Is it possible to use async/await in plain React?

Yes, you can use async/await in plain React, as long as your JavaScript environment supports ES2017+. Nowadays most modern browsers and build tools support ES2017+ version. If you're using Create React App, Next.js, Remix, or any modern React setup, async/await is supported out of the box through Babel.

Example Usage

import { useEffect, useState } from 'react';

function UserProfile() {
const [user, setUser] = useState(null);

useEffect(() => {
 const fetchUser = async () => {
   const response = await fetch('/api/user');
   const data = await response.json();
   setUser(data);
 };

 fetchUser();
}, []);

return user ? <div>Hello, {user.name}</div> : <div>Loading...</div>;
}

But If you're not using a bundler like Webpack or Babel, you will need Babel and transform-async-to-generator plugin. However, React Native ships with Babel and a set of transforms.