Real-Time Chat
Messages update instantly through Firestore listeners, helping small local groups stay connected without manual refreshes.
Local Loop
A cross-platform mobile chat app for local groups, built with React Native, Expo and Firebase. Users can join with anonymous authentication, exchange real-time messages, share photos and location data, and keep recent conversations available offline through local caching.
React Native
Expo
Firebase
Firestore
AsyncStorage
Expo APIs
Core Features
A Mobile Chat Experience for Real-World Use
Offline Access
Recent conversations are cached locally with AsyncStrorage, so users can still read recent updates when their connection drops.
Photo Sharing
Users can share images from their camera or media library, with uploads stored through Firebase Cloud Storage.
Location Sharing
Current location can be shared, previewed on a map, and opened directly in Google Maps.
Connection-Aware UI
The app detects network changes with NetInfo and switches between live updates and cached content automatically.
Native Mobile Interactions
Camera, image library, location, and map features are integrated through Expo and React Native APIs.
Technical approach
Architecture and Stack
Local Loop is built with React Native and Expo, with Firebase handling anonymous authentication, real-time messaging, and media storage. Firestore listeners keep conversations synchronized across devices, while Firebase Cloud Storage stores uploaded images.
The project also focuses on mobile-specific edge cases such as unstable connections, offline access, media uploads, and location sharing. Recent messages are cached locally with AsyncStorage, and NetInfo helps the app respond when the connection changes.
Frontend
React Native
Expo
JavaScript
React Navigation
Gifted Chat
Backend & Data
Firebase Firestore
Firebase Auth
Cloud Storage
Real-time listeners
Mobile & Native Features
Expo ImagePicker
Expo Location
react-native-maps
Infrastructure
AsyncStorage
NetInfo
Expo CLI
Android / iOS Simulators
What I learned
Takeaways
Working with real-time data
Using Firestore listeners helped me understand the difference between fetching data once and keeping an interface continuously in sync.
Designing for offline scenarios
Building offline fallback behavior showed me how important it is for mobile apps to remain useful even when the network is unreliable.
Connecting to native device features
Working with camera, image library, and location APIs gave me a better understanding of how React Native connects app logic to real device capabilities.