React Native 0.78 launches with support for React 19, Android XML drawables, and more

The React Native team has unveiled version 0.78 of its JavaScript library, designed for creating native applications across platforms like Android and iOS using React. This release includes the integration of React 19, which necessitates app updates due to changes from React 18.

A notable feature in React Native 0.78 is the ability to load graphic elements on Android as XML resources, allowing the use of vector and shape drawables for scalable, high-quality images. On the iOS front, the introduction of the RCTReactNativeFactory class streamlines integration with Brownfield apps by enabling React Native instance creation without an AppDelegate, simplifying usage in ViewControllers.

Additionally, the update reintroduces JavaScript log streaming via the Metro dev server for Community CLI users, following feedback from the community. The release process has also been revised to facilitate smaller and more frequent stable releases in 2025.