---
title: Prefer useDerivedValue Over useAnimatedReaction
impact: MEDIUM
impactDescription: cleaner code, automatic dependency tracking
tags: animation, reanimated, derived-value
---

## Prefer useDerivedValue Over useAnimatedReaction

When deriving a shared value from another, use `useDerivedValue` instead of
`useAnimatedReaction`. Derived values are declarative, automatically track
dependencies, and return a value you can use directly. Animated reactions are
for side effects, not derivations.

**Incorrect (useAnimatedReaction for derivation):**

```tsx
import { useSharedValue, useAnimatedReaction } from 'react-native-reanimated'

function MyComponent() {
  const progress = useSharedValue(0)
  const opacity = useSharedValue(1)

  useAnimatedReaction(
    () => progress.value,
    (current) => {
      opacity.value = 1 - current
    }
  )

  // ...
}
```

**Correct (useDerivedValue):**

```tsx
import { useSharedValue, useDerivedValue } from 'react-native-reanimated'

function MyComponent() {
  const progress = useSharedValue(0)

  const opacity = useDerivedValue(() => 1 - progress.get())

  // ...
}
```

Use `useAnimatedReaction` only for side effects that don't produce a value
(e.g., triggering haptics, logging, calling `runOnJS`).

Reference:
[Reanimated useDerivedValue](https://docs.swmansion.com/react-native-reanimated/docs/core/useDerivedValue)