React Native 0.85: 8 Essential Changes and How They Impact Your Workflow

The React Native team has unveiled version 0.85, packed with performance upgrades, developer tooling enhancements, and a few important breaking changes. This release introduces a new animation architecture, revamps the DevTools experience, and adds TLS support to the Metro bundler. Whether you're building complex UI animations, debugging across multiple clients, or looking for improved security during development, this update has something for you. Below, we break down the eight key updates you need to know—from the new animation engine to deprecations that may affect your codebase.

1. New Shared Animation Backend

React Native 0.85 ships with a completely revamped animation engine, developed in collaboration with Software Mansion. Dubbed the Shared Animation Backend, it replaces the previous internal logic for both Animated and Reanimated. By moving the core animation update loop into the React Native core, this backend allows Reanimated to achieve performance gains that were previously impossible. It also ensures that the reconciliation process is thoroughly tested and remains stable across future React Native updates. This change is experimental starting from version 0.85.1 (coming soon), and you can opt in by enabling the experimental channel. The new backend is particularly beneficial for animations that involve layout properties—read on to see how.

2. Animate Layout Props with the Native Driver

One of the most exciting outcomes of the new animation backend is the ability to animate Flexbox and position props using the native driver in Animated. Previously, such layout animations required the JavaScript thread, which could lead to jank. Now you can apply smooth, 60fps transitions to properties like width, height, flex, and position directly on the native side. For example, using Animated.timing with useNativeDriver: true on a view’s width works seamlessly. This change dramatically improves UI fluidity and reduces the burden on the JS thread, making it a must-try for animation-heavy apps. Check the rn-tester examples for hands-on demos.

3. Multiple CDP Connections in DevTools

The React Native DevTools now support multiple simultaneous Chrome DevTools Protocol (CDP) connections. This means you can connect several clients at once—such as the standalone React Native DevTools, VS Code, and even AI-assisted debugging agents—without one session interrupting another. The result is a richer, composable developer environment. You can, for instance, keep a performance profiler open in DevTools while using a code editor’s debugger to inspect variables. This feature unlocks advanced workflows and makes collaborative debugging much more practical.

4. Native Tabs on macOS for DevTools

For macOS power users, the DevTools desktop app has been updated to compile for macOS 26 and now includes system-level tab handling. You can merge multiple DevTools windows into a single window with tabs by navigating to Window > Merge All Windows. This keeps your debugging workspace organized when you have several inspectors open. Native tabs integrate seamlessly with macOS’s window manager, providing a more native feel and improved multi-tasking during development.

5. Request Payload Previews Restored on Android

A previous regression had disabled the ability to preview request body payloads in the Network Panel of DevTools on Android. With React Native 0.85, this functionality is fully restored. Developers can once again inspect request payloads—such as JSON, form data, or files—directly in the debugging interface. This is especially useful for diagnosing API calls, verifying authentication tokens, or debugging data uploads. The fix ensures that Android debugging parity is maintained with iOS, streamlining network troubleshooting across both platforms.

6. Metro TLS Support for Secure Development

The Metro development server can now accept a TLS configuration object, enabling HTTPS for the dev server and WSS (WebSocket Secure) for Fast Refresh. This means you can test features that require secure contexts—like service workers, geolocation, or camera access—during local development without workarounds. Simply provide the appropriate certificate and key, and Metro will handle the rest. This update is a significant step toward making development environments mirror production security more closely.

7. Jest Preset Moved to a Dedicated Package

In a breaking change, the Jest preset that was previously bundled with React Native has been extracted into its own package: @react-native/jest-preset. If your project uses Jest for testing, you will need to update your dependencies and configuration to point to the new package. This move reduces the core package’s size and gives the testing configuration a dedicated home for faster iteration. Check the migration guide to update your jest.config.js or package.json accordingly.

8. Other Breaking Changes: Node.js, StyleSheet, and More

React Native 0.85 drops support for end-of-life Node.js versions (those no longer maintained by the Node.js foundation). Ensure your development environment runs Node 18 or later. Additionally, StyleSheet.absoluteFillObject has been removed—replace it with StyleSheet.absoluteFill if you used it. The release also includes miscellaneous breaking changes; review the full changelog for details. These adjustments are necessary to keep React Native modern, secure, and performant.

React Native 0.85 marks a major step forward in animation performance and developer tooling. The new animation backend, combined with better debugging capabilities and TLS support, gives you more power and flexibility. However, the breaking changes require attention—especially the Jest preset move and deprecated APIs. Upgrade your project soon, test thoroughly, and take advantage of the improvements. For complete details, visit the official release notes.