switching themes (fade, slide, circle mask)
• Priority support : Don't let technical hurdles slow your team down

Package: "uniwind": "npm:uniwind-pro@rc" in package.json.

Installation

1. Set dependency alias in package.json:

   { "dependencies": { "uniwind": "npm:uniwind-pro@rc" } }
   

2. Install peer dependencies:

   npm install react-native-nitro-modules react-native-reanimated react-native-worklets
   

3. Authenticate: npx uniwind-pro (interactive — select "Login with GitHub")

4. Add Babel plugin:

   // babel.config.js
   module.exports = {
     presets: ['module:metro-react-native-babel-preset'],
     plugins: ['react-native-worklets/plugin'],
   };
   

5. Whitelist postinstall if needed:

   • bun : Add "trustedDependencies": ["uniwind"] to package.json

Pro does NOT work with Expo Go. Requires native rebuild.

Verify installation : Check for native modules (.cpp, .mm files) in node_modules/uniwind.

Reanimated Animations (Requires Reanimated v4.0.0+)

<View className="size-32 bg-primary rounded animate-spin" />
<View className="size-32 bg-primary rounded animate-bounce" />
<View className="size-32 bg-primary rounded animate-pulse" />
<View className="size-32 bg-primary rounded animate-ping" />

// Loading spinner
<View className="size-8 border-4 border-gray-200 border-t-blue-500 rounded-full animate-spin" />

Components auto-swap to Animated versions when animation classes detected:

Transitions

Smooth property changes when className or state changes:

// Color transition on press
<Pressable className="bg-primary active:bg-red-500 transition-colors duration-300" />

// Opacity transition
<View className={`transition-opacity duration-500 ${visible ? 'opacity-100' : 'opacity-0'}`} />

// Transform transition
<Pressable className="active:scale-95 transition-transform duration-150" />

// All properties
<Pressable className="bg-primary px-6 py-3 rounded-lg active:scale-95 active:bg-primary/80 transition-all duration-150">
  <Text className="text-white font-semibold">Animated Button</Text>
</Pressable>

Duration: duration-75 duration-100 duration-150 duration-200 duration-300 duration-500 duration-700 duration-1000

Easing: ease-linear ease-in ease-out ease-in-out

Delay: delay-75 delay-100 delay-150 delay-200 delay-300 delay-500 delay-700 delay-1000

Using Reanimated Directly

Still works with Uniwind classes:

import Animated, { FadeIn, FlipInXUp, LinearTransition } from 'react-native-reanimated';

<Animated.Text entering={FadeIn.delay(500)} className="text-foreground text-lg">
  Fading in
</Animated.Text>

<Animated.FlatList
  data={data}
  className="flex-none"
  contentContainerClassName="px-2"
  layout={LinearTransition}
  renderItem={({ item }) => (
    <Animated.Text entering={FlipInXUp} className="text-foreground py-2">
      {item}
    </Animated.Text>
  )}
/>

Shadow Tree Updates

No code changes needed — props connect directly to C++ engine, eliminating re-renders automatically.

Native Insets

Remove SafeAreaListener setup — insets injected from native layer:

// With Pro — just use safe area classes directly
<View className="pt-safe pb-safe">{/* content */}</View>

Theme Transitions (Pro)

Native animated transitions when switching themes. Import ThemeTransitionPreset and pass to setTheme:

import { Uniwind, ThemeTransitionPreset } from 'uniwind';

// Fade transition
Uniwind.setTheme('dark', ThemeTransitionPreset.Fade);

// Slide transitions
Uniwind.setTheme('dark', ThemeTransitionPreset.SlideRightToLeft);
Uniwind.setTheme('light', ThemeTransitionPreset.SlideLeftToRight);

// Circle mask transitions (expand from a corner or center)
Uniwind.setTheme('ocean', ThemeTransitionPreset.CircleCenter);
Uniwind.setTheme('dark', ThemeTransitionPreset.CircleTopRight);

// No animation
Uniwind.setTheme('light', ThemeTransitionPreset.None);

Available presets:

Setup Diagnostics

When styles aren't working, check in this order:

1. package.json

• "uniwind" (or "uniwind-pro") in dependencies
• "tailwindcss" at v4+ (^4.0.0)
• For Pro: react-native-nitro-modules, react-native-reanimated, react-native-worklets

2. metro.config.js

• withUniwindConfig imported from 'uniwind/metro'
• withUniwindConfig is the outermost wrapper
• cssEntryFile is a relative path string (e.g., './global.css')
• No path.resolve() or absolute paths

3. global.css

• Contains @import 'tailwindcss'; AND @import 'uniwind';
• Imported in App.tsx or root layout, NOT in index.ts/index.js
• Location determines app root for Tailwind scanning

4. babel.config.js (Pro only)

• 'react-native-worklets/plugin' in plugins array

5. TypeScript

• uniwind-types.d.ts exists (generated after running Metro)
• Included in tsconfig.json or placed in src//app/ dir

6. Build

• Metro server restarted after config changes
• Metro cache cleared (npx expo start --clear or npx react-native start --reset-cache)
• Native rebuild done (if Pro or after dependency changes)

Troubleshooting