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React Native Academy · Lesson

Persisting the Query Cache with AsyncStorage

Install the React Query persistence plugin, store the entire query cache in AsyncStorage, and restore it on app startup so data is available immediately offline.

Persisting the Query Cache with AsyncStorage is a free React Native Academy lesson on CoddyKit — lesson 3 of 4. You can read the complete lesson below for free — then practise it hands-on in the browser with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. It is part of the React Native Academy learning path, one of 4 lessons in the course, and your progress syncs across the web and the CoddyKit app.

Why Persist the Query Cache?

By default the React Query cache exists only in memory. When the app is closed and reopened, all cached data is gone — the user sees loading spinners while data refetches from the network. On slow or absent connections, this means a blank screen.

Cache persistence saves the React Query cache to disk (AsyncStorage on React Native) so data is available immediately on the next app launch, before any network requests complete. This is the foundation of offline-first mobile applications.

Required Packages

Cache persistence requires three packages: @tanstack/react-query (core), @tanstack/react-query-persist-client (the persistence adapter), and a persister implementation. For React Native we use @tanstack/async-storage-persister which wraps AsyncStorage as the persistence backend.

AsyncStorage is the standard key-value store for React Native, provided by @react-native-async-storage/async-storage. The persister serializes the entire query cache to JSON and writes it to a single AsyncStorage key.

// Install all required packages:
// npx expo install @tanstack/react-query
// npx expo install @tanstack/react-query-persist-client
// npx expo install @tanstack/async-storage-persister
// npx expo install @react-native-async-storage/async-storage

import { createAsyncStoragePersister } from '@tanstack/async-storage-persister';
import { PersistQueryClientProvider } from '@tanstack/react-query-persist-client';
import AsyncStorage from '@react-native-async-storage/async-storage';

Creating the Persister

Create a persister instance with createAsyncStoragePersister, passing the AsyncStorage instance and a storage key name. The persister serializes the React Query cache to JSON and writes it to that key whenever the cache changes.

The persister also has a throttleTime option (default 1000ms) that prevents writing to AsyncStorage too frequently during rapid state changes. Increase it if you notice excessive I/O or battery drain.

import { createAsyncStoragePersister } from '@tanstack/async-storage-persister';
import AsyncStorage from '@react-native-async-storage/async-storage';

const asyncStoragePersister = createAsyncStoragePersister({
  storage: AsyncStorage,
  key: 'react-query-cache', // AsyncStorage key to use
  throttleTime: 1000,        // ms between writes (default)
  serialize: JSON.stringify, // custom serializer (optional)
  deserialize: JSON.parse,   // custom deserializer (optional)
});

PersistQueryClientProvider

Replace the standard QueryClientProvider with PersistQueryClientProvider. Pass both the client (your QueryClient) and persistOptions (containing the persister). The provider handles restoring the cache on startup and saving it on changes automatically.

During restoration, the component tree is rendered with the cached data immediately — no loading state on first paint. React Query also schedules a background refetch to get fresh data from the server.

import { PersistQueryClientProvider } from '@tanstack/react-query-persist-client';

export default function App() {
  return (
    <PersistQueryClientProvider
      client={queryClient}
      persistOptions={{ persister: asyncStoragePersister }}
    >
      <NavigationContainer>
        <RootNavigator />
      </NavigationContainer>
    </PersistQueryClientProvider>
  );
}

maxAge: Cache Expiry

The persisted cache can become outdated over time. Configure maxAge in persistOptions to set how long persisted data is considered valid. Older data is discarded and fresh data is fetched from the network on next launch. The default maxAge is 24 hours.

Choose maxAge based on how quickly your data changes. For user profile data that rarely changes, 7 days might be appropriate. For news feeds that change constantly, 30 minutes keeps the cache useful without serving very stale content.

<PersistQueryClientProvider
  client={queryClient}
  persistOptions={{
    persister: asyncStoragePersister,
    maxAge: 7 * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000, // 7 days in ms
    // Cache older than 7 days is discarded on launch
  }}
>

buster: Invalidating Old Cache Versions

When you release a new app version with changed data structures, the old cached format may be incompatible. The buster option in persistOptions is a version string — when it changes, the old persisted cache is discarded and a fresh fetch begins.

Update the buster string whenever you make breaking changes to your API responses or query key structure. A common pattern is to use the app version number from expo-constants or a manually managed version string.

import Constants from 'expo-constants';

<PersistQueryClientProvider
  client={queryClient}
  persistOptions={{
    persister: asyncStoragePersister,
    maxAge: 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000,
    buster: Constants.expoConfig.version, // bust cache on app update
  }}
>

// Or use a manual API version:
// buster: 'api-v3', // update when API structure changes

Handling Rehydration Loading State

Cache restoration from AsyncStorage is asynchronous. During this brief period (usually milliseconds) the app might flash with empty data before the cache is restored. PersistQueryClientProvider provides an onSuccess callback that fires when rehydration completes.

Show a splash screen or skeleton UI until rehydration is done, then reveal the app. This prevents the jarring empty-to-full transition that happens if you render before the cache is ready.

const [isRestored, setIsRestored] = React.useState(false);

<PersistQueryClientProvider
  client={queryClient}
  persistOptions={{ persister: asyncStoragePersister }}
  onSuccess={() => setIsRestored(true)}
>
  {isRestored ? (
    <NavigationContainer>
      <RootNavigator />
    </NavigationContainer>
  ) : (
    <SplashScreen />
  )}
</PersistQueryClientProvider>

Selective Persistence with Meta

Not all queries should be persisted. Sensitive data (user payment info), session-specific data, or very large datasets may not be appropriate to save to local storage. Use the gcTime: 0 option to exclude specific queries from persistence — they are garbage collected immediately when unmounted and never written to disk.

