What happened at AppJS 2026? Highlights, new products, and plans for the future

App.js 2026, the largest React Native and Expo conference of the year, took place in Kraków, bringing together over 500 developers to discuss advancements and the future of these technologies. The event highlighted the adaptability of React Native and Expo in the AI era, emphasizing how their JavaScript and TypeScript foundations provide robust training data for AI models. Key developments in Expo, such as the Expo SDK 56, focused on speed improvements, like faster Android cold start times and a polished default starter app. The introduction of "Observe," an open-source library for tracking real performance metrics in production, was a significant announcement, offering insights into user experiences across different devices and networks. The conference concluded with a session by Seth Webster, who highlighted the transformative potential of React Native and Expo, making mobile app development more accessible and efficient for individual developers.