useRef in React
From the React Hooks cheat sheet · Context & Refs · verified Jul 2026
useRef
Mutable refs and DOM access
javascript
// DOM reference
const inputRef = useRef(null)
<input ref={inputRef} />
inputRef.current.focus()
// Mutable value (doesn't trigger re-render)
const countRef = useRef(0)
countRef.current++ // No re-render
// Keep value between renders
const previousValue = useRef(undefined)
useEffect(() => {
previousValue.current = value
})⚠️ .current changes don't trigger re-renders
💡 Perfect for storing previous values
✅ Use for DOM elements, timers, subscriptions
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