Why Should We Upgrade React Native Versions for Mobile Development

The Importance of Upgrading React Native Versions

Performance Enhancements That Matter

React Native updates are not just about new features—they often bring substantial performance improvements. Each version is designed to optimize runtime, memory usage, and UI responsiveness. For instance, recent updates in 2025 have refined JSI (JavaScript Interface) support and enhanced TurboModules integration, which contribute to smoother animation transitions and quicker load times.

If you’re offering React Native development services, using an outdated version may result in subpar performance, which can affect user retention and satisfaction. On the other hand, staying current allows your development team to harness all the optimizations made available in the core and community modules.

Improved Compatibility with Native Modules

React Native updates aren’t just about new features—many are significant performance updates. Each release strives to enhance runtime, memory, and UI responsiveness. Future 2025 releases, for instance, have enhanced JSI (JavaScript Interface) support and TurboModules integration, which contribute to smoother animation transitions and quicker loading times.

If you’re offering React Native development services, you’re jeopardized by poor performance with an obsolete version, which can affect user retention and satisfaction. However, being up to date allows your development team to leverage all the optimizations offered through the core and community modules.

Key Benefits of Upgrading React Native Regularly

1. Platform Compliance (Android & iOS)

Native and third-party module dependency is mainly the basis for today’s React Native app updates. Updating ensures that your app works best with newer versions of these modules, which most of them quickly disseminate changes built within the React Native core.

As you continue to delay updating, there are very high chances that you may have deprecated APIs or library-breaking modifications. That is the reason why React Native development businesses assign continuous upkeep and periodic updating the utmost priority; therefore, less downtime is lost and don’t carry out massive refactoring in the long run.

2. Reduced Technical Debt

Delaying upgrades can increase the cost and complexity of future updates. When changes accumulate over time, the migration process becomes more labor-intensive and risk-prone. Regular updates reduce this technical debt and make it easier to adapt to new requirements with minimal friction.

If you’re building long-term projects or offering React Native development solutions, keeping your tech stack updated is a strategic investment in future scalability.

3. Enhanced Developer Experience

Subsequent releases of React Native have tooling updates that make overall development smoother. The newest releases came with quicker bundling with Metro, improved debugging tools, and easier CLI commands. They shorten development time and prevent frustration for developers.

It is particularly valuable for React Native development agencies that have several projects in the queue. Latest and greatest tools imply faster turnarounds and higher code quality.

Future-Ready Solutions: Beyond Ideas, Beyond Limits

A) Managed the metro configuration in the latest version control

const {getDefaultConfig, mergeConfig} = require(‘@react-native/metro-config’);
@type {import(‘@react-native/metro-config’).MetroConfig}
const config = {};
module.exports = mergeConfig(getDefaultConfig(__dirname), config);

B) iOS pod configuration to make it compatible with the latest version

require Pod::Executable.execute_command(‘node’, [‘-p’,

 ‘require.resolve(
    “react-native/scripts/react_native_pods.rb”,
    {paths: [process.argv[1]]},
  )’, __dir__]).strip
platform :ios, min_ios_version_supported
prepare_react_native_project!
linkage = ENV[‘USE_FRAMEWORKS’]
if linkage != nil
  Pod::UI.puts “Configuring Pod with #{linkage}ally linked Frameworks”.green
  use_frameworks! :linkage => linkage.to_sym
end
target ‘RnDiffApp’ do
  config = use_native_modules!
  use_react_native!(
    :path => config[:reactNativePath],
    # An absolute path to your application root.
    :app_path => “#{Pod::Config.instance.installation_root}/..”
  )
  post_install do |installer|
    react_native_post_install(
      installer,
      config[:reactNativePath],
      :mac_catalyst_enabled => false,
      # :ccache_enabled => true
    )
  end

C) Android’s core file configuration to make it work with the latest version

buildscript {
    ext {
        buildToolsVersion = “35.0.0”
        minSdkVersion = 24
        compileSdkVersion = 35
        targetSdkVersion = 35
        ndkVersion = “27.1.12297006”
        kotlinVersion = “2.0.21”
    }
    repositories {
        google()
        mavenCentral()
    }
    dependencies {
        classpath(“com.android.tools.build:gradle”)
        classpath(“com.facebook.react:react-native-gradle-plugin”)
        classpath(“org.jetbrains.kotlin:kotlin-gradle-plugin”)
    }

end

D) Updated and supported version control packages file

“scripts”: {

    “android”: “react-native run-android”,
    “ios”: “react-native run-ios”,
    “lint”: “eslint .”,
    “start”: “react-native start”,
    “test”: “jest”
  },
  “dependencies”: {
    “react”: “19.0.0”,
    “react-native”: “0.79.2”
  },
  “devDependencies”: {
    “@babel/core”: “^7.25.2”,
    “@babel/preset-env”: “^7.25.3”,
    “@babel/runtime”: “^7.25.0”,
    “@react-native-community/cli”: “18.0.0”,
    “@react-native-community/cli-platform-android”: “18.0.0”,
    “@react-native-community/cli-platform-ios”: “18.0.0”,
    “@react-native/babel-preset”: “0.79.2”,
    “@react-native/eslint-config”: “0.79.2”,
    “@react-native/metro-config”: “0.79.2”,
    “@react-native/typescript-config”: “0.79.2”,
    “@types/jest”: “^29.5.13”,
    “@types/react”: “^19.0.0”,
    “@types/react-test-renderer”: “^19.0.0”,
    “eslint”: “^8.19.0”,
    “jest”: “^29.6.3”,
    “prettier”: “2.8.8”,
    “react-test-renderer”: “19.0.0”,
    “typescript”: “5.0.4”
  },
  “engines”: {
    “node”: “>=18”
  }
}

How Frequent Upgrades Impact Business Outcomes

Faster Feature Releases

Developers working on the newer version of React Native have less to fear in terms of stale components or buggy modules. Thus, features are released sooner, and development velocity is predictable in the long term.

Lower Maintenance Costs

Though upgrades are carried out on a regular basis, they pay back in maintenance overhead costs in the long run. Die-without-them bugs, performance bugs, and legacy bugs are less expensive to preclude than they are to repair. 

Competitive Advantage

React Native continues to get better and fill the performance gap of native apps. On par with the latest, your application is as native as apps in terms of UX and performance, which means directly into the retention and interaction of the users.