The React Native New Architecture Migration Process for 2026

Over 90% of React Native core modules now support the New Architecture as of late 2024. Yet many enterprise teams still run apps on the legacy bridge system, watching performance metrics lag behind competitors. Shopify proved the path forward works—they migrated two flagship apps while shipping weekly releases to millions of merchants.

This guide walks you through the complete migration process. Whether you're managing app development Texas teams or distributed engineering groups worldwide, you'll learn what's changed, how to prepare your codebase, and the exact steps companies like Shopify used to modernize without disrupting business operations.

Understanding React Native's New Architecture: A 2026 Perspective

React Native's New Architecture represents the most significant overhaul since the framework launched. The changes affect how your JavaScript talks to native code, how screens render, and how your app loads native features.

The Evolution of React Native Architecture: Why the Change

The old "bridge" system created a bottleneck. Every interaction between JavaScript and native code required data serialization, async message passing, and deserialization on the other side. Frame drops happened when the queue backed up. Touch responses felt sluggish on complex screens.

React Native 0.76, released in December 2024, became the first version fully stable with the New Architecture. Meta rebuilt the communication layer from scratch to eliminate these constraints.

The shift enables features that simply weren't possible before. Concurrent rendering, synchronous layout calculations, and direct memory access between JavaScript and C++ open doors for real-time camera processing, complex gesture handling, and buttery-smooth animations.

Core Components Explained: Fabric, TurboModules, Codegen, and JSI

Four pillars form the foundation of React Native's New Architecture. Understanding each helps you plan your migration strategy.

JavaScript Interface (JSI)

JSI replaces the async bridge with direct, synchronous communication. Your JavaScript code can now hold references to C++ objects and call native methods without serialization overhead.

Think of it this way: the old bridge was like sending letters back and forth. JSI is like picking up the phone. Response times drop from milliseconds to microseconds in many scenarios.

Fabric Rendering System

Fabric rebuilds how React Native draws your UI. It creates a synchronous layout pipeline that calculates where every element goes before anything hits the screen.

The result? UI consistency across iOS and Android improves dramatically. Animations run smoother. Touch responses feel instant. Complex list scrolling no longer stutters.

TurboModules

TurboModules replace the old Native Modules with a smarter loading system. Instead of initializing every native module at startup, TurboModules load on demand.

An app with 50 native modules might only need 5 during the first user interaction. TurboModules delay loading the other 45 until actually needed. Startup times drop significantly in module-heavy applications.

Codegen

Codegen generates type-safe bindings between JavaScript and native code automatically. You define TypeScript or Flow interfaces once, and Codegen produces the native glue code.

This catches type mismatches at build time rather than runtime. Fewer crashes in production. Faster development cycles. Better tooling integration across your IDE.

Key Benefits for Your Application in 2026: Performance, Stability, and Developer Experience

Benchmarks from 2025 show the concrete improvements:

• Cold start times: 1,800ms vs 3,200ms on mid-range Android—a 43% improvement
• Animation frame times: 11ms vs 18ms for complex UIs
• Memory usage: 20-30% reduction (Facebook Marketplace screen dropped from 180MB to 142MB)
• Rendering speed: 39% faster on iPhone 12 Pro for component-heavy screens

Hermes V1, introduced in React Native 0.82, pushes performance further with improved bytecode compilation. Static Hermes development continues, with the goal of compiling type-annotated JavaScript directly to native code for C++-level performance.

"The new architecture actually in my opinion is like production ready for anything new. If you have to upgrade then it's a lot of pain, but we are working on hopefully migrating to the new architecture by the end of this year."

— Hardik Vasa, Apps Engineer at Headout and React Native Contributor (April 2025)

Preparing Your Large-Scale Application for Migration

Migration success depends more on preparation than execution. Teams that skip the audit phase discover compatibility issues mid-sprint and scramble to rewrite timelines.

Comprehensive Codebase Audit: Identifying Dependencies and Challenges

Start by cataloging every native module and third-party library in your app. Create a spreadsheet with columns for:

• Package name and version
• New Architecture support status (check package repositories)
• Last update date (abandoned packages pose the highest risk)
• Critical path status (does a feature block your revenue?)

Run npx react-native info to generate your dependency tree. Cross-reference each package against the React Native Directory which tracks New Architecture compatibility.

Common problem areas include:

• Custom native modules written in Java/Kotlin or Objective-C/Swift without TypeScript specs
• Libraries using the old NativeModules API directly
• Bridged components that manipulate the view hierarchy outside React's control
• Hybrid components mixing native and JavaScript rendering (WebViews are notorious)

Essential Prerequisites and Tooling Updates for a 2026 Migration

Your foundation needs to be solid before enabling any New Architecture flags.

