upgrading-react-native

★ 1,517

by callstackincubator · part of callstackincubator/agent-skills

Upgrades React Native apps to newer versions by applying rn-diff-purge template diffs, updating package.json dependencies, migrating native iOS and Android configuration, resolving CocoaPods and Gradle changes, and handling breaking API updates. Use when upgrading React Native, bumping RN version, updating from RN 0.x to 0.y, or migrating Expo SDK alongside a React Native upgrade.

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#automation #git

🧩 One of 7 skills in the callstackincubator/agent-skills package — works on its own, and pairs well with its siblings.

This is the playbook your agent receives when the skill activates — you don't need to read it to use the skill, but it's here to audit before installing.

Upgrading React Native

Overview

Covers the full React Native upgrade workflow: template diffs via Upgrade Helper, dependency updates, Expo SDK steps, and common pitfalls.

When to Apply

Reference these guidelines when:

Moving a React Native app to a newer version
Reconciling native config changes from Upgrade Helper
Validating release notes for breaking changes

Quick Reference

File	Description
upgrading-react-native.md	Router: choose the right upgrade path
upgrade-helper-core.md	Core Upgrade Helper workflow and reliability gates
upgrading-dependencies.md	Dependency compatibility checks and migration planning
react.md	React and React 19 upgrade alignment rules
expo-sdk-upgrade.md	Expo SDK-specific upgrade layer (conditional)
upgrade-verification.md	Post-upgrade verification checklist, including agent-device-assisted checks
monorepo-singlerepo-targeting.md	Monorepo and single-repo app targeting and command scoping

Problem → Skill Mapping

Problem	Start With
Need to upgrade React Native	upgrade-helper-core.md
Need dependency risk triage and migration options	upgrading-dependencies.md
Need React/React 19 package alignment	react.md
Need workflow routing first	upgrading-react-native.md
Need Expo SDK-specific steps	expo-sdk-upgrade.md
Need manual or agent-assisted regression validation	upgrade-verification.md
Need repo/app command scoping	monorepo-singlerepo-targeting.md

Copy & paste — that's it

npx skills add callstackincubator/agent-skills --skill "upgrading-react-native" --full-depth

Run this in your project — your agent picks the skill up automatically.

Typical Upgrade Sequence

Route: Choose the right upgrade path via [upgrading-react-native.md][upgrading-react-native]
Diff: Fetch the canonical template diff using Upgrade Helper via [upgrade-helper-core.md][upgrade-helper-core]
Dependencies: Assess and update third-party packages via [upgrading-dependencies.md][upgrading-dependencies]
React: Align React version if upgraded via [react.md][react]
Expo (if applicable): Apply Expo SDK layer via [expo-sdk-upgrade.md][expo-sdk-upgrade]
Verify: Run post-upgrade checks via [upgrade-verification.md][upgrade-verification]

# Quick start: detect current version and fetch diff
npm pkg get dependencies.react-native --prefix "$APP_DIR"
npm view react-native dist-tags.latest

# Example: upgrading from 0.76.9 to 0.78.2
# 1. Fetch the template diff
curl -L -f -o /tmp/rn-diff.diff \
  "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/react-native-community/rn-diff-purge/diffs/diffs/0.76.9..0.78.2.diff" \
  && echo "Diff downloaded OK" || echo "ERROR: diff not found, check versions"
# 2. Review changed files
grep -n "^diff --git" /tmp/rn-diff.diff
# 3. Update package.json, apply native changes, then install + rebuild
npm install --prefix "$APP_DIR"
cd "$APP_DIR/ios" && pod install
# 4. Validate: both platforms must build successfully
npx react-native build-android --mode debug --no-packager
xcodebuild -workspace "$APP_DIR/ios/App.xcworkspace" -scheme App -sdk iphonesimulator build