React Native 0.82 Kills Legacy Architecture – Full Transition to New Framework Begins

Breaking: React Native 0.82 Drops Legacy Architecture

React Native 0.82 has been released as the first version that runs entirely on the New Architecture, making the legacy system effectively obsolete. Developers can no longer enable the old architecture even if they try to set newArchEnabled=false on Android or use RCT_NEW_ARCH_ENABLED=0 on iOS. This marks a decisive shift in the framework's trajectory.

“This is a milestone release. We believe it's the start of a new era for React Native,” said a Meta engineering spokesperson. “In future versions, we will remove the remaining legacy code to reduce install size and streamline the codebase.”

Experimental Hermes V1 and React 19.1.1

Alongside the architecture change, version 0.82 introduces an experimental opt-in for Hermes V1, a newer JavaScript engine. It also updates the core React library to version 19.1.1, enabling several React features, and adds support for DOM Node APIs.

“Hermes V1 is early-stage, but we encourage teams to test it in non-production environments,” the spokesperson added. The DOM Node API support allows React Native components to interact more directly with native DOM-like elements.

Background

React Native 0.76 first made the New Architecture the default, but still allowed fallback to the legacy system. Since then, the team has tested and refined the new approach. “We're now confident in making it the only architecture for this and future versions,” the Meta spokesperson explained.

The transition has been in development for several versions. React Native 0.81 and Expo SDK 54 were the last releases that supported the legacy architecture. They included warnings and performance improvements to help developers migrate before the final cutover in 0.82.

Urgent Migration Guidance

For teams still on the legacy architecture, the recommended path is to first migrate to React Native 0.81 or Expo SDK 54. Enable the New Architecture there and verify the app runs smoothly. Only then should you update to 0.82, which locks the New Architecture in place.

“If an incompatible third-party dependency is blocking your migration, contact the library maintainers directly,” the Meta team advised. “For bugs in React Native core itself, please use our issue tracker.” The interop layers that help bridge legacy classes will remain in place for now, but their removal is expected in future releases.

What This Means for Developers

This release forces all React Native projects to adopt the New Architecture immediately. While the interop layers ensure backward compatibility for most third-party libraries, relying on legacy APIs will become impossible with the next version after 0.82.

The removal of legacy architecture code will reduce the overall bundle size significantly. “We are not removing any APIs in this version to avoid breaking changes, but the cleanup will start from the next release,” the spokesperson noted. Teams should plan their upgrade cycles accordingly to avoid being stuck on an outdated branch.

Next Steps

Developers should run npx react-native upgrade after migrating to 0.81 with the New Architecture enabled. For Expo users, updating to SDK 54 is the prerequisite. Once on 0.82, verify that all third-party dependencies work correctly. The Meta team will share further updates on interop layer removal timelines.

“We recommend reaching out to library maintainers early if you encounter issues,” the spokesperson said. The release also includes experimental Hermes V1 and React 19.1.1 – teams are encouraged to evaluate those features in staging environments first.