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Expo Tailwind Setup

OpenAIOfficialCreated by Expo TeamDistributed by OpenAI

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  • Software development
  • MIT
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From the author

Set up Tailwind CSS v4 in Expo with react-native-css and NativeWind v5 for universal styling
— the description by Expo Team

AutoGineer summary

Written by AutoGineer from the skill’s own files, not by the author

This skill provides a comprehensive setup guide for integrating Tailwind CSS v4, NativeWind v5, and react-native-css into an Expo project. It emphasizes a CSS-first configuration approach, moving away from traditional Babel-based setups in favor of PostCSS and native CSS variable support. The guide includes instructions for configuring Metro, setting up global CSS, creating reusable CSS-enabled component wrappers, and implementing platform-specific styling and semantic color variables.

What it does

  • Configures Tailwind CSS v4 with Expo and NativeWind v5.
  • Provides a pattern for creating CSS-enabled React Native components.
  • Demonstrates how to use CSS variables for theme management and platform-specific styling.
  • Explains the integration of PostCSS for Tailwind processing.
  • Shows how to implement Apple system colors using platform-specific CSS variables.
  • Offers a hook for accessing CSS variables directly within JavaScript.

When to use it

  • When starting a new Expo project that requires Tailwind CSS v4.
  • When migrating an existing Expo project to the latest NativeWind v5 and Tailwind v4 architecture.
  • When you need universal styling across iOS, Android, and Web using a CSS-first approach.
  • When you need to implement complex theme variables or platform-specific design tokens.

Advantages

  • Eliminates the need for complex Babel configurations.
  • Enables modern CSS-first styling workflows in React Native.
  • Supports platform-specific styling via standard CSS media queries.
  • Provides a clean way to manage design tokens and semantic colors.

Usage examples

“How do I set up Tailwind CSS v4 in my new Expo project?”
The guide provides the exact installation commands, Metro configuration, and PostCSS setup required to initialize the environment.
“How can I use Tailwind classes on standard React Native components?”
The guide explains how to create reusable component wrappers using useCssElement to enable className support on components like View and Text.
“How do I handle platform-specific colors like systemBlue in my styles?”
The guide demonstrates how to define semantic colors in a CSS file using platformColor() and light-dark() for cross-platform consistency.

Install

  1. Download the skill as a ZIP:

    https://mp-staging.autogineer.com/agent-skills/openai/expo-tailwind-setup/download

  2. Unzip it into the cross-client skills folder of your project:

    mkdir -p .agents/skills && unzip expo-tailwind-setup.zip -d .agents/skills

Documentation by Expo Team

Tailwind CSS Setup for Expo with react-native-css

This guide covers setting up Tailwind CSS v4 in Expo using react-native-css and NativeWind v5 for universal styling across iOS, Android, and Web.

Overview

This setup uses:

  • Tailwind CSS v4 - Modern CSS-first configuration

  • react-native-css - CSS runtime for React Native

  • NativeWind v5 - Metro transformer for Tailwind in React Native

  • @tailwindcss/postcss - PostCSS plugin for Tailwind v4

Installation

# Install dependencies
npx expo install tailwindcss@^4 [email protected] [email protected] @tailwindcss/postcss tailwind-merge clsx

Add resolutions for lightningcss compatibility:

// package.json
{
  "resolutions": {
    "lightningcss": "1.30.1"
  }
}

  • autoprefixer is not needed in Expo because of lightningcss

  • postcss is included in expo by default

Configuration Files

Metro Config

Create or update metro.config.js:

// metro.config.js
const { getDefaultConfig } = require("expo/metro-config");
const { withNativewind } = require("nativewind/metro");

/** @type {import('expo/metro-config').MetroConfig} */
const config = getDefaultConfig(__dirname);

module.exports = withNativewind(config, {
  // inline variables break PlatformColor in CSS variables
  inlineVariables: false,
  // We add className support manually
  globalClassNamePolyfill: false,
});
PostCSS Config

Create postcss.config.mjs:

