Fixing Safe Area Issues in React Native Using react-native-safe-area-context

When building mobile apps with React Native, handling device notches, status bars, and safe zones across iOS and Android is essential for a polished, professional UI. I recently ran into an issue where my app's text and UI components were overlapping with the status bar and notches, even though I was using SafeAreaView.

Turns out, SafeAreaView alone isn’t always enough.

So, here’s how I solved the problem using the powerful react-native-safe-area-context package. This blog will walk you through the issue, the fix, and how to properly use the package in your project.

<SafeAreaView>
  <View>
    <Text>Hello!</Text>
  </View>
</SafeAreaView>

…I was still getting this:

• Text overlapping with the notch on Android devices

• UI elements rendering under the status bar

And even with <StatusBar barStyle="light-content" />, the problem persisted.

The Real Fix => react-native-safe-area-context

What is it ?

React native Safe Area Context is a more reliable and modern solution for handling safe areas across devices. It works across both iOS and Android, and even in nested navigators and modals.

Step by Step Implementation : -

1. Install the package :-

    npm install react-native-safe-area-context
   
    //OR
   
    yarn add react-native-safe-area-context
   

2. Wrap your App with Safe Area Provider :-

   In your root component (usually App.js):

    //Example//
    import { SafeAreaProvider } from 'react-native-safe-area-context';
   
    export default function App() {
      return (
        <SafeAreaProvider>
          {/* Your App's main content */}
          <Home />
        </SafeAreaProvider>
      );
    }
   

3. Use useSafeAreaInsets() Hook

   Now inside any component, you can get precise padding values:

    import { useSafeAreaInsets } from 'react-native-safe-area-context';
   
    export default function Home() {
      const insets = useSafeAreaInsets();
   
      return (
        <View
          style={[ paddingTop: insets.top, 
            paddingBottom: insets.bottom,
            paddingLeft: insets.left,
            paddingRight: insets.right ]}
   
        >
          <Text>This is safely placed!</Text>
        </View>
      );
    }
    //Padding left and right are optional.
   

4. ✅ Result

   • No more overlapping with the status bar

   • Works consistently across iOS notch devices and Android phones

   • Full control over each side’s safe area (top, bottom, left, right)

To fully polish your UI combine it with status bar :-

    import { StatusBar } from 'react-native';


    <StatusBar barStyle="dark-content" backgroundColor="#fff" />

Final Thoughts :-

React Native's default SafeAreaView is useful, but not always reliable, especially for Android. If you want a cross-platform, flexible, and production-ready way to handle safe areas, go with:

✅ react-native-safe-area-context

It's an essential package in any React Native dev's toolkit.

💬 Have you faced layout issues with notches and safe areas?

Let me know your experience or share your setup in the comments!