Minimum requirements:

• React Native 0.76 or higher (0.82+ recommended for Hermes V1)
• Xcode 15+ for iOS builds
• Android Studio Hedgehog or later with Kotlin 1.9+
• Node 20 LTS or higher
• CocoaPods 1.15+ for iOS dependency management

Update your react-native.config.js to enable Codegen. Configure your TypeScript strict mode—Codegen relies on accurate type definitions to generate correct native bindings.

Crafting a Phased Migration Strategy: A Roadmap for Success

Shopify's team established three core principles that guided their migration:

1. Minimize initial code changes. Enable the architecture first. Optimize later.
2. Maintain dual architecture compatibility. Apps should build and run on both old and new systems during transition.
3. Ensure performance stability. No regressions. Rollback immediately if metrics drop.

Structure your migration in phases:

Phase 1 (Weeks 1-2): Audit dependencies, update React Native version, fix breaking changes unrelated to architecture.

Phase 2 (Weeks 3-4): Enable New Architecture in development builds. Run your test suite. Document every failure.

Phase 3 (Weeks 5-8): Migrate critical native modules to TurboModules. Update incompatible libraries or find alternatives.

Phase 4 (Weeks 9-12): Gradual rollout starting at 8% of users. Monitor crash rates, performance metrics, and user feedback.

Securing Organizational Buy-in and Team Readiness

Migration costs developer time. Leadership needs concrete numbers to approve the investment.

Frame the business case around:

• Performance gains: Faster startup times correlate with higher retention
• Reduced maintenance burden: The old architecture won't receive major updates
• Future-proofing: New React features (Suspense, Concurrent Mode) require the New Architecture
• Developer velocity: Better tooling and debugging reduce time-to-ship

Duolingo reportedly reduced dev costs by 40% after migrating to React Native—though their journey included broader refactoring beyond just architecture changes.

Step-by-Step Migration Guide to React Native's New Architecture

With preparation complete, execution becomes methodical. Follow these steps to enable each component of the New Architecture.

Enabling the New Architecture Incrementally: Best Practices

React Native provides feature flags to enable components individually. Start in development, then graduate to staging, then production.

For Android (gradle.properties):

newArchEnabled=true
hermesEnabled=true

For iOS (Podfile):

ENV['RCT_NEW_ARCH_ENABLED'] = '1'
use_frameworks! :linkage => :static

Run cd ios && pod install after modifying your Podfile. Clean builds are essential—delete your build folder and derived data before testing.

Test each platform separately. iOS and Android migration paths have different pain points. You might find Android ready while iOS still has blocking issues.

Adapting Native Modules to TurboModules and JSI

Converting a Native Module to a TurboModule requires creating a TypeScript spec file that describes the module's interface.

Create a spec in your module directory:

// NativeMyModule.ts
import type { TurboModule } from 'react-native';
import { TurboModuleRegistry } from 'react-native';

export interface Spec extends TurboModule {
  multiply(a: number, b: number): number;
  getDeviceName(): Promise<string>;
}

export default TurboModuleRegistry.getEnforcing<Spec>('MyModule');

Codegen generates the native interface code from this spec during build. Your native implementation then conforms to the generated protocol (iOS) or abstract class (Android).

The key difference from old modules: TurboModules can have synchronous methods (like multiply above) that return values immediately without Promise wrapping.

Migrating UI Components with Fabric Principles

Fabric changes how custom native views register and communicate with React. The view manager pattern remains, but the underlying plumbing differs.

Components now define their props in a spec file similar to TurboModules. Codegen produces the shadow node implementation and native bindings.

For hybrid components mixing JavaScript and native views (common with WebViews or maps), Shopify's team found two approaches work:

1. Move entirely native: Render the entire component tree on the native side
2. Full rewrite: Rebuild the component to work cleanly with Fabric's rendering model

Partial solutions often cause subtle rendering bugs. Pick one approach and commit to it.

Leveraging Codegen for Enhanced Type Safety and Interoperability

Codegen eliminates the manual native glue code that caused so many runtime crashes in legacy apps.

Configure Codegen in your package.json:

"codegenConfig": {
  "name": "MyAppSpecs",
  "type": "all",
  "jsSrcsDir": "src/native",
  "android": {
    "javaPackageName": "com.myapp"
  }
}

Run npx react-native codegen to generate native bindings. Integrate this into your CI pipeline to catch spec-implementation mismatches before they hit production.

Type errors that previously crashed at runtime now fail at build time. This alone justifies the migration for apps with extensive native integrations.

Optimizing Performance with the Hermes Engine

Hermes should already be enabled if you've followed modern React Native setup guides. The New Architecture unlocks additional Hermes capabilities.

