While React refs are primarily used to interact with DOM elements, `useRef` can also be used to store values in your function components. Unlike `useState`, when this value changes the component will **not** re-render, which means you can leverage `useRef` to avoid unnecessary renders and optimize your application's performance. ```jsx // Instantiate useRef const countRef = useRef(0) // Increment the value while avoiding a re-render countRef.current = countRef.current + 1 ```