React Native compatibility

Last updated 2026-10-07

The framework is not tied to a React Native version. It never calls React Native APIs or the RN CLI. It drives the native tool chains (the Gradle wrapper in android/, CocoaPods and Xcode in ios/) and reads a few stable files. Any project from React Native 0.60 onward is supported, including Expo after npx expo prebuild. Older ranges need the small adjustments below.

Support matrix

React Native	Android	iOS	What you need to do
0.73 – 0.87 (latest)	Supported	Supported	Nothing beyond the normal setup. JDK 17.
0.71 – 0.72	Supported	Supported	Use the JDK your RN version requires (see below).
0.60 – 0.70	With notes	With notes	Ruby ≥ 3.2, add `cocoapods` to the Gemfile, check the Info.plist version placeholders.
< 0.60	Not supported	Not supported	No CocoaPods/autolinking in the template, and old Gradle can't run on current JDKs. Upgrade React Native first.
Expo (bare or after prebuild)	Supported	Supported	Run `npx expo prebuild` so `android/` and `ios/` exist.
Expo managed only	Not supported	Not supported	No native project to build. Use prebuild in CI, or EAS Build.

What has actually been run

Setup		Result
RN 0.87.1 · Android · Windows 11 + GitHub Actions		Verified end-to-end: build → Firebase upload → testers → App Testing agent → Teams/e-mail
RN 0.87.1 · iOS		Implemented and reviewed, not yet run on a Mac. See First run on a Mac.
Other rows of the matrix		Based on what the framework reads (next section) compared against each RN template generation, not test runs. Run `doctor` to confirm.

Why the RN version barely matters

What the framework uses	Where	Notes
Gradle wrapper (gradlew / gradlew.bat)	`android/`	Run through fastlane's gradle action. `doctor` restores the executable bit on macOS/Linux.
Exact `gradle_task`	`environments.yml`	Never guessed. `doctor` checks it with `gradlew tasks --all`.
Output folders apk/<flavor>/<type>/ and bundle/<variant>/	`android/app/build/outputs`	Same layout for every RN version since 0.60 (Android Gradle Plugin 3+).
`applicationId` / `namespace` (auto-detect)	`build.gradle` or `build.gradle.kts`	Groovy (`applicationId "x"`) and Kotlin DSL (`applicationId = "x"`).
App name (auto-detect)	`app.json` → `strings.xml` → `package.json`	Expo's `{"expo": {"name"}}` is supported.
`Podfile` → `pod install` → `.xcworkspace`	`ios/`	Uses `bundle exec pod` when cocoapods is in `Gemfile.lock`, otherwise the system `pod` (with a warning).
Shared Xcode scheme	`xcshareddata/xcschemes`	Mark it Shared in Xcode (Apple: build schemes).
`$(MARKETING_VERSION)` / `$(CURRENT_PROJECT_VERSION)`	`ios/<App>/Info.plist`	`ios doctor` warns if the version values are hard-coded.

Not affected: the New Architecture (Fabric/TurboModules), Bridgeless mode, Hermes or JSC, Kotlin MainApplication and Gradle-plugin autolinking (0.75+). These happen inside the Gradle/Xcode build that the framework simply runs.

Tool chain per React Native version

If ./gradlew assembleRelease (or an Xcode archive) works on the machine, the framework works too.

React Native	JDK (Android)	Notes
0.73 and newer	17	Android Gradle Plugin 8 requires JDK 17 (AGP release notes).
0.67 – 0.72	11	17 often works with 0.72. Follow that RN version's environment page.
0.60 – 0.66	8 or 11	Old Gradle fails on JDK 17 with “Unsupported class file major version”.

Node.js on the PATH of the machine running fastlane: the React Native Gradle plugin runs Node during the release build. In CI run npm ci before fastlane.
Xcode: App Store Connect only accepts builds from recent Xcode versions. Very old React Native versions may not compile with it, which is an RN upgrade issue (Upgrade Helper).

Download the JDK and Node.js

Java JDK 17 (Eclipse Temurin)17 LTS

Gradle needs it to build Android apps (React Native 0.73+ requires JDK 17).

Windows .msi macOS .pkg Linux

winget install EclipseAdoptium.Temurin.17.JDK

Verify: java -version

In the Windows installer, enable “Set JAVA_HOME variable”.

Official install guide

Node.jsLTS

React Native's Gradle/Xcode build runs Node to bundle JavaScript; also needed for the Firebase CLI.

