react-native-background-downloader
A React Native library for downloading large files in both foreground and background on iOS and Android.
What is react-native-background-downloader?
react-native-background-downloader is a React Native library that facilitates downloading large files on iOS and Android, supporting both foreground and background operations. It solves the challenge of maintaining download progress and completion when an app is backgrounded or terminated by using system APIs to handle downloads separately. The library provides tools to re-attach to ongoing downloads after app restarts, ensuring no data is lost.
React Native developers building apps that require reliable downloading of large files, such as media players, document viewers, or offline content managers, where downloads must persist across app sessions.
Developers choose this library for its robust background download support, which is essential for apps that handle large files and need to maintain download continuity. It offers a simple API that abstracts complex system-level download management, reducing development time and improving reliability compared to basic download solutions.
Overview
A library for React-Native to help you download large files on iOS and Android both in the foreground and most importantly in the background.
Use Cases
Best For
- Downloading large media files (videos, music) in React Native apps
- Handling offline content synchronization that survives app termination
- Building apps that require background download capabilities on iOS and Android
- Managing multiple simultaneous downloads with progress tracking
- Implementing download queues with pause/resume functionality
- Ensuring download continuity across app restarts for user-generated content
Not Ideal For
- Apps that only require simple foreground downloads without background persistence
- Projects with strict dependency policies avoiding unmaintained or forked libraries
- Teams needing actively supported libraries with regular updates and bug fixes
- Use cases where download reliability isn't critical, such as small or infrequent file transfers
Pros & Cons
Pros
Leverages iOS NSURLSession and Android Fetch2 to handle downloads in separate system processes, ensuring they continue even when the app is terminated, as outlined in the README's philosophy.
Provides checkForExistingDownloads() to automatically re-attach to ongoing downloads after app restarts, preventing data loss, which is highlighted as a key selling point.
Offers pause, resume, and stop methods with progress tracking via callbacks, allowing fine-grained management and UI synchronization for downloads.
Supports custom headers, Android-specific priority settings, and network restrictions (e.g., Wi-Fi only), giving developers control over download behavior across platforms.
Cons
The README explicitly states the repo is no longer actively maintained by eko, relying on a community fork, which risks bugs, security issues, and lack of official support.
Requires manual setup for React Native versions below 0.60, including changes to AppDelegate.m on iOS, increasing initial configuration effort and potential for errors.
Android uses a simulated approach with Fetch2, which might not be as reliable as iOS's native NSURLSession, and features like priority control are Android-only, limiting consistency.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Projects
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