React Hooks, introduced in React v16.8, significantly enhance the capabilities of functional components by allowing them to manage state and utilize React features like context without the complexity of class-based components. Ionic React, which supports React Hooks, simplifies app development by making common tasks and accessing native APIs straightforward and efficient. Hooks such as useState and useEffect enable functional components to manage state and perform side-effects like API requests, respectively. The useContext hook facilitates global state management, reducing the need for complex external solutions like Redux. Custom hooks further extend functionality by allowing reusable logic, such as accessing geolocation data or interacting with native device features through Ionic's Capacitor. An example Ionic React app, Puppers, demonstrates how hooks can streamline state management and API interaction, showcasing the power and simplicity of using React Hooks in app development.