Fetch API
The Fetch API is a built-in JavaScript interface for making HTTP requests, and it works out of the box in React Native without requiring any additional installation.
Basic GET Request
Using Fetch with Async/Await
Checking Response Status
Fetch does not automatically reject on HTTP error statuses like 404 or 500, so it is important to manually check the response.ok property before processing the data.
Sending Headers
Fetch Limitations
Fetch does not support request cancellation natively without an AbortController, does not automatically parse JSON, and requires more manual error handling compared to libraries like Axios.
When to Use Fetch
Fetch is a great choice for simple applications or when you want to avoid adding an external dependency, since it is already built into the JavaScript runtime.
Conclusion
The Fetch API provides a solid, dependency-free foundation for making network requests in React Native. Understanding its behavior, especially around error handling, is essential before deciding whether to adopt a library like Axios for more advanced needs.
