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React Native Shadow Generator

Generate cross-platform React Native shadow styles — iOS shadowColor/shadowOffset and Android elevation in one StyleSheet object.

Last updated: March 25, 2026

Client-Side Processing
Input Data Stays on Device
Instant Local Execution

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What is React Native Shadow Generator?

React Native handles shadows fundamentally differently on iOS and Android — the two platforms have incompatible shadow APIs. On iOS, shadows are defined using four properties inherited from UIKit: shadowColor (the shadow color), shadowOffset ({ width, height } — the x/y displacement), shadowOpacity (0–1 transparency), and shadowRadius (blur radius in points). On Android, React Native exposes the Material Design elevation system — a single elevation value that instructs the Android OS to draw a platform-standard shadow based on the element's virtual Z-height, with the color and blur calculated automatically by the system.

This platform divergence means a single shadow style value doesn't work cross-platform. This generator creates the complete StyleSheet object containing all required iOS shadow properties and the Android elevation value simultaneously, giving you a single copy-paste solution that works on both platforms. You can also use react-native-shadow-2 or @shopify/react-native-skia for more advanced shadows that behave consistently on both platforms.

How to Use React Native Shadow Generator

1

Set the Shadow Color using the color picker (colors other than black work on iOS; on Android they are ignored by the elevation system)

2

Adjust the X Offset and Y Offset sliders to move the shadow (negative X = left, negative Y = top)

3

Set the Blur Radius (iOS shadowRadius — controls how soft the shadow edge is)

4

Set the Opacity (iOS shadowOpacity — how transparent the shadow is)

5

Click "Copy StyleSheet" to get the complete React Native StyleSheet.create() code for both platforms

Common Use Cases

  • Generating consistent shadow styles for card components in a React Native design system
  • Creating elevated button shadows that feel native on both iOS and Android
  • Adding depth to a modal overlay or bottom sheet with a top-edge shadow
  • Styling a floating action button (FAB) with appropriate elevation for Material Design compliance
  • Creating subtle image card shadows for a photo gallery app
  • Adding depth cues to a navigation header or sticky footer bar
  • Designing neumorphic-style shadows for a soft UI React Native app
  • Generating shadow values based on an elevation scale (4dp, 8dp, 16dp, 24dp) system

Example Input and Output

React Native StyleSheet for a medium-depth card shadow:

Configuration
Shadow Color: #000 (black)
Opacity: 0.12
Offset: { width: 0, height: 4 }
Blur Radius: 8
Android Elevation: 8
Generated StyleSheet.create() code
import { StyleSheet } from 'react-native';

const styles = StyleSheet.create({
  card: {
    backgroundColor: '#fff',
    borderRadius: 12,

    // iOS shadow properties
    shadowColor: '#000',
    shadowOffset: { width: 0, height: 4 },
    shadowOpacity: 0.12,
    shadowRadius: 8,

    // Android elevation (Material Design depth)
    elevation: 8,
  },
});

// Usage:
// <View style={styles.card}>...</View>

Client-Side Processing

All StyleSheet code generation and the preview rendering happen locally in your browser. No data is sent to our servers.

react-native-shadow-2 for Advanced Shadows

For true cross-platform shadows with custom colors, multiple shadows, inset shadows, or complex shadow spread, use the react-native-shadow-2 library (npm install react-native-shadow-2). It renders shadows using a native SVG implementation, providing CSS-equivalent shadow capabilities on both iOS and Android without platform-specific code.

Expo SDK Compatibility

All the shadow properties shown work with Expo SDK without any native module installation. elevation works in both bare workflow and Expo Go. For react-native-shadow-2 on Expo, you need a development build (not compatible with Expo Go) since it includes native code. Standard shadowColor/elevation generated by this tool works in all Expo environments.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does React Native have different shadow APIs for iOS and Android?
iOS (UIKit) has first-class support for arbitrary box shadows through its CALayer API — developers can set any color, offset, blur, and opacity. Android's Material Design philosophy defines elevation as the primary depth cue — the OS renders the shadow color, spread, and blur automatically based on the elevation value and the device's light model settings. React Native exposes both systems natively without cross-platform normalization in the core library.
Can I use custom shadow colors on Android?
Not with the core elevation system on Android API < 28 (Android 9 Pie). On Android 9+, you can set shadowColor and React Native will attempt to use it with elevation, but the result is inconsistent. The reliable cross-platform custom shadow color solution is the react-native-shadow-2 library, which renders shadows using SVG or a custom paint implementation that supports custom colors on both platforms.
Why doesn't my iOS shadow show up?
The most common cause is a missing backgroundColor on the shadow element. On iOS, shadows are computed from the element's opaque area — elements without a background color are transparent and cast no shadow. Add backgroundColor: '#fff' (or any opaque color) to the styled View. Also verify that overflow: 'visible' is set (the default) — overflow: 'hidden' clips the shadow.
What elevation value should I use for different UI elements?
Material Design 3 defines standard elevation levels: 0dp (flat/background), 1dp (card resting state), 3dp (card raised state), 6dp (floating action button resting), 8dp (card on press, menu), 12dp (FAB on press, nav drawer), 16dp (bottom sheet expanded), 24dp (dialog/modal). Setting elevation consistently per component type keeps Android shadow depth semantically meaningful.
What is the difference between shadowRadius and elevation numerically?
There is no direct mathematical equivalence — they measure different things. shadowRadius is a blur radius in iOS points (similar to CSS blur() pixels). elevation is a virtual Z-height in dp (density-independent pixels) — the Android system maps this to a shadow blur and spread based on its Material light model. A rough approximation: elevation ≈ 2-3× shadowRadius, but this varies by device density and Android version.
Can I animate shadows in React Native?
Yes, using Animated API on supported properties. On iOS, you can animate shadowOpacity and shadowRadius with Animated.Value. On Android, animating elevation is supported but may cause layout re-calculation on each frame. For performance-critical shadow animations (e.g., a card rising on press), prefer Animated.spring on elevation and set useNativeDriver: false (elevation is a layout property, not a transform, so native driver cannot be used for it).

How This Tool Works

The preview component is a React element with the configured shadow values applied via inline styles. The JavaScript preview calls the browser's DOM shadow approximation (CSS box-shadow equivalent mapped from the input values) for visualization. The StyleSheet.create() code output assembles the four iOS properties and the elevation value from the current slider/picker values into a formatted TypeScript string ready for copy.

Technical Stack

React Native StyleSheet APIiOS CALayer shadow propertiesAndroid elevation (Material Design)Client-side CSS shadow previewClient-side only

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