Profile your app with the Hermes debugger to identify JavaScript bottlenecks. Common optimization opportunities:

• Large bundle sizes: Use lazy imports and code splitting
• Slow list rendering: Implement getItemLayout and window sizing in FlatList
• Heavy computations: Move to TurboModules with C++ implementations

Hermes V1's improved bytecode format delivers faster Time to Interactive. Static Hermes development continues, promising native-level performance for type-annotated JavaScript in future releases.

Thorough Testing and Debugging Strategies for Smooth Transition

Your testing strategy needs adjustment for the New Architecture.

Unit tests: Most Jest tests work unchanged. TurboModule mocks may need updates if you're testing native module interactions.

Integration tests: Detox and Maestro tests should run against New Architecture builds specifically. The rendering timing differences can cause flaky tests that passed before.

Performance testing: Use Flipper's performance monitor to establish baseline metrics before migration. Track startup time, memory usage, and frame rates through the transition.

Shopify's team encountered specific debugging challenges:

• State batching issues: The New Architecture batches state updates differently
• Blank screen debugging: Fabric errors sometimes result in white screens with no error message
• Shadow tree manipulation: Direct DOM-style manipulation patterns break under Fabric

Enable verbose logging during development. The extra noise helps pinpoint where rendering breaks.

Navigating Common Migration Challenges and Solutions

Every large migration hits roadblocks. Here's what teams commonly encounter and how to push through.

Addressing Performance Bottlenecks Post-Migration

Sometimes the New Architecture runs slower initially. Don't panic. The cause is usually one of:

• Debug mode overhead: Development builds include extra logging. Test performance in release builds only.
• Incompatible libraries using fallbacks: Some libraries detect the New Architecture and use slower compatibility layers.
• Unoptimized TurboModule implementations: First-pass conversions often miss optimization opportunities.

Profile with the Hermes profiler and React DevTools. Focus on the hot paths first—your main screens and most-used features.

Troubleshooting Compatibility Issues with Native Modules

Third-party library compatibility remains the biggest migration challenge. The "State of React Native" survey from early 2025 confirmed this as developers' top pain point.

When a library doesn't support the New Architecture:

1. Check the GitHub issues for existing compatibility work
2. File an issue or PR if none exists—maintainers often welcome the help
3. Fork temporarily with your own TurboModule implementation
4. Find an alternative library that's already compatible
5. As a last resort, keep the old implementation running in compatibility mode

React Native's interoperability layer lets old modules run alongside new ones. Performance won't be optimal, but functionality remains.

Maintaining Development Velocity During the Migration Period

Feature development can't stop while you migrate. Shopify's approach kept weekly releases flowing throughout their transition.

Their secret: feature flags. All New Architecture code ran behind flags that could toggle off instantly. This let them:

• Ship New Architecture code to production without activating it
• Roll out gradually to percentages of users
• Roll back in seconds if metrics degraded

Set up dual build configurations early. Engineers should be able to build either architecture variant locally without changing branches.

Strategies for a Controlled Rollout and Monitoring

Shopify started their Android rollout at 8%. They watched crash rates, ANR (Application Not Responding) rates, and performance metrics for a week before increasing.

Monitoring essentials:

• Crashlytics/Sentry: Watch for new crash signatures
• Real user monitoring: Track interaction-to-response latency
• Custom telemetry: Log app startup phases to pinpoint slow points
• User feedback channels: Beta testers often catch issues metrics miss

Increase rollout percentage in steps: 8% → 25% → 50% → 75% → 100%. Each step needs at least a few days of stable metrics before proceeding.

Real-World Insights and Success Stories: Large-Scale Migrations

Theory helps. Real examples inspire. Here's how major companies executed their migrations.

Shopify's Journey: Migrating to React Native's New Architecture

Shopify Mobile and Shopify Point of Sale represent some of the most complex React Native apps in production. Hundreds of screens. Deep native integrations. Custom components like FlashList. Millions of daily active merchants.

Their migration completed in November 2024 after months of careful execution.

Key results:

• 10% faster Android app launch
• 3% faster iOS app launch
• 86% code unification across platforms
• 1.8 million lines of code eliminated
• Zero feature development disruption

Shopify's team updated to the latest React Native version first, then collaborated directly with library maintainers (including Reanimated's team) to resolve compatibility issues.

"Building world-class apps at scale with React Native requires the expertise of native developers. We stress the importance of using the right technology for the job, whether it's native or React Native."

— Shopify Engineering Team

They've committed to continuing New Architecture adoption and plan to restart the React Native Working Group in 2025 to address ecosystem-wide challenges.

Lessons Learned from Other Enterprise Migrations

Meta, Microsoft, and Coinbase have all adopted or are actively migrating to the New Architecture.

