diff --git a/android/app/src/main/java/com/zulipmobile/MainApplication.java b/android/app/src/main/java/com/zulipmobile/MainApplication.java
index 3bafe0f5b1b..383233bd0c8 100644
--- a/android/app/src/main/java/com/zulipmobile/MainApplication.java
+++ b/android/app/src/main/java/com/zulipmobile/MainApplication.java
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package com.zulipmobile;
 
 import android.app.Application;
+import android.content.Context;
 import android.util.Log;
 
 import com.facebook.react.PackageList;
@@ -10,6 +11,7 @@
 import com.facebook.react.ReactNativeHost;
 import com.facebook.react.ReactPackage;
 import com.facebook.soloader.SoLoader;
+import java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException;
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.List;
 import org.unimodules.adapters.react.ModuleRegistryAdapter;
@@ -77,4 +79,30 @@ public void onCreate() {
         SoLoader.init(this, /* native exopackage */ false);
         conversations = new ConversationMap();
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Loads Flipper in React Native templates.
+     *
+     * @param context
+     */
+    private static void initializeFlipper(Context context) {
+        if (BuildConfig.DEBUG) {
+            try {
+                /*
+                We use reflection here to pick up the class that initializes Flipper,
+                since Flipper library is not available in release mode
+                */
+                Class<?> aClass = Class.forName("com.facebook.flipper.ReactNativeFlipper");
+                aClass.getMethod("initializeFlipper", Context.class).invoke(null, context);
+            } catch (ClassNotFoundException e) {
+                e.printStackTrace();
+            } catch (NoSuchMethodException e) {
+                e.printStackTrace();
+            } catch (IllegalAccessException e) {
+                e.printStackTrace();
+            } catch (InvocationTargetException e) {
+                e.printStackTrace();
+            }
+        }
+    }
 }