React Native 0.82: The Dawn of a Unified Architecture

Introduction

With the release of React Native 0.82, the framework takes a historic step forward by becoming the first version to run entirely on the New Architecture. This milestone marks the end of an era for the Legacy Architecture and ushers in a new phase of streamlined performance, reduced bundle size, and modern developer experience. Alongside this shift, version 0.82 introduces several experimental and stability improvements, including an optional upgrade to Hermes V1, an update to React 19.1.1, and support for DOM Node APIs. In this article, we dive into the key changes and what they mean for your React Native projects.

Major Highlights

• New Architecture Only — The Legacy Architecture is no longer available; all apps now run on the New Architecture.
• Experimental Hermes V1 — An opt-in version of Hermes offering potential performance gains.
• React 19.1.1 — Updated to leverage the latest React features and bug fixes.
• DOM Node APIs — Support for direct interaction with DOM nodes in React Native environments.

New Architecture Only

Since React Native 0.76 made the New Architecture the default, the team has rigorously tested and refined it. Now, in 0.82, the Legacy Architecture is completely removed from the runtime. This means settings like newArchEnabled=false on Android or RCT_NEW_ARCH_ENABLED=0 on iOS will be ignored — your app will always run on the New Architecture. This ensures all React Native applications benefit from the performance and reliability improvements that the New Architecture brings.

How to Migrate

If your project still relies on the Legacy Architecture, follow this migration path:

1. First, update to React Native 0.81 or Expo SDK 54 — these are the last versions that support the Legacy Architecture. They include migration warnings and performance improvements to ease the transition.
2. Enable the New Architecture in 0.81 and thoroughly test your application to ensure everything works correctly.
3. Once you’re confident with the New Architecture on 0.81, upgrade to React Native 0.82. This version permanently disables the Legacy Architecture.

If you are blocked by an incompatible third-party library, contact the library maintainers directly. For bugs in React Native core, use the issue tracker to report them.

Interop Layers & Third‑Party Library Compatibility

To ease the transition, the team will retain interop layers for the foreseeable future. All classes and functions required by these layers will not be removed soon. This ensures that third‑party libraries offering backward compatibility with both architectures will continue to function on 0.82. Future communications will address the eventual removal of interop layers.

Experimental Hermes V1

React Native 0.82 includes an experimental opt-in to Hermes V1, a newer version of the Hermes JavaScript engine. This upgrade promises improved startup time, reduced memory usage, and better overall performance. Developers can enable it by following the configuration instructions in the documentation. As it is experimental, thorough testing is recommended before deploying to production.

React 19.1.1 & DOM Node APIs

The update to React 19.1.1 brings the latest React features, including improved concurrent rendering and automatic batching. Alongside this, React Native 0.82 ships with support for DOM Node APIs, allowing developers to work directly with native DOM nodes when necessary. This can be particularly useful for integrating web‑based components or handling advanced interactions.

Removal of Legacy Architecture Classes

To maintain backward compatibility and minimise breaking changes, React Native 0.82 does not remove any Legacy Architecture APIs from the core. However, the team plans to begin removing Legacy Architecture code starting from the next version, which will significantly reduce the overall bundle size. For more details, refer to RFC0929: Removal of the Legacy Architecture.

Conclusion

React Native 0.82 marks a turning point for the framework, fully embracing the New Architecture and setting the stage for a leaner, faster future. By focusing on a single architecture, the React Native team can concentrate on optimising performance and removing legacy code. With experimental Hermes V1, the latest React version, and DOM Node API support, 0.82 offers a rich set of features for modern mobile development. Start planning your migration today to take advantage of these improvements.