React Native Testing Library
Docs
Cookbook
Examples
Docs
Cookbook
Examples
13.x

Fire Event API

fireEvent

NOTE

For common events like press or type it's recommended to use User Event API as it offers more realistic event simulation by emitting a sequence of events with proper event objects that mimic React Native runtime behavior.

Use Fire Event for cases not supported by User Event and for triggering event handlers on composite components. 

function fireEvent(element: ReactTestInstance, eventName: string, ...data: unknown[]): void;

The fireEvent API allows you to trigger all kinds of event handlers on both host and composite components. It will try to invoke a single event handler traversing the component tree bottom-up from passed element and trying to find enabled event handler named onXxx when xxx is the name of the event passed.

Unlike User Event, this API does not automatically pass event object to event handler, this is responsibility of the user to construct such object.

import { render, screen, fireEvent } from '@testing-library/react-native';

test('fire changeText event', () => {
  const onEventMock = jest.fn();
  render(
    // MyComponent renders TextInput which has a placeholder 'Enter details'
    // and with `onChangeText` bound to handleChangeText
    <MyComponent handleChangeText={onEventMock} />
  );

  fireEvent(screen.getByPlaceholderText('change'), 'onChangeText', 'ab');
  expect(onEventMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith('ab');
});
NOTE

fireEvent performs checks that should prevent events firing on disabled elements.

An example using fireEvent with native events that aren't already aliased by the fireEvent api.

import { TextInput, View } from 'react-native';
import { fireEvent, render } from '@testing-library/react-native';

const onBlurMock = jest.fn();

render(
  <View>
    <TextInput placeholder="my placeholder" onBlur={onBlurMock} />
  </View>
);

// you can omit the `on` prefix
fireEvent(screen.getByPlaceholderText('my placeholder'), 'blur');

FireEvent exposes convenience methods for common events like: press, changeText, scroll.

fireEvent.press

NOTE

It is recommended to use the User Event press() helper instead as it offers more realistic simulation of press interaction, including pressable support. 

fireEvent.press: (
  element: ReactTestInstance,
  ...data: Array<any>,
) => void

Invokes press event handler on the element or parent element in the tree.

import { View, Text, TouchableOpacity } from 'react-native';
import { render, screen, fireEvent } from '@testing-library/react-native';

const onPressMock = jest.fn();
const eventData = {
  nativeEvent: {
    pageX: 20,
    pageY: 30,
  },
};

render(
  <View>
    <TouchableOpacity onPress={onPressMock}>
      <Text>Press me</Text>
    </TouchableOpacity>
  </View>
);

fireEvent.press(screen.getByText('Press me'), eventData);
expect(onPressMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(eventData);

fireEvent.changeText

NOTE

It is recommended to use the User Event type() helper instead as it offers more realistic simulation of text change interaction, including key-by-key typing, element focus, and other editing events. 

fireEvent.changeText: (
  element: ReactTestInstance,
  ...data: Array<any>,
) => void

Invokes changeText event handler on the element or parent element in the tree.

import { View, TextInput } from 'react-native';
import { render, screen, fireEvent } from '@testing-library/react-native';

const onChangeTextMock = jest.fn();
const CHANGE_TEXT = 'content';

render(
  <View>
    <TextInput placeholder="Enter data" onChangeText={onChangeTextMock} />
  </View>
);

fireEvent.changeText(screen.getByPlaceholderText('Enter data'), CHANGE_TEXT);

fireEvent.scroll

NOTE

Prefer using user.scrollTo over fireEvent.scroll for ScrollView, FlatList, and SectionList components. User Event provides a more realistic event simulation based on React Native runtime behavior. 

fireEvent.scroll: (
  element: ReactTestInstance,
  ...data: Array<any>,
) => void

Invokes scroll event handler on the element or parent element in the tree.

On a ScrollView

import { ScrollView, Text } from 'react-native';
import { render, screen, fireEvent } from '@testing-library/react-native';

const onScrollMock = jest.fn();
const eventData = {
  nativeEvent: {
    contentOffset: {
      y: 200,
    },
  },
};

render(
  <ScrollView onScroll={onScrollMock}>
    <Text>XD</Text>
  </ScrollView>
);

fireEvent.scroll(screen.getByText('scroll-view'), eventData);
NOTE

Prefer using user.scrollTo over fireEvent.scroll for ScrollView, FlatList, and SectionList components. User Event provides a more realistic event simulation based on React Native runtime behavior.

fireEventAsync

RNTL minimal version

This API requires RNTL v13.3.0 or later.

async function fireEventAsync(
  element: ReactTestInstance,
  eventName: string,
  ...data: unknown[]
): Promise<unknown>;

The fireEventAsync function is the async version of fireEvent designed for working with React 19 and React Suspense. This function uses async act function internally to ensure all pending React updates are executed during event handling.

import { renderAsync, screen, fireEventAsync } from '@testing-library/react-native';

test('fire event test', async () => {
  await renderAsync(<MySuspenseComponent />);
  
  await fireEventAsync(screen.getByText('Button'), 'press');
  expect(screen.getByText('Action completed')).toBeOnTheScreen();
});

Like fireEvent, fireEventAsync also provides convenience methods for common events: fireEventAsync.press, fireEventAsync.changeText, and fireEventAsync.scroll.

fireEventAsync.press

NOTE

It is recommended to use the User Event press() helper instead as it offers more realistic simulation of press interaction, including pressable support. 

fireEventAsync.press: (
  element: ReactTestInstance,
  ...data: Array<any>,
) => Promise<unknown>

Async version of fireEvent.press designed for React 19 and React Suspense. Use when press event handlers trigger suspense boundaries.

fireEventAsync.changeText

NOTE

It is recommended to use the User Event type() helper instead as it offers more realistic simulation of text change interaction, including key-by-key typing, element focus, and other editing events. 

fireEventAsync.changeText: (
  element: ReactTestInstance,
  ...data: Array<any>,
) => Promise<unknown>

Async version of fireEvent.changeText designed for React 19 and React Suspense. Use when changeText event handlers trigger suspense boundaries.

fireEventAsync.scroll

NOTE

Prefer using user.scrollTo over fireEventAsync.scroll for ScrollView, FlatList, and SectionList components. User Event provides a more realistic event simulation based on React Native runtime behavior. 

fireEventAsync.scroll: (
  element: ReactTestInstance,
  ...data: Array<any>,
) => Promise<unknown>

Async version of fireEvent.scroll designed for React 19 and React Suspense. Use when scroll event handlers trigger suspense boundaries.

Contents