Enhancing the TrekBuddy - Travel Mobile Application - with React Native, Firebase Integration, and EAS Expo Deployment
Nguyen, Anh (2025)
2025
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025051411874
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025051411874
Tiivistelmä
This thesis details the new feature development, implementation, and evaluation of TrekBuddy, a cross-platform mobile travel application designed to assist users in discovering, saving, and navigating to destinations with enhanced contextual and interactive features. The primary objective was to extend the application with user-centric tools that improve the travel planning experience through multilingual support, real-time data integration, and gamified engagement.
The application was developed using React Native, Firebase Firestore, and the Google Places API, with deployment handled via Expo Application Services (EAS). Key features include recommended restaurant listings based on user-selected cities, real-time weather display, language switching between English and Vietnamese, daily login streak, and a quiz-based gamification system that rewards users through points and streaks. Development followed an iterative process inspired by Agile principles, beginning with wireframes and prototypes, and advancing through continuous testing and feature refinement.
Evaluation through a user survey (N=6) indicated high usability (83.3% rated navigation as easy or very easy) and strong engagement with the new features—particularly the language toggle, weather display, and quiz game, all of which received 100% positive responses. Feedback also revealed areas for future enhancement, including clearer onboarding, improved restaurant detail, and the addition of a user-generated review system. Testing limitations were noted due to reliance on Expo Go, which restricted automated testing of advanced interactions.
This project demonstrates the feasibility of integrating multilingual support, location-based services, and gamification into a single, lightweight travel app. While results are promising, the evaluation acknowledges limitations in testing scope and sample size, suggesting further development and user research to refine TrekBuddy’s potential in the mobile travel app landscape.
The application was developed using React Native, Firebase Firestore, and the Google Places API, with deployment handled via Expo Application Services (EAS). Key features include recommended restaurant listings based on user-selected cities, real-time weather display, language switching between English and Vietnamese, daily login streak, and a quiz-based gamification system that rewards users through points and streaks. Development followed an iterative process inspired by Agile principles, beginning with wireframes and prototypes, and advancing through continuous testing and feature refinement.
Evaluation through a user survey (N=6) indicated high usability (83.3% rated navigation as easy or very easy) and strong engagement with the new features—particularly the language toggle, weather display, and quiz game, all of which received 100% positive responses. Feedback also revealed areas for future enhancement, including clearer onboarding, improved restaurant detail, and the addition of a user-generated review system. Testing limitations were noted due to reliance on Expo Go, which restricted automated testing of advanced interactions.
This project demonstrates the feasibility of integrating multilingual support, location-based services, and gamification into a single, lightweight travel app. While results are promising, the evaluation acknowledges limitations in testing scope and sample size, suggesting further development and user research to refine TrekBuddy’s potential in the mobile travel app landscape.