React Native 0.85: Improved Animations and DevTools

🚀 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 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

🚀 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 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

𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐭.𝐣𝐬. 🚀 In a world where "Time to Market" is everything, React remains a powerhouse for one reason: 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐕𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲. Why do we choose React for our high-performance builds? 1) 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦: Need a form, a chart, or an animation? There is a battle-tested library for that. 2) 𝐕𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐎𝐌: High performance without the manual optimization headache. 3) 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬-𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦: The leap from React (Web) to React Native (Mobile) is remarkably short. It’s not just about writing code; it’s about building products that are maintainable for years to come. #Javascript #TechLeadership #Innovation #ReactJS #AppDevelopment #API #websiteDevelopment #Sales #Tech

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

🚀 Building a Modern React UI Library — Looking for Contributors! Hey everyone 👋 I’ve been working on a **React-based component UI library** using **Tailwind CSS + Motion (animations)** — focused on creating clean, reusable, and highly customizable components. Instead of overthinking, I’m *vibe coding* this project ⚡ Shipping fast, iterating quickly, and focusing on real-world usability. So far, I’ve built: * A flexible Button component (variants, sizes, animations) * Preview system for usage * Clean structure for scalability * Testing setup for reliability Now I want to take this further — and I’d love to collaborate with like-minded devs 🤝 💡 Looking for contributors who: * Enjoy building UI components * Have experience with React / Tailwind / animations * Care about clean DX & reusable patterns * Want to build something impactful (and maybe open-source it big 👀) 🎯 What you’ll get: * Hands-on experience building a real UI library * Exposure to component architecture & design systems * Opportunity to collaborate & grow together * Potential to turn this into something widely used If this sounds interesting, drop a comment or DM me — I’ll share the repo and we can get started 🔥 Let’s build something awesome together 🚀 #react #tailwind #nextjs #html #css #javascript #typescript #claude #vibecoding #gemini #cursor #vitest #nextjs #contributors #collaboration #webdevelopment #frontend

🚀 React Native 0.85 – What’s New & Why It Matters! Excited to explore the latest updates in React Native 0.85, bringing improvements that enhance performance, security, and developer experience. ✨ Key Highlights: 🔹 Animation Backend Improvements Smoother and more efficient animations with an upgraded backend, enabling better UI performance and responsiveness. 🔹 New Jest Preset Package Simplified testing setup with an improved Jest configuration, making unit testing faster and more reliable. 🔹 Metro TLS Support Enhanced security with TLS support in Metro bundler, ensuring safer and more secure development workflows. 💡 Why this matters? These updates help developers build faster, more secure, and highly performant mobile applications, reducing setup complexity and improving overall productivity. 📱 As a React Native developer, staying updated with these improvements is key to building modern, scalable apps. hashtag #ReactNative #MobileDevelopment #JavaScript #FrontendDevelopment #AppDevelopment #TechUpdates #SoftwareDevelopment

React Native 0.85 is here, but what should developers actually look forward to? Here’s what stands out: • Smoother, more responsive UI animations. • Improved debugging tools for faster issue resolution. • Enhanced security updates. • A more refined testing experience. But it doesn’t stop there. This release also pushes the ecosystem forward with new requirements (like Node.js 22) and key breaking changes, meaning teams will need to be more intentional about upgrades. Bottom line: React Native 0.85 is less about hype, more about long-term performance and stability. Cheers. #thatreactnativeguy #ReactNative #MobileDevelopment #SoftwareEngineering #TechUpdates