Upgrading React Native: What you need to know before you start
Every React Native app needs an upgrade eventually. These tips will help you move forward with less friction and more confidence.
React Native makes it refreshingly easy to build apps for both Android and iOS, especially if you’ve got a bit of React experience under your belt. But at some point, every developer hits the same moment: it’s time to upgrade.
Upgrading React Native isn’t always the smoothest process. It can take time, throw up a few surprises, and sometimes feel a bit awkward.
I recently had to work through a few upgrades across different projects, and along the way, I picked up some tips that made things a lot easier. Here’s what I learned, and what I wish I’d known before diving in.
Use the React Native helper (but know its limits)
This is the official tool recommended by the React Native team, and for good reason. It’s a smart starting point that helps you compare file changes between versions. However, there are limitations to the helper as it can only really cover upgrades of boilerplate applications, so if you have dependencies, which is the norm for most projects, it can’t handle those for you, but it does give you a reliable foundation to build from.
AI is your friend, but don’t let it take over.
AI tools such as Gemini, ChatGPT or Claude can be a game-changer during an upgrade. They can help you diagnose tricky build errors or spot issues with third-party library dependencies, which has saved me a lot of time during upgrades.
But be careful. LLM models can be a little too agreeable and lean towards agreeing with your hypothesis as opposed to providing any critical reason as to why a problem occurs. Think of AI as a co-pilot, not a replacement for good judgement.
Read the changelogs. Seriously.
One of the biggest reasons upgrades become clunky is the number of third-party libraries in a typical React Native project. This is a double-edged sword: we benefit from the speed and flexibility that these packages bring that make the development process easier, but during upgrades, they often become blockers. .
Take time to do a deep dive into the changelog of their repositories and identify any possible issue or bug that might occur when upgrading these libraries.
Keep a tracker of the steps you've taken.
When conducting upgrades, it’s easy to get lost in the process. You might start fixing a problem, only to realise that you’ve already done the same thing three steps ago. Having a simple tracker or checklist can make a big difference to make the process more streamlined. It’s also helpful to be able to spot patterns and give you a record you can revisit next time.
Upgrade one version at a time.
This is probably the most important tip. If you’re jumping from, say, version 0.67.0 to 0.77.2, that’s about 10 major versions and a lot can break in that gap. React Native upgrades rarely succeed when you try to leapfrog too far. Move one version at a time. It might seem slower, but it keeps the process manageable and gives you a better chance of catching issues as they appear.
Final thoughts.
The React Native upgrade process can be very challenging, and even very experienced developers still struggle with this process. But it’s not impossible. With the right tools, a bit of structure, and a healthy dose of patience, you can get through it. And if you take good notes, it might even be easier next time!
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