// postcss.config.mjs
export default {
  plugins: {
    "@tailwindcss/postcss": {},
  },
};
Global CSS

Create src/global.css:

@import "tailwindcss/theme.css" layer(theme);
@import "tailwindcss/preflight.css" layer(base);
@import "tailwindcss/utilities.css";

/* Platform-specific font families */
@media android {
  :root {
    --font-mono: monospace;
    --font-rounded: normal;
    --font-serif: serif;
    --font-sans: normal;
  }
}

@media ios {
  :root {
    --font-mono: ui-monospace;
    --font-serif: ui-serif;
    --font-sans: system-ui;
    --font-rounded: ui-rounded;
  }
}

IMPORTANT: No Babel Config Needed

With Tailwind v4 and NativeWind v5, you do NOT need a babel.config.js for Tailwind. Remove any NativeWind babel presets if present:

// DELETE babel.config.js if it only contains NativeWind config
// The following is NO LONGER needed:
// module.exports = function (api) {
//   api.cache(true);
//   return {
//     presets: [
//       ["babel-preset-expo", { jsxImportSource: "nativewind" }],
//       "nativewind/babel",
//     ],
//   };
// };

CSS Component Wrappers

Since react-native-css requires explicit CSS element wrapping, create reusable components:

Main Components (src/tw/index.tsx)
import {
  useCssElement,
  useNativeVariable as useFunctionalVariable,
} from "react-native-css";

import { Link as RouterLink } from "expo-router";
import Animated from "react-native-reanimated";
import React from "react";
import {
  View as RNView,
  Text as RNText,
  Pressable as RNPressable,
  ScrollView as RNScrollView,
  TouchableHighlight as RNTouchableHighlight,
  TextInput as RNTextInput,
  StyleSheet,
} from "react-native";

// CSS-enabled Link
export const Link = (
  props: React.ComponentProps<typeof RouterLink> & { className?: string }
) => {
  return useCssElement(RouterLink, props, { className: "style" });
};

Link.Trigger = RouterLink.Trigger;
Link.Menu = RouterLink.Menu;
Link.MenuAction = RouterLink.MenuAction;
Link.Preview = RouterLink.Preview;

// CSS Variable hook
export const useCSSVariable =
  process.env.EXPO_OS !== "web"
    ? useFunctionalVariable
    : (variable: string) => `var(${variable})`;

// View
export type ViewProps = React.ComponentProps<typeof RNView> & {
  className?: string;
};

export const View = (props: ViewProps) => {
  return useCssElement(RNView, props, { className: "style" });
};
View.displayName = "CSS(View)";

// Text
export const Text = (
  props: React.ComponentProps<typeof RNText> & { className?: string }
) => {
  return useCssElement(RNText, props, { className: "style" });
};
Text.displayName = "CSS(Text)";

// ScrollView
export const ScrollView = (
  props: React.ComponentProps<typeof RNScrollView> & {
    className?: string;
    contentContainerClassName?: string;
  }
) => {
  return useCssElement(RNScrollView, props, {
    className: "style",
    contentContainerClassName: "contentContainerStyle",
  });
};
ScrollView.displayName = "CSS(ScrollView)";

// Pressable
export const Pressable = (
  props: React.ComponentProps<typeof RNPressable> & { className?: string }
) => {
  return useCssElement(RNPressable, props, { className: "style" });
};
Pressable.displayName = "CSS(Pressable)";

// TextInput
export const TextInput = (
  props: React.ComponentProps<typeof RNTextInput> & { className?: string }
) => {
  return useCssElement(RNTextInput, props, { className: "style" });
};
TextInput.displayName = "CSS(TextInput)";

// AnimatedScrollView
export const AnimatedScrollView = (
  props: React.ComponentProps<typeof Animated.ScrollView> & {
    className?: string;
    contentClassName?: string;
    contentContainerClassName?: string;
  }
) => {
  return useCssElement(Animated.ScrollView, props, {
    className: "style",
    contentClassName: "contentContainerStyle",
    contentContainerClassName: "contentContainerStyle",
  });
};

