React Native Releases in 2025: Towards a Stable Future

Cohen says the release process had not kept pace with React Native’s development. With only two releases a year, each version accumulated six months of changes, bugs, and breaking changes. Unclear rules for late fixes led to repeated release candidates, with some versions taking six or nine RCs to stabilize.

The team moved from two releases a year to a target of six, one every two months. Changes must now meet clear acceptance criteria, with a bot explaining the rules when someone proposes a release change. Feature flags let the team disable a troubled feature instead of rushing a fix.

After accidentally publishing version 1000 to npm, the team rebuilt its CI around GitHub Actions and automated more release steps. A bot helps merge changes, pick fixes, and manage tasks. Cohen says release crew work fell from two days per release candidate to two hours.

The team runs end-to-end Maestro tests on RNTester for every commit, so it can catch problems before release. Its React Native Nightly Testing Program checks ecosystem libraries against nightly builds, with a public dashboard showing compatibility. The initial library criteria include active maintenance, at least 100 stars, 50,000 downloads, and native code.

Cohen says React Native supports the latest three releases, giving teams a six-month upgrade window. He points to recent improvements across versions 0.76 through 0.81 and encourages teams to avoid falling behind. Predictable releases, stable APIs, and fewer breaking changes are part of the work toward 1.0.