Upgrading React Native

Overview

Covers the full React Native upgrade workflow: template diffs via Upgrade Helper, dependency updates, Expo SDK steps, and common pitfalls.

Typical Upgrade Sequence

1. Route: Choose the right upgrade path via [upgrading-react-native.md][upgrading-react-native]
2. Diff: Fetch the canonical template diff using Upgrade Helper via [upgrade-helper-core.md][upgrade-helper-core]
3. Dependencies: Assess and update third-party packages via [upgrading-dependencies.md][upgrading-dependencies]
4. React: Align React version if upgraded via [react.md][react]
5. Expo (if applicable): Apply Expo SDK layer via [expo-sdk-upgrade.md][expo-sdk-upgrade]
6. Verify: Run post-upgrade checks via [upgrade-verification.md][upgrade-verification]

# Quick start: detect current version and fetch diff
npm pkg get dependencies.react-native --prefix "$APP_DIR"
npm view react-native dist-tags.latest

# Example: upgrading from 0.76.9 to 0.78.2
# 1. Fetch the template diff
curl -L -f -o /tmp/rn-diff.diff \
  "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/react-native-community/rn-diff-purge/diffs/diffs/0.76.9..0.78.2.diff" \
  && echo "Diff downloaded OK" || echo "ERROR: diff not found, check versions"
# 2. Review changed files
grep -n "^diff --git" /tmp/rn-diff.diff
# 3. Update package.json, apply native changes, then install + rebuild
npm install --prefix "$APP_DIR"
cd "$APP_DIR/ios" && pod install
# 4. Validate: both platforms must build successfully
npx react-native build-android --mode debug --no-packager
xcodebuild -workspace "$APP_DIR/ios/App.xcworkspace" -scheme App -sdk iphonesimulator build

When to Apply

Reference these guidelines when:

• Moving a React Native app to a newer version
• Reconciling native config changes from Upgrade Helper
• Validating release notes for breaking changes

Quick Reference