/react-native-testing

RNTL Anti-Patterns

Table of Contents

• Wrong query variant
• Not using *ByRole
• Wrong assertions
• waitFor misuse
• Unnecessary act()
• fireEvent instead of userEvent
• Destructuring render
• Using UNSAFE_root
• Manual cleanup
• Legacy accessibility props
• Forgetting to await (v14)
• Using removed APIs (v14)

Wrong query variant

// BAD: queryBy* when element should exist
const button = screen.queryByRole('button');
expect(button).toBeOnTheScreen();

// GOOD: getBy* when element should exist
const button = screen.getByRole('button');
expect(button).toBeOnTheScreen();

// BAD: getBy* for non-existence check (throws instead of failing gracefully)
expect(screen.getByText('Error')).not.toBeOnTheScreen();

// GOOD: queryBy* for non-existence check
expect(screen.queryByText('Error')).not.toBeOnTheScreen();

// BAD: waitFor + getBy* for async elements
await waitFor(() => {
  expect(screen.getByText('Loaded')).toBeOnTheScreen();
});

// GOOD: findBy* for async elements
expect(await screen.findByText('Loaded')).toBeOnTheScreen();

Not using *ByRole

// BAD: testID when accessible query works
<Pressable testID="submit-btn" role="button">
  <Text>Submit</Text>
</Pressable>;
screen.getByTestId('submit-btn');

// GOOD: query by role and accessible name
screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Submit' });

// BAD: getByText for a button (less semantic)
screen.getByText('Submit');

// GOOD: getByRole with name (more semantic, tests accessibility)
screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Submit' });

Wrong assertions

// BAD: asserting on props directly
expect(button.props['aria-disabled']).toBe(true);
expect(button.props.style.backgroundColor).toBe('red');

// GOOD: use RNTL matchers
expect(button).toBeDisabled();
expect(button).toHaveStyle({ backgroundColor: 'red' });

// BAD: redundant null check (getBy already throws)
const el = screen.getByText('Hello');
expect(el).not.toBeNull();

// GOOD: use toBeOnTheScreen
expect(screen.getByText('Hello')).toBeOnTheScreen();

waitFor misuse

// BAD: side-effect inside waitFor (press runs on every retry)
await waitFor(() => {
  fireEvent.press(screen.getByRole('button'));
  expect(screen.getByText('Result')).toBeOnTheScreen();
});

// GOOD: side-effect outside, assertion inside
fireEvent.press(screen.getByRole('button'));
await waitFor(() => {
  expect(screen.getByText('Result')).toBeOnTheScreen();
});

// BETTER: use findBy*
fireEvent.press(screen.getByRole('button'));
expect(await screen.findByText('Result')).toBeOnTheScreen();

// BAD: empty waitFor callback
await waitFor(() => {});

// BAD: multiple assertions in single waitFor
await waitFor(() => {
  expect(screen.getByText('Title')).toBeOnTheScreen();
  expect(screen.getByText('Subtitle')).toBeOnTheScreen();
});

// GOOD: one assertion per waitFor, rest after
await waitFor(() => {
  expect(screen.getByText('Title')).toBeOnTheScreen();
});
expect(screen.getByText('Subtitle')).toBeOnTheScreen();

Unnecessary act()

// BAD: wrapping render in act
act(() => {
  render(<Component />);
});

// GOOD: render handles act internally
render(<Component />);

// BAD: wrapping fireEvent in act
act(() => {
  fireEvent.press(button);
});

// GOOD: fireEvent handles act internally
fireEvent.press(button);

// BAD: wrapping userEvent in act
await act(async () => {
  await user.press(button);
});

// GOOD: userEvent handles act internally
await user.press(button);

fireEvent instead of userEvent

// BAD: fireEvent.press (only fires onPress, no pressIn/pressOut)
fireEvent.press(button);

// GOOD: userEvent.press (full press lifecycle)
const user = userEvent.setup();
await user.press(button);

// BAD: fireEvent.changeText (sets text all at once, no focus/blur/keyPress)
fireEvent.changeText(input, 'Hello');

// GOOD: user.type (char-by-char with full event sequence)
await user.type(input, 'Hello');

Destructuring render

// BAD: destructuring queries from render
const { getByText, getByRole } = render(<Component />);
getByText('Hello');

// GOOD: use screen object
render(<Component />);
screen.getByText('Hello');

Using UNSAFE_root

// BAD: traversing the tree manually
const { UNSAFE_root } = render(<Component />);
const el = UNSAFE_root.findAll((node) => node.props.testID === 'foo')[0];

// GOOD: use proper queries
render(<Component />);
screen.getByTestId('foo');

Manual cleanup

// BAD: calling cleanup manually (it's automatic)
afterEach(() => {
  cleanup();
});

// GOOD: just don't - RNTL auto-cleans after each test

Legacy accessibility props

// BAD: legacy accessibility props
<Pressable accessibilityRole="button" accessibilityLabel="Submit">
  <Text>Submit</Text>
</Pressable>

// GOOD: ARIA-compatible props
<Pressable role="button" aria-label="Submit">
  <Text>Submit</Text>
</Pressable>

// BAD: legacy state props
<Pressable accessibilityState={{ disabled: true, checked: true }}>

// GOOD: ARIA state props
<Pressable aria-disabled aria-checked>

Forgetting to await (v14)

In RNTL v14, render, fireEvent, rerender, unmount, renderHook, and act are async. Forgetting await causes subtle bugs where tests pass but assertions run before operations complete.

// BAD: missing await on render (v14)
render(<Component />);
expect(screen.getByText('Hello')).toBeOnTheScreen(); // may fail intermittently

// GOOD: await render (v14)
await render(<Component />);
expect(screen.getByText('Hello')).toBeOnTheScreen();

// BAD: missing await on fireEvent (v14)
fireEvent.press(screen.getByRole('button'));
// state updates may not have flushed yet

// GOOD: await fireEvent (v14)
await fireEvent.press(screen.getByRole('button'));

// BAD: missing await on act (v14)
act(() => {
  result.current.increment();
});

// GOOD: await act (v14)
await act(() => {
  result.current.increment();
});

Using removed APIs (v14)

These APIs exist in v13 but are removed in v14. Using them will cause import or runtime errors.

// BAD: using renderAsync in v14 (removed — render is already async)
import { renderAsync } from '@testing-library/react-native';
await renderAsync(<Component />);

// GOOD: use render in v14
import { render } from '@testing-library/react-native';
await render(<Component />);

// BAD: using fireEventAsync in v14 (removed — fireEvent is already async)
import { fireEventAsync } from '@testing-library/react-native';
await fireEventAsync.press(button);

// GOOD: use fireEvent in v14
import { fireEvent } from '@testing-library/react-native';
await fireEvent.press(button);

// BAD: using UNSAFE_root in v14 (removed)
screen.UNSAFE_root;

// GOOD: use container or root in v14
screen.container;
screen.root;

// BAD: using concurrentRoot option in v14 (removed — always on)
render(<Component />, { concurrentRoot: false });

// GOOD: just render without concurrentRoot
await render(<Component />);

// BAD: using update() in v14 (removed)
screen.update(<Component newProp />);

// GOOD: use rerender in v14
await screen.rerender(<Component newProp />);