Common success patterns:

• Start with less critical features to build team confidence
• Keep native development expertise—you'll need it for complex modules
• Invest in automated testing before starting migration
• Budget more time than estimates suggest (most teams underestimate by 40-60%)

Common failure patterns:

• Trying to migrate everything at once
• Skipping the dependency audit
• Underestimating custom native module complexity
• Rolling out too fast without adequate monitoring

Measuring the Impact: Quantifying Post-Migration Gains

Define your success metrics before starting. Baseline everything you plan to improve.

Performance metrics to track:

• App startup time (cold and warm)
• Screen transition duration
• Scroll performance (frames per second)
• Memory usage at peak and idle
• JavaScript bundle execution time

Stability metrics:

• Crash-free session rate
• ANR rate (Android)
• Exception counts by category

Developer experience metrics:

• Build time changes
• Hot reload reliability
• Time from PR to production

Document your before-and-after numbers. These become your case study for internal stakeholders and community contributions.

What's Next for React Native's Architecture Beyond 2026

The New Architecture stabilization continues. Here's what the roadmap suggests.

Anticipated Updates and Future Developments in the Ecosystem

Several major developments are on the horizon:

Static Hermes maturation: Compiling JavaScript to native code at build time could close the remaining performance gap with pure native apps. Development continues, with experimental features appearing in late 2025 releases.

Improved build times: Callstack and Meta are actively working on faster compilation. Large apps currently pay a build time penalty that should decrease in 2026 releases.

Out-of-tree platforms convergence: Windows, macOS, and tvOS variants are aligning with the New Architecture, enabling truly universal React applications.

React Server Components exploration: The React team is investigating how server components could work in React Native context. Early experiments show promise for reducing client bundle sizes.

Staying Ahead: Keeping Your Application Future-Proof

Once migrated, maintenance becomes the focus. Keep your foundation solid:

1. Stay current on React Native versions. Minor version updates often include important optimizations and bug fixes.
2. Monitor the React Native blog and changelog. Breaking changes get announced with migration guidance.
3. Participate in the community. The React Native Working Group welcomes enterprise input on roadmap priorities.
4. Audit dependencies quarterly. Libraries evolve. Compatibility status changes. Stay on top of your dependency health.

Bartłomiej Bukowski, creator of the "State of React Native" survey, views Expo's rise, React Server Components, and the New Architecture as "substantial advancements" pointing to a strong future for the framework.

Frequently Asked Questions About React Native New Architecture Migration

Is migrating to the New Architecture mandatory for all apps?

Not immediately, but effectively yes. The old architecture won't receive major feature updates. React 18+ features like Suspense and Concurrent Mode require the New Architecture. New libraries increasingly target only the New Architecture. Starting in 2026, expect most community packages to drop legacy support.

Apps staying on the old architecture will face increasing compatibility friction and miss out on performance improvements that competitors capture.

How does the New Architecture affect existing native codebases?

Existing native code needs adaptation. Native Modules must convert to TurboModules with TypeScript specs. Native UI components need Fabric-compatible registrations. The changes range from simple spec additions to full reimplementations depending on how your native code interacts with React Native internals.

Plan for 2-8 weeks of native developer time per complex native module. Simple modules might convert in a single day.

What resources are available for developers during migration?

The React Native documentation includes a dedicated New Architecture section with step-by-step guides. The React Native Community maintains compatibility tracking at React Native Directory. Callstack publishes regular technical deep-dives on their blog.

For enterprise support, consulting firms like Callstack, Infinite Red, and Software Mansion offer migration assistance packages. The React Native GitHub discussions remain active for specific technical questions.

Will my app's bundle size change with the New Architecture?

Bundle sizes typically decrease slightly. Hermes bytecode compiles smaller than JavaScript source. TurboModules eliminate some bridging overhead code. Fabric removes deprecated rendering code paths.

Actual impact varies by app. Large apps with many native modules see bigger reductions. Apps that were already well-optimized might see minimal change.

How long does a typical enterprise migration take?

Shopify's migration took several months for their most complex apps with hundreds of screens. Smaller apps with fewer native dependencies might complete in 4-8 weeks. Enterprise apps with extensive native integrations should budget 3-6 months.

The timeline depends heavily on third-party library compatibility. Apps using well-maintained, popular libraries migrate faster than those with niche or abandoned dependencies.

Moving Forward with Your Migration

The React Native New Architecture isn't experimental anymore. It's production-proven at Shopify-scale complexity. The performance gains are measurable. The developer experience improvements are tangible.

Migration requires investment, but staying on the legacy architecture has its own costs: missed optimizations, growing compatibility gaps, and eventual forced migration under worse conditions.

Start your audit this week. Identify your riskiest dependencies. Build a phased plan that protects your release velocity. Follow Shopify's playbook of incremental enablement with feature flags and gradual rollouts.

The teams that migrate now capture competitive advantage. The teams that wait inherit someone else's urgency.