Should I store UI state in useRef?
No. If a value should drive what the UI shows, it belongs in useState. Using useRef for UI state is a common mistake, because mutating current does not re-render the component, so the UI never updates.
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More FAQs in useRef in React Explained: Beyond Just Accessing the DOM
useRef returns a mutable object with a current property that persists across renders. Mutating current does not trigger a re-render, which is the key difference from useState.
useState triggers a re-render when it changes. useRef does not. Use useState for values that should update the UI; use useRef for values that should persist without updating the UI, like DOM references or timer ids.
Accessing DOM elements like focusing an input, and storing mutable values that should persist across renders without triggering re-renders, like a timer id, a previous value, or a flag for whether the component is mounted.
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