React Native 0.85 Released with Performance Improvements and Breaking Changes

🚀 Is your React Native app still running on the old bridge? React Native 0.85 is here, and it’s another big step toward the New Architecture era — faster, smoother, and closer to native performance. If you haven’t checked the latest release, here’s what stands out 👇 ✨ Key Highlights • New Animation Backend → smoother, more consistent animations (even layout props with native driver) • Improved DevTools & Metro → better debugging and development workflow • Continued push toward New Architecture → more stability and performance ⚡ Why this matters React Native is no longer just “cross-platform” — it’s moving toward near-native performance with a modern architecture. If you're still on older versions, this is a good time to start planning your upgrade. let me know your thoughts in comments 💭 #ReactNative #MobileDevelopment #JavaScript #SoftwareEngineering #AppDevelopment #ReactJS #TechUpdates #Programming

🚀 React Native in 2026: What’s New & Why It Matters The React Native ecosystem is evolving fast, and the latest releases (0.83 → 0.85) show how mature and powerful it has become for building cross-platform apps. Here are some key highlights every developer should know 👇 🔹 New Architecture is now the standard The old bridge-based system is officially gone. With Fabric + TurboModules + JSI, apps now feel much closer to native in terms of performance and responsiveness. 🔹 React 19 integration React Native now ships with React 19, bringing better lifecycle handling, new hooks like useEffectEvent, and improved state management. 🔹 Improved Developer Experience New DevTools (with performance & network panels) make debugging smoother and more powerful than ever. 🔹 Performance Boosts Everywhere Hermes engine improvements Faster rendering with Fabric Reduced re-renders with concurrent features All of this results in smoother animations and better app performance. 🔹 New Animation System (0.85) React Native introduced a new animation backend that improves how animations run under the hood — enabling more complex and smoother UI transitions. 🔹 Web-like APIs & Modern Standards Support for APIs like Intersection Observer and Web Performance APIs brings React Native closer to web development patterns. 💡 My Take: React Native is no longer just a “cross-platform option” — it’s becoming a serious native competitor with better tooling, performance, and scalability. If you’re already working with it, staying updated is no longer optional — it’s essential. #ReactNative #MobileDevelopment #JavaScript #AppDevelopment #Expo #TechUpdates #Developers #Programming #SoftwareEngineering

🔥 React Native 0.85 is here — and this update actually changes how you build apps. Not just minor fixes… this one brings real performance and developer experience upgrades 👇 Here’s what you need to know: 1. New Animation System Built in collaboration with Software Mansion You can now animate layout & Flexbox using the native driver → Smoother UI, better performance 2. Jest Preset Moved Now use `@react-native/jest-preset` → Cleaner setup and more modular core 3. Metro Gets TLS Support HTTPS & WSS now supported in development → Easier testing for secure APIs 4. Enhanced DevTools i. Multiple tools can connect at the same time (VS Code, DevTools, AI agents) ii. Native tab support on macOS iii.Request preview is back on Android 5. Breaking Changes to Watch i. Requires Node.js v20.19.4+ or v22+ ii. `StyleSheet.absoluteFillObject` removed → use `StyleSheet.absoluteFill` iii. Version 0.82.x is no longer supported 💡 React Native keeps getting faster, more modular, and more developer-friendly. If you're building apps with React Native, this is the update you shouldn’t ignore. 👉 Are you planning to upgrade to 0.85 or wait? Check out the latest version link in the comments section 👇 #ReactNative #MobileDevelopment #Expo #JavaScript #Developers #React #AppDevelopment #SoftwareEngineering #Tech #Programming

🚀 React Native 0.85 is here — and it’s a solid upgrade! This release brings some important improvements, especially around performance, animations, and developer experience. Here’s a simple breakdown 👇 ✨ **What’s new?** 🔹 **New Animation Backend** Animations just got better. You can now animate layout properties (like width, flex, position) using the native driver — which means smoother and faster UI. 🔹 **Better DevTools** You can now connect multiple tools at the same time (like VS Code + DevTools). Debugging becomes more flexible and powerful. 🔹 **Metro TLS Support** You can run your dev server over HTTPS now — super useful when working with secure APIs. ⚠️ **Breaking Changes (Important!)** * Jest preset moved to a new package → `@react-native/jest-preset` * Older Node.js versions are no longer supported (use Node 20+) * `StyleSheet.absoluteFillObject` has been removed 💡 **Why this matters?** This update focuses on performance, stability, and better tooling — making React Native apps smoother and easier to maintain. If you're planning to upgrade, make sure to check the breaking changes first 👆 #ReactNative #MobileDevelopment #JavaScript #AppDevelopment #TechUpdates

🚀 React Native 0.85 is here — and it’s a BIG shift! The April 2026 release of React Native marks a major milestone — the New Architecture is now fully complete. No more legacy bridge fallbacks. Here’s what caught my attention 👇 🔥 1. Unified Animation System A new shared animation backend (built with Software Mansion) now powers both: • Animated API • Reanimated 👉 Meaning: smoother, more consistent animations across the ecosystem. ⚡ 2. Native Driver for Layout Animations You can now animate layout properties like: • width • height • flex Using useNativeDriver: true 🚀 👉 This removes JS thread bottlenecks — huge performance win! 🛠️ 3. DevTools & Debugging Upgrades • Multiple CDP connections → better debugging stability • Metro now supports HTTPS → closer to production-like environments 📦 4. Better Modularization Jest preset is now a separate package: 👉 @react-native/jest-preset Cleaner core, more flexibility. 💻 5. Platform Improvements • Native tab support for macOS ⸻ ⚠️ Breaking Changes to Note • Minimum Node.js version → 20.19.4 • Legacy bridge architecture → fully removed • StyleSheet.absoluteFillObject → ❌ removed • Accessibility API updates • Jest setup now manual ⸻ 💭 My Take: This release clearly shows where React Native is heading — 👉 more native performance 👉 less dependency on the JS bridge 👉 a stronger, production-ready architecture If you’re building apps with React Native, this update is not just an upgrade — it’s a mindset shift. ⸻ Are you excited about the new architecture being fully enforced? 🤔 Let’s discuss 👇 #ReactNative #MobileDevelopment #JavaScript #AppDevelopment #SoftwareEngineering #TechUpdate #reactnativeupdate #react

