Expo and PostHog: A Seamless Analytics Solution for React Native Apps

Analytics play a crucial role in improving products by identifying which features users find most valuable. While Google Analytics is a widely used platform, its integration with React Native/Expo leaves much to be desired in terms of developer experience. This led me to explore alternatives, ultimately discovering PostHog.

According to the official documentation, PostHog is “the single platform to analyze, test, observe, and deploy new features.” Intrigued, I decided to give it a try.

Google Analytics 4 vs. PostHog

PostHog offers a tightly integrated platform that combines product and web analytics with features like:

• Session Replay: See user interactions.
• Feature Flags: Enable/disable features dynamically.
• A/B Testing: Optimize user experience.
• Surveys: Gather user feedback.
• Built-in Data Warehouse: Simplify data management.

PostHog offers a highly customizable dashboard, allowing you to configure charts and graphs to focus on the specific data that matters most to your product and business goals. However, PostHog doesn’t natively support Google Ads ROI tracking or integration with Google Search Console, making it a less suitable choice if these tools are critical for your use case.

How to Install and Use PostHog in Expo or React Native

Installation Steps

For Expo projects, run:

npx expo install posthog-react-native expo-file-system expo-application expo-device expo-localization

For React Native projects, use:

# With Yarn 
yarn add posthog-react-native @react-native-async-storage/async-storage react-native-device-info 
 
# Or with npm 
npm install posthog-react-native @react-native-async-storage/async-storage react-native-device-info

Initializing PostHog

You can initialize PostHog using either of the following methods:

Option 1: Using the PostHog Provider

In your App.(js|ts) file:

import { PostHogProvider } from 'posthog-react-native'; 
 
export function MyApp() { 
    return ( 
        <PostHogProvider apiKey="YOUR_POSTHOG_API_KEY" options={{ 
            host: 'https://us.i.posthog.com', // or 'https://eu.i.posthog.com' 
        }}> 
            <MyComponent /> 
        </PostHogProvider> 
    ); 
}

Option 2: Using a PostHog Instance

Alternatively, you can create a global PostHog instance:

import PostHog from 'posthog-react-native'; 
 
const posthog = new PostHog("YOUR_POSTHOG_API_KEY", { 
    host: 'https://us.i.posthog.com', // or 'https://eu.i.posthog.com' 
});

Why I Prefer Option 2
By using this method, you can add type safety to your event tracking, creating a centralized service for analytics. Here’s an example:

import PostHog from "posthog-react-native"; 
 
const posthog = new PostHog("YOUR_POSTHOG_API_KEY", { 
    host: "https://us.i.posthog.com", 
}); 
 
type AnalyticEventType = "login" | "create_account" | "shared_app"; 
 
const AnalyticService = { 
    capture: ( 
        event: AnalyticEventType, 
        properties?: Record<string, unknown> 
    ) => { 
        posthog.capture(event, properties); 
    }, 
    identify: (userId: string, email: string, phone: string, name: string) => { 
        posthog.identify(userId, { email, phone, name }); 
    }, 
    reset: () => { 
        posthog.reset(); 
    }, 
}; 
 
export default AnalyticService;

Now, you can simply import AnalyticService in your files and use:

AnalyticService.capture('login', { customProperty: 'value' });

his approach centralizes all your events, simplifies debugging, and ensures type safety.

Why Choose PostHog for Your Expo or React Native App?

PostHog provides an all-in-one solution for analytics, eliminating the need for multiple tools. Its seamless integration with React Native and Expo, combined with advanced features like session replay and feature flags, make it a compelling choice for developers looking to optimize their apps.

Get started with PostHog today and take your analytics to the next level!

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