Getting React Native New Architecture to You

The New Architecture rewrites React Native’s internals with a new renderer and native module system. JSI removes the Bridge’s queuing, enabling synchronous data sharing and access to layout information. It also supports concurrent rendering, React APIs such as Suspense and transitions, and automatic batching, which Kesarwani illustrates with smoother slider updates.

Kesarwani compares the rollout to upgrading an engine while a plane is in flight, given React Native’s large ecosystem. React Native 0.68 introduced the architecture as an experimental opt-in; later releases added interop layers and backward compatibility. Bridgeless became the default in 0.75, and the New Architecture was announced as the default for 0.76.

Interop layers let legacy native modules, components, and view configs work with the New Architecture, often without developers needing to manage the transition directly. Kesarwani cites React Native View Shot: community reports exposed rendering issues, and fixes to the core interop layers helped the library work. The React Native Directory added a compatibility label and filter; Kesarwani reported more than 835 compatible libraries at the time.

Some newer capabilities require the New Architecture. React Native 0.75 added percentage values for Yoga properties such as gaps and border radius, as well as string values for translate transformations. React Native 0.74 added static positioning, and Kesarwani says the latest Reanimated was compatible exclusively with the New Architecture.

Kesarwani says interop layers and ecosystem work have made migration simpler, while adoption unlocks features that may not support the legacy architecture. She encourages developers to enable the New Architecture and invites them to complete a survey to inform the rollout.