🚀 React Native 0.85 is here — and this release brings meaningful improvements, not just small fixes. If you're building mobile apps with React Native, here’s what stands out: 🔹 Improved Animation System Developed with Software Mansion, you can now animate layout and Flexbox properties using the native driver. → Expect smoother UI and better performance 🔹 Jest Preset Update The preset has moved to @react-native/jest-preset → Cleaner configuration and a more modular ecosystem 🔹 Metro with TLS Support HTTPS and WSS are now supported in development → Makes testing secure APIs much easier 🔹 Enhanced DevTools Experience • Multiple tools can connect simultaneously (VS Code, DevTools, AI tools) • Native tab support on macOS • Request preview returns on Android ⚠️ Breaking Changes to Note • Requires Node.js v20.19.4+ or v22+ • StyleSheet.absoluteFillObject has been removed → use StyleSheet.absoluteFill • Version 0.82.x is no longer supported 💡 Overall, React Native continues to move toward better performance, improved tooling, and a more developer-friendly experience. Are you planning to upgrade to 0.85, or waiting a bit before making the switch? #ReactNative #MobileDevelopment #JavaScript #React #AppDevelopment #SoftwareEngineering #Developers #Tech

🔥 React Native 0.85 is here — and it’s a BIG step forward! The latest release of React Native introduces a powerful shift towards performance, stability, and a better developer experience. 💡 Key Highlights: ✨ New Shared Animation Backend A unified animation engine for both Animated & Reanimated → smoother, faster, and more consistent animations. ⚡ Animate layout props with native driver Finally! You can now animate width, height, flex, and position natively — a long-awaited upgrade. 🛠️ Improved DevTools Better debugging workflows and performance insights for developers. 🔐 Metro TLS Support Secure development server connections with HTTPS support. 📦 Jest preset moved to a separate package Cleaner and more flexible testing setup. ⚠️ Breaking Changes to note: Dropped support for outdated Node.js versions StyleSheet.absoluteFillObject removed Jest config changes required 🚀 Bigger Picture: React Native continues its transition into a post-bridge architecture, leveraging JSI for faster, near-native performance and eliminating legacy bottlenecks. 📌 This release is less about flashy features and more about building a rock-solid foundation for the future of mobile apps. #ReactNative #MobileDevelopment #JavaScript #React #AppDevelopment #SoftwareEngineering#javascript #webdevelopment #reactjs #codingtips #frontend #backend #programming

🔥 React Native 0.85 is here — and it’s a BIG step forward! The latest release of React Native introduces a powerful shift towards performance, stability, and a better developer experience. 💡 Key Highlights: ✨ New Shared Animation Backend A unified animation engine for both Animated & Reanimated → smoother, faster, and more consistent animations. ⚡ Animate layout props with native driver Finally! You can now animate width, height, flex, and position natively — a long-awaited upgrade. 🛠️ Improved DevTools Better debugging workflows and performance insights for developers. 🔐 Metro TLS Support Secure development server connections with HTTPS support. 📦 Jest preset moved to a separate package Cleaner and more flexible testing setup. ⚠️ Breaking Changes to note: Dropped support for outdated Node.js versions StyleSheet.absoluteFillObject removed Jest config changes required 🚀 Bigger Picture: React Native continues its transition into a post-bridge architecture, leveraging JSI for faster, near-native performance and eliminating legacy bottlenecks. 📌 This release is less about flashy features and more about building a rock-solid foundation for the future of mobile apps. #ReactNative #MobileDevelopment #JavaScript #React #AppDevelopment #SoftwareEngineering #javascript #webdevelopment #reactjs #codingtips #frontend #backend #programming

React Native 0.85 is here - and it’s a solid step forward for performance and developer experience. New Animation Backend Animating layout properties (like flex & position) with the native driver is now possible - a big win for smoother UI and better performance. DevTools Improvements Multiple debugging sessions at once + better network inspection makes day-to-day development much more efficient. Metro TLS Support HTTPS support in Metro is a small but powerful addition, especially when working with secure APIs. Breaking Changes - Jest preset moved to a separate package - Dropped support for older Node.js versions - Some deprecated APIs finally removed (cleaner core going forward) - Overall, this release feels like a strong push towards a more stable, modern, and high-performance React Native ecosystem. https://lnkd.in/dGC396Xz #reactnative #expo

🚀 React Native 0.85 is here — and it’s a BIG step forward for performance & developer experience. Here are my key takeaways 👇 🔹 New Animation Backend React Native now introduces a shared animation engine powering both Animated & Reanimated. 👉 You can finally animate layout properties (flex, position) with the native driver 👉 Result: smoother, more performant animations 🔹 Better DevTools Multiple debugging connections are now supported — meaning VS Code, DevTools, and other tools can run together seamlessly. 🔹 Metro TLS Support Improved security and flexibility in the development environment. ⚠️ Breaking Changes Jest preset moved to a separate package Older Node.js versions dropped Some APIs removed 💡 What this means: React Native is doubling down on performance, stability, and modern architecture. We’re moving closer to a world where cross-platform apps feel truly native — without trade-offs. If you’re working with React Native, this is definitely a release worth exploring. #ReactNative #MobileDevelopment #JavaScript #SoftwareEngineering #TechUpdates