Alternatively, configure a custom dehydrateState function in persistOptions to filter which queries are included in the persisted snapshot.

// This query is excluded from persistence (never cached to disk):
const { data: paymentInfo } = useQuery({
  queryKey: ['payment-info'],
  queryFn: fetchPaymentInfo,
  gcTime: 0,        // no memory cache either
  staleTime: 0,     // always refetch
});

// This query is persisted normally:
const { data: userProfile } = useQuery({
  queryKey: ['profile'],
  queryFn: fetchProfile,
  staleTime: 5 * 60 * 1000,
});

Offline Behavior with Persisted Cache

With cache persistence enabled, users who open the app offline see cached data immediately — no loading state, no empty lists. React Query knows the data might be stale and schedules a network refetch, but it displays the cache while waiting for the connection.

Configure networkMode: 'offlineFirst' on queries that should work offline. The default mode pauses queries when offline; offlineFirst returns cached data even when offline without throwing an error.

const queryClient = new QueryClient({
  defaultOptions: {
    queries: {
      networkMode: 'offlineFirst', // serve cache even when offline
      staleTime: 5 * 60 * 1000,
      retry: false, // don't retry when offline
    },
  },
});

// Individual query override:
const { data } = useQuery({
  queryKey: ['articles'],
  queryFn: fetchArticles,
  networkMode: 'always', // always try network
});

Cache Size and Storage Limits

AsyncStorage has size limits (typically 6MB per key on iOS, varies by device on Android). Persisting a large React Query cache with many queries can approach these limits. Monitor cache size using serialized length: JSON.stringify(dehydratedState).length.

Strategies to manage cache size: reduce gcTime so unused queries are garbage collected quickly before serialization, limit the number of cached items per list (use pages in infinite queries), and exclude large binary or image data from cache.

// Check cache size in development:
AsyncStorage.getItem('react-query-cache').then((data) => {
  if (data) {
    const sizeKB = data.length / 1024;
    console.log('Cache size:', sizeKB.toFixed(1), 'KB');
    if (sizeKB > 4000) {
      console.warn('Cache approaching AsyncStorage limit!');
    }
  }
});

// Manually clear the cache if needed:
queryClient.clear();
await AsyncStorage.removeItem('react-query-cache');

Combining Persistence with Network Status

A complete offline-first setup combines cache persistence with network status detection. Use a network status hook to detect connectivity changes, and use React Query's onlineManager to notify the library when the device goes online/offline. This prevents background refetches while offline and triggers them when connectivity returns.

This combination gives users a seamless experience: app opens with cached data, shows a subtle offline indicator when disconnected, and silently refreshes when connectivity returns.

import NetInfo from '@react-native-community/netinfo';
import { onlineManager } from '@tanstack/react-query';

// At app startup:
NetInfo.addEventListener((state) => {
  onlineManager.setOnline(state.isConnected);
});

// Queries will automatically:
// - Pause when offline
// - Resume and refetch when online
// - Serve cache while waiting

Quick Check

Test your understanding of React Native Mobile Development concepts from this lesson.

Lesson Recap

In this lesson you learned: PersistQueryClientProvider with createAsyncStoragePersister saves the entire React Query cache to AsyncStorage for offline-first behavior, buster invalidates stale cache formats when you ship API changes, and gcTime: 0 on individual queries excludes sensitive data from being persisted to local storage. Next up we configure staleTime, background refetch, and network reconnect behavior for a polished offline experience.

Frequently asked questions

Is the “Persisting the Query Cache with AsyncStorage” lesson free?

Yes — the full text of “Persisting the Query Cache with AsyncStorage” is free to read here on the web, and the React Native Academy course includes 4 lessons in total. To practise it interactively (a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor) and unlock the rest of the React Native Academy course, upgrade to CoddyKit PRO.

What will I learn in “Persisting the Query Cache with AsyncStorage”?

Install the React Query persistence plugin, store the entire query cache in AsyncStorage, and restore it on app startup so data is available immediately offline. You practise React Native Academy with hands-on code you run directly in the browser, and a 24/7 AI tutor answers your questions as you work through the lesson.

Do I need any experience to start React Native Academy?

No prior experience is required. React Native Academy on CoddyKit is structured for beginners through advanced learners; this is — lesson 3 of 4, so you can start here or from the beginning and move at your own pace.

How long does the “Persisting the Query Cache with AsyncStorage” lesson take?

Most CoddyKit lessons take about 5–10 minutes. Each one is bite-sized and interactive, so you make steady progress and pick up exactly where you left off across the web and the app.

Can I write and run code in this React Native Academy lesson?

Yes. Every React Native Academy lesson includes a built-in code editor, so you write and run real code right in your browser and get instant AI feedback — no local setup required.

All lessons in this course

  1. QueryClient, QueryClientProvider, and useQuery
  2. Mutations with useMutation and Cache Invalidation
  3. Persisting the Query Cache with AsyncStorage
  4. Background Refetch and Stale Time Configuration
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