Ensembl Community Networking Platform
We improved and stabilized this French community networking app — upgrading React Native, rebuilding the chat system, and fixing 200+ bugs across 50+ screens.
🎯 Goal
Take over an existing React Native community app, stabilize it, upgrade the framework, and add new features including a complete chat system rebuild and community administration tools.
💡 Outcome
Delivered a stable, modern app with React Native 0.81, a rebuilt real-time chat system with file sharing, 20+ new features, and over 200 bug fixes across mobile and web admin panel.
What We Delivered
We joined the project to improve stability, modernize the codebase, and implement new features for this French community networking platform.
Framework Upgrade
Upgraded React Native from 0.76 to 0.81 in just 1 month, including Firebase SDK, Android SDK 35, and all dependencies.
Chat System Rebuild
Rebuilt chat from scratch with document sharing, message reactions, read/unread status, mentions, and voice messages.
Admin Panel
Built in-app community administration: member management, user banning, post moderation, and join request handling.
Bug Fixing
Fixed 200+ bugs across mobile and web admin panel — deep links, push notifications, UI issues, and stability improvements.
Key Features We Built
💬 Real-Time Chat
Complete chat system with document sharing, message reactions, mentions, voice messages, and read/unread indicators.
🔐 Restricted Communities
Gated access control with join requests, admin approval flow, and content protection for private groups.
🌙 Dark Theme
Complete dark mode support across all screens with dynamic color handling and proper status bar theming.
📱 Deep Linking
Universal links for both iOS and Android with environment-based configuration and proper redirection handling.
🔔 Push Notifications
Full notification system with permission flows, configurable notification levels, and unread badges.
📅 Events Module
Dedicated events tab for community calendars with cover images and per-network configuration.
Need to Rescue a Legacy App?
We take over existing codebases, upgrade frameworks, and fix the bugs that have been piling up.
Get in TouchAbout the Project
Ensembl is a French community networking mobile application that enables users to connect within neighborhoods, organizations, and interest-based groups. The app features real-time chat, content publishing, events management, and community administration tools.
The Challenge
Ensembl had accumulated 200+ bugs over 2 years. User complaints were rising. The outdated React Native version blocked new features.
Web Admin Dashboard
Alongside the mobile app, we also developed features for the React-based admin panel (Pilotage) for community managers.
Personal Storage
File explorer with folder navigation, upload/download, and context menus for document management.
Groups Management
Public/restricted visibility controls, role-based permissions, and network-specific filtering.
Poll System
Anonymous poll toggle, voters list display, and visual privacy status indicators.
Tech Stack
Mobile App
React Native 0.81 with TypeScript, React Navigation for routing, Context API for state management, and Firebase for backend services.
Backend & Real-Time
Firebase Firestore for data persistence, Firebase Storage for file uploads, Socket.io for real-time chat functionality.
Admin Dashboard
React 18 with TypeScript, Ant Design 5 component library, Nivo Charts for data visualization, and Cypress for E2E testing.
App Screenshots
The Team
Andrew
React Native Developer
Mobile app development and RN upgrade.
Alina
Project Manager
Sprint planning and client communication.
🏆 Result
A stabilized, modern community networking app with upgraded framework, rebuilt chat system, comprehensive admin tools, and 200+ bug fixes — ready for continued growth and new features.