Download Node.js LTS

winget install OpenJS.NodeJS.LTS

Verify: node --version

Official install guide

Ruby, Gemfile and CocoaPods

Requirement	Why
Ruby ≥ 3.2	fastlane-plugin-firebase_app_distribution 1.0.0 requires ≥ 3.2 (fastlane 2.240.1 itself requires ≥ 3.1).
Bundler 2.4 – 4.x	Required by fastlane 2.240.1.
cocoapods in the Gemfile (iOS)	Pins `pod install`. Without it the framework uses the system `pod` and logs a warning.

RN template	What it ships	What to change
0.74 and newer	`ruby ">= 2.6.10"`, cocoapods ≥ 1.13 (≠ 1.15.0/1.15.1), activesupport, xcodeproj < 1.26, concurrent-ruby < 1.3.4	Nothing. Add the fastlane lines from Create the Gemfile.
~0.68 – 0.73	Gemfile + `.ruby-version` pinned to Ruby 2.7.x	Set `.ruby-version` to `3.4.1`. If `pod install` fails, raise cocoapods to `>= 1.13` and activesupport to `>= 6.1.7.5, != 7.1.0`.
older than ~0.68	No Gemfile	Create the Gemfile and add `gem "cocoapods", ">= 1.13"`.

Upgrade Ruby / add CocoaPods

Ruby 3.4 + DevKit (RubyInstaller)3.4.x

fastlane is a Ruby gem. DevKit compiles gems with native extensions on Windows.

Ruby+Devkit 3.4 (x64)

winget install RubyInstallerTeam.RubyWithDevKit.3.4

Verify: ruby --version

Pick the “WITH DEVKIT” x64 installer, and let it run “ridk install” at the end.

Official install guide

Ruby 3.4 via rbenv3.4.x

Never use the macOS system Ruby; rbenv installs a private Ruby per project.

rbenv install guide

brew install rbenv ruby-build && rbenv install 3.4.1

Verify: ruby --version

Official install guide

CocoaPods≥ 1.13

Installs iOS native dependencies. The framework runs “pod install” for you.

CocoaPods guide

echo 'gem "cocoapods", ">= 1.13"' >> Gemfile && bundle install

Verify: bundle exec pod --version

iOS versioning placeholders

The framework sets the version and build number through Xcode build settings, so Info.plist must reference them:

ios/MyApp/Info.plist

<key>CFBundleShortVersionString</key>
<string>$(MARKETING_VERSION)</string>
<key>CFBundleVersion</key>
<string>$(CURRENT_PROJECT_VERSION)</string>

Older templates hard-code 1.0 / 1. The build still succeeds, but every upload has the same build number and TestFlight rejects it. ios doctor warns about this:

my-app — zsh

~/my-app $ bundle exec fastlane ios doctor environment:development
[!] ios/MyApp/Info.plist: CFBundleVersion is hard-coded to '1'. Set it to $(CURRENT_PROJECT_VERSION) so build numbers/versions from the framework apply.

Expo

Expo workflow	Works?	How
Bare workflow (native folders committed)	✅	Same as React Native CLI.
Continuous Native Generation (native folders generated)	✅	Run `npx expo prebuild --platform android --no-install` (and/or `ios`) before fastlane, locally and in CI.
Managed workflow with EAS Build only	❌	No native project to build. Keep EAS, or adopt prebuild.

.github/workflows/android-distribution.yml (Expo excerpt)

- run: npm ci
- run: npx expo prebuild --platform android --no-install
- run: bundle exec fastlane android distribute environment:staging

If android/ is missing, android doctor stops with “Android project directory (Expo: run `npx expo prebuild` first)”.

Other project shapes

Project shape	Works?	Configuration
Monorepo (Yarn/npm/pnpm workspaces, Nx)	✅	Set `android.project_dir` / `ios.project_dir` (e.g. `apps/mobile/android`) and matching `artifact.glob` paths.
Product flavors / multiple app IDs	✅	One `gradle_task` per environment, or pick per run with fastlane setup.
Kotlin DSL (build.gradle.kts)	✅	Detected for flavors, build types and the package name.
Brownfield (RN inside an existing native app)	✅	Point `project_dir` at the native project; set the exact task, workspace and scheme.
Fully native Android / iOS (no RN)	✅	The framework never requires React Native.
Windows	Android only	iOS lanes need macOS + Xcode.

Check a project in 2 minutes

my-app — zsh

~/my-app $ npx react-native --version
~/my-app $ java -version
~/my-app $ ruby --version
~/my-app $ bundle exec fastlane android doctor environment:development
Android development configuration is valid.
~/my-app $ bundle exec fastlane ios doctor environment:development
iOS development configuration is valid.

When both doctor lanes pass, the project is compatible. Every failure names the file or value to fix.

Next steps

Downloads & toolsJDK, Node.js, Ruby and more.Learn more Add the frameworkCopy it into your project.Learn more

Official documentation

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