What is FlatList in React Native?

Updated May 6, 2026

Short answer

FlatList is used to render large scrollable lists efficiently.

Deep explanation

It renders only visible items using virtualization, improving performance compared to ScrollView for large datasets.

Real-world example

Chat message lists in messaging apps.

Common mistakes

  • Using ScrollView for large lists.

Follow-up questions

  • Why is FlatList performant?
  • What is keyExtractor?

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