expo app splash logo muving in android

Yulia Chive

2 min read

·

07-12-2024

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Making Your Expo App's Splash Logo Move in Android

Expo provides a fantastic framework for cross-platform mobile development, but customizing the splash screen experience can sometimes feel like navigating a maze. This article will guide you through the process of creating a moving splash logo for your Android app built with Expo, focusing on techniques that avoid common pitfalls.

Understanding the Limitations

Before diving in, it's crucial to understand that directly animating a splash screen image within the Expo managed workflow isn't straightforward. Expo's SplashScreen API primarily focuses on static images. To achieve a moving logo, we need to employ a workaround involving a custom splash screen implementation.

Method 1: Using a GIF as Your Splash Screen

The simplest approach is to use an animated GIF as your splash screen image. GIFs are inherently animated, providing a straightforward solution for a moving logo.

1. Create Your Animated GIF: Use a graphics editor like Photoshop, GIMP, or an online GIF maker to create your animated logo. Keep the file size relatively small to avoid impacting app loading times.

2. Update your app.json: In your app.json file, update the android section to include your GIF. Ensure the path is correct relative to your project's root.

{
  "expo": {
    "android": {
      "adaptiveIcon": {
        // ...
      },
      "splash": {
        "image": "./assets/splash.gif",
        "resizeMode": "contain"
      }
    }
    // ...rest of your app.json
  }
}

3. Run your App: Run your Expo app using expo start. Your animated GIF should now be displayed as your splash screen.

Method 2: A More Advanced Approach with Lottie Animations

For more complex animations, consider using Lottie, a library for rendering After Effects animations in your app. Lottie provides smoother, higher-quality animations compared to GIFs.

1. Install Lottie: Install the lottie-react-native package within your Expo project:

expo install lottie-react-native

2. Create Your Animation: Create your animation in After Effects and export it as a JSON file.

3. Implement in Your App: Create a custom splash screen component to display the Lottie animation. This requires ejecting from Expo's managed workflow (which may not be ideal for all projects). This method allows full control over the splash screen duration.

import React from 'react';
import { View, StyleSheet } from 'react-native';
import LottieView from 'lottie-react-native';

const SplashScreen = () => {
  return (
    <View style={styles.container}>
      <LottieView
        source={require('./assets/splash_animation.json')}
        autoPlay
        loop={false} // Set to false for one-time play
        onAnimationFinish={() => { /* Navigate to your main app screen here */ }}
      />
    </View>
  );
};

const styles = StyleSheet.create({
  container: {
    flex: 1,
    backgroundColor: '#fff', // Set your background color
    alignItems: 'center',
    justifyContent: 'center',
  },
});

export default SplashScreen;

Remember to replace './assets/splash_animation.json' with the correct path to your Lottie animation file. You'll also need to handle navigation to your main app component after the animation completes.

Considerations:

• Performance: Keep your animations short and concise to avoid slowing down app load times. Large animations can negatively impact the user experience.
• File Size: Optimize your GIF or Lottie animation for smaller file sizes.
• Ejection: The Lottie approach requires ejecting from Expo's managed workflow, which can impact future updates. Weigh the benefits against potential drawbacks before proceeding.
• Android Manifest: You might need to adjust settings within your AndroidManifest.xml file, especially if using a custom splash screen implementation.

By following these methods, you can successfully add a moving logo to your Expo Android app's splash screen, enhancing the overall user experience. Remember to prioritize performance and user experience above all else when making these customizations.