October 21st, 2026
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🚀 React Native Windows v0.85 is here

Anukrati Agrawal

We’re excited to release React Native Windows 0.85.0, built on React Native 0.85.3. React Native Windows v0.85 completes the move to the New Architecture, updates the Windows build toolchain, and adds new component capabilities along with touch, text, accessibility, and rendering fixes.

🔥 What’s New in RNW v0.85?

New Architecture only

The legacy architecture has been removed. Apps still on the old architecture must migrate to Fabric before upgrading to 0.85. New projects already target the New Architecture.

🔗 New vs. Old Architecture · React Native for Windows

Updated toolchain

React Native Windows 0.85 requires:

  • Visual Studio 2026
  • .NET 10
  • Windows App SDK 1.8 (Microsoft.WindowsAppSDK 1.8.260508005)

Update your build environment before upgrading.

Modal title bar and border control

Modal now supports hideTitleBar and hideBorder, so Windows apps can present dialogs without the default native title bar or border when that fits the design.

View outline styles

View now implements outline style properties, bringing another piece of React Native styling to Windows.

Opt-in eager TurboModule initialization

TurboModules can now be initialized eagerly. This is opt-in, for apps that need native modules ready before the first call.

Keyboard-focus tooltips

Tooltips can now appear on keyboard focus, and only one tooltip is visible at a time. This matches expected keyboard and accessibility behavior more closely.

Win32 window access

ReactNativeWindow is now exposed from ReactNativeWin32App, for Win32 apps that need direct access to the hosting window.

🔧 Reliability & Stability

RNW v0.85 includes targeted fixes that may change behavior during upgrade:

  • Text and input — TextInput scaling is fixed across screen scales, Unicode text length is calculated correctly, and a multiline TextInput crash caused by TxDrawD2D reentrancy is fixed.
  • Touch and ScrollView — Touch handling is more reliable, including stuck or dead taps on high-DPI displays, keyboard scroll drift, and touches left active after pointer-capture loss.
  • Rendering — Rounded borders, Image updates when the source changes, and inactive Modal title-bar contrast are fixed.
  • Accessibility — UI Automation selection events are now raised when accessibilityState.selected changes.
  • Runtime — Fixes cover a shutdown crash while getting the runtime, a race that could hand the call invoker a null runtime, and WebSocket binaryType handling for binary messages.
  • WebSocket internals — The legacy WinRTWebSocketResource and JSBigStringResourceDll implementations were removed. This is internal, but custom native forks that touched those types may need updates.

⚡ Performance

Text rendering performance is improved.

🧰 CLI & Templates

  • run-windows can start Metro on a custom port.
  • App templates use more consistent configuration between ship and debug builds.
  • Templates import Microsoft.Cpp.Default.props before setting ReactNativeWindowsDir.

🏁 Gallery App Updates

Install the latest React Native Gallery (0.85) to explore the new features and component improvements in action. Store package 2.1.10.0 is built on React Native Windows 0.85.0.

Search “React Native Gallery” in the Microsoft Store or use the direct link. The Gallery app is the fastest way to see how each component looks and behaves on Windows and is a great reference when building or migrating your own apps.

📦 Release Details

To create or upgrade an app, follow the current getting-started guide: aka.ms/reactnative.

If you encounter missing properties or functionality, please open an issue.

🔗 Known gaps: Missing Properties · React Native for Windows

If you’re interested in getting started with React Native for Windows, check out our website at aka.ms/reactnative.

You can also follow us on X @ReactNativeMSFT to keep up to date on news, feature roadmaps, and more.

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