// TouchableHighlight with underlayColor extraction
function XXTouchableHighlight(
  props: React.ComponentProps<typeof RNTouchableHighlight>
) {
  const { underlayColor, ...style } = StyleSheet.flatten(props.style) || {};
  return (
    <RNTouchableHighlight
      underlayColor={underlayColor}
      {...props}
      style={style}
    />
  );
}

export const TouchableHighlight = (
  props: React.ComponentProps<typeof RNTouchableHighlight>
) => {
  return useCssElement(XXTouchableHighlight, props, { className: "style" });
};
TouchableHighlight.displayName = "CSS(TouchableHighlight)";
Image Component (src/tw/image.tsx)
import { useCssElement } from "react-native-css";
import React from "react";
import { StyleSheet } from "react-native";
import Animated from "react-native-reanimated";
import { Image as RNImage } from "expo-image";

const AnimatedExpoImage = Animated.createAnimatedComponent(RNImage);

export type ImageProps = React.ComponentProps<typeof Image>;

function CSSImage(props: React.ComponentProps<typeof AnimatedExpoImage>) {
  // @ts-expect-error: Remap objectFit style to contentFit property
  const { objectFit, objectPosition, ...style } =
    StyleSheet.flatten(props.style) || {};

  return (
    <AnimatedExpoImage
      contentFit={objectFit}
      contentPosition={objectPosition}
      {...props}
      source={
        typeof props.source === "string" ? { uri: props.source } : props.source
      }
      // @ts-expect-error: Style is remapped above
      style={style}
    />
  );
}

export const Image = (
  props: React.ComponentProps<typeof CSSImage> & { className?: string }
) => {
  return useCssElement(CSSImage, props, { className: "style" });
};

Image.displayName = "CSS(Image)";
Animated Components (src/tw/animated.tsx)
import * as TW from "./index";
import RNAnimated from "react-native-reanimated";

export const Animated = {
  ...RNAnimated,
  View: RNAnimated.createAnimatedComponent(TW.View),
};

Usage

Import CSS-wrapped components from your tw directory:

import { View, Text, ScrollView, Image } from "@/tw";

export default function MyScreen() {
  return (
    <ScrollView className="flex-1 bg-white">
      <View className="p-4 gap-4">
        <Text className="text-xl font-bold text-gray-900">Hello Tailwind!</Text>
        <Image
          className="w-full h-48 rounded-lg object-cover"
          source={{ uri: "https://example.com/image.jpg" }}
        />
      </View>
    </ScrollView>
  );
}

Custom Theme Variables

Add custom theme variables in your global.css using @theme:

@layer theme {
  @theme {
    /* Custom fonts */
    --font-rounded: "SF Pro Rounded", sans-serif;

    /* Custom line heights */
    --text-xs--line-height: calc(1em / 0.75);
    --text-sm--line-height: calc(1.25em / 0.875);
    --text-base--line-height: calc(1.5em / 1);

    /* Custom leading scales */
    --leading-tight: 1.25em;
    --leading-snug: 1.375em;
    --leading-normal: 1.5em;
  }
}

Platform-Specific Styles

Use platform media queries for platform-specific styling:

@media ios {
  :root {
    --font-sans: system-ui;
    --font-rounded: ui-rounded;
  }
}

@media android {
  :root {
    --font-sans: normal;
    --font-rounded: normal;
  }
}

Apple System Colors with CSS Variables

Create a CSS file for Apple semantic colors:

/* src/css/sf.css */
@layer base {
  html {
    color-scheme: light;
  }
}

:root {
  /* Accent colors with light/dark mode */
  --sf-blue: light-dark(rgb(0 122 255), rgb(10 132 255));
  --sf-green: light-dark(rgb(52 199 89), rgb(48 209 89));
  --sf-red: light-dark(rgb(255 59 48), rgb(255 69 58));

  /* Gray scales */
  --sf-gray: light-dark(rgb(142 142 147), rgb(142 142 147));
  --sf-gray-2: light-dark(rgb(174 174 178), rgb(99 99 102));

