Why is useState not updating immediately?
Because state updates are asynchronous and batched. Reading the variable right after calling the setter shows the old value. React applies updates later and re-renders once, which improves performance.
Verify This Answer
Cross-check this information using these trusted sources:
More FAQs in How to Use useState to Update Your React UI
Call useState with an initial value. It returns the current state and a setter function. Call the setter with a new value to update state and trigger a re-render. Name the pair like count and setCount by convention.
Never mutate the object directly. Create a new object with the changes using the spread operator, like setUser({ ...user, name: 'New' }). React detects the new reference and re-renders.
When the new state depends on the previous state. Pass a function like setCount(prev => prev + 1) so you get the correct previous value, especially when multiple updates are batched together.
Still have questions?
Browse all our FAQs or reach out to our support team