upgrading-react-native

callstackincubator/agent-skills

Upgrade React Native apps to newer versions with template diffs, dependency updates, and native config migration.

What is upgrading-react-native?

Automates React Native version upgrades by applying rn-diff-purge template diffs, updating dependencies, migrating iOS and Android configurations, and resolving breaking API changes. Use this when bumping React Native versions, handling CocoaPods or Gradle changes, or migrating Expo SDK alongside a React Native upgrade.

Fetch and apply canonical template diffs via Upgrade Helper
Update package.json dependencies and assess third-party compatibility
Migrate native iOS and Android configuration changes
Resolve CocoaPods and Gradle dependency updates
Align React version if upgraded as part of the RN bump
Validate post-upgrade builds on both platforms

How to install upgrading-react-native

npx skills add https://github.com/callstackincubator/agent-skills --skill upgrading-react-native

Prerequisites

React Native project with package.json
npm or yarn installed
iOS: Xcode and CocoaPods (if using native iOS)
Android: Android SDK and Gradle (if using native Android)
Access to rn-diff-purge diffs (GitHub raw content)

Claude Code

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How to use upgrading-react-native

1.Detect your current React Native version: npm pkg get dependencies.react-native
2.Check the latest available version: npm view react-native dist-tags.latest
3.Fetch the template diff for your version range from rn-diff-purge
4.Review the diff to understand all changed files and native config updates
5.Update package.json with new dependency versions
6.Apply native iOS changes: update ios/ config and run pod install
7.Apply native Android changes: update android/ config and rebuild Gradle
8.Run npm install to update all dependencies

Use cases

Good for

Upgrading a React Native app from 0.76.9 to 0.78.2 or similar minor/patch versions
Migrating an Expo-managed app alongside a React Native SDK upgrade
Resolving native config conflicts after fetching template diffs
Validating breaking API changes and dependency compatibility before committing
Scoping upgrades in monorepo projects to specific apps

Who it's for

React Native app developers
Mobile engineers managing version upgrades
Teams using Expo SDK
DevOps or release engineers automating RN upgrades

upgrading-react-native FAQ

How do I find the correct rn-diff-purge diff for my upgrade?

Use Upgrade Helper (upgrade-helper-core.md) or fetch directly from GitHub: curl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/react-native-community/rn-diff-purge/diffs/diffs/OLD_VERSION..NEW_VERSION.diff. Verify both versions exist in the rn-diff-purge repository.

What if my app uses Expo?

Follow the Expo SDK upgrade layer (expo-sdk-upgrade.md) in addition to the React Native upgrade. Expo SDK versions are tied to React Native versions; check Expo's compatibility matrix.

How do I handle breaking API changes?

Review the React Native release notes for your target version. The skill references breaking changes in upgrading-react-native.md and react.md; test thoroughly post-upgrade.

Can this work with monorepo projects?

Yes. Use monorepo-singlerepo-targeting.md to scope commands to specific apps within your monorepo.

What should I do if the build fails after upgrade?

Check upgrade-verification.md for post-upgrade validation steps. Common issues include CocoaPods conflicts (run pod install --repo-update) and Gradle cache issues (run ./gradlew clean).

Full instructions (SKILL.md)

Source of truth, from callstackincubator/agent-skills.

name: upgrading-react-native description: 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. license: MIT

Upgrading React Native

Overview

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

Typical Upgrade Sequence

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

# 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

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