  /* Text colors */
  --sf-text: light-dark(rgb(0 0 0), rgb(255 255 255));
  --sf-text-2: light-dark(rgb(60 60 67 / 0.6), rgb(235 235 245 / 0.6));

  /* Background colors */
  --sf-bg: light-dark(rgb(255 255 255), rgb(0 0 0));
  --sf-bg-2: light-dark(rgb(242 242 247), rgb(28 28 30));
}

/* iOS native colors via platformColor */
@media ios {
  :root {
    --sf-blue: platformColor(systemBlue);
    --sf-green: platformColor(systemGreen);
    --sf-red: platformColor(systemRed);
    --sf-gray: platformColor(systemGray);
    --sf-text: platformColor(label);
    --sf-text-2: platformColor(secondaryLabel);
    --sf-bg: platformColor(systemBackground);
    --sf-bg-2: platformColor(secondarySystemBackground);
  }
}

/* Register as Tailwind theme colors */
@layer theme {
  @theme {
    --color-sf-blue: var(--sf-blue);
    --color-sf-green: var(--sf-green);
    --color-sf-red: var(--sf-red);
    --color-sf-gray: var(--sf-gray);
    --color-sf-text: var(--sf-text);
    --color-sf-text-2: var(--sf-text-2);
    --color-sf-bg: var(--sf-bg);
    --color-sf-bg-2: var(--sf-bg-2);
  }
}

Then use in components:

<Text className="text-sf-text">Primary text</Text>
<Text className="text-sf-text-2">Secondary text</Text>
<View className="bg-sf-bg">...</View>

Using CSS Variables in JavaScript

Use the useCSSVariable hook:

import { useCSSVariable } from "@/tw";

function MyComponent() {
  const blue = useCSSVariable("--sf-blue");

  return <View style={{ borderColor: blue }} />;
}

Key Differences from NativeWind v4 / Tailwind v3

  1. No babel.config.js - Configuration is now CSS-first

  2. PostCSS plugin - Uses @tailwindcss/postcss instead of tailwindcss

  3. CSS imports - Use @import "tailwindcss/..." instead of @tailwind directives

  4. Theme config - Use @theme in CSS instead of tailwind.config.js

  5. Component wrappers - Must wrap components with useCssElement for className support

  6. Metro config - Use withNativewind with different options (inlineVariables: false)

Troubleshooting

Styles not applying

  1. Ensure you have the CSS file imported in your app entry

  2. Check that components are wrapped with useCssElement

  3. Verify Metro config has withNativewind applied

Platform colors not working

  1. Use platformColor() in @media ios blocks

  2. Fall back to light-dark() for web/Android

TypeScript errors

Add className to component props:

type Props = React.ComponentProps<typeof RNView> & { className?: string };

Files

Requirements and compatibility

Written for: OpenAI Codex

Works with: Claude Code, Claude apps, OpenAI Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Kiro, OpenCode, Goose, Amp, Roo Code, JetBrains Junie, Factory Droid, Devin (ex-Windsurf), Mistral Vibe, OpenHands, Letta

“Works with” means the tool reads the open Agent Skills format; a skill written for one tool may use features others lack.

Needs: Needs Node.js

Security

No issues found by our static scan· No issues found

A static scan is not a guarantee. Skills are third-party content: review a skill before you let an agent use it.

Attribution and licence

Created by
Expo Team
Publisher
OpenAI (Official)
Distributed by
OpenAI
Source
openai/plugins · plugins/expo/skills/expo-tailwind-setup · commit d420d13
Licence
MIT License (redistribution allowed)
  • LICENSE (added by AutoGineer from plugins/expo/LICENSE)
  • ATTRIBUTION.md (written by AutoGineer)
Synced

AutoGineer is not affiliated with or endorsed by Expo Team or OpenAI.

Download ZIP

The ZIP holds the skill’s files, its licence files and an ATTRIBUTION.md. Download expo-tailwind-setup.zip