0.85 Release Status

[anuagragith]

Summary

0.85 Release Status
https://github.com/facebook/react-native/tree/0.85-stable

Tracking issue for the 0.85 release lifecycle (preview → latest → legacy), adapted from the 0.84 release status (#15927).

Checklist---

Before Preview

• Promote canary build to preview using wiki instructions ()
• Push build to stable branch ()
• Draft GitHub release notes from commit log ()
• Enable CI schedule for new branch of CI pipeline ()
• Update dashboard @ms with an entry for CI ${version} ()
• Add release schedule for the new stable branch of publish pipeline ()
• Update dashboard @microsoft with an entry for Publish ${version} ()
• Update GitHub release notes to use manually curated notes instead of a changelog ()
• Post release notes internally ()
• Create a draft PR for Updating Website for 0.85 in react-native-windows-samples ()

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After Preview

• Move most issues targeting current release
• Test all Domains in Modern debugger ref: https://reactnative.dev/docs/0.85/react-native-devtools
• [Fabric] [New Arch] Test updated gallery app using wiki instructions
• Check CI Runs for Upgrading Sample Apps
  Verified via  CI (Upgrade)  run #30375278469: Native Module Sample green on  0.85.0-preview.1 ; Calculator fails with  MSB8036: SDK 10.0.22621.0 not found  on the new agents — same on  latest , so pre-existing infra issue, not a 0.85 blocker.
• Test updated Calculator sample app.
  ✅ Built the committed  Calculator/fabric  sample (RN 0.85.3 +  react-native-windows@0.85.0-preview.1 , cpp-app/Fabric New Arch) locally. Debug + Release (x64) both built, deployed, and launched (exit 0); app rendered the full calculator UI. No  MSB8036 /SDK-22621 error here (this machine has SDK 22621) — confirming the CI (Upgrade) Calculator failures are the agents' missing SDK, not a 0.85 regression. Toolchain: VS 2026 (18.7.4), Node 22.
• Test updated Native Module sample app.
  ✅ Built the committed  NativeModuleSample/cpp-lib  (RN 0.85.3 +  react-native-windows@0.85.0-preview.1 ) locally.  codegen-windows --check  passes (checked-in codegen current). Debug + Release (x64) example solution both built ( Build succeeded ). Registered + launched the Debug example: Metro bundled  index.js  (5.09 MB, HTTP 200) and it rendered fully with all native modules working live — FancyMath (E/Pi/add=10), SimpleHttpModule (HTTP 200), the full DataMarshalling suite (explicit/sync/JSValue), and the CircleMask Fabric component. ( --no-deploy  is used in CI here because deploy resolves the manifest from the library  sourceDir ; native compile is the validated part.) Toolchain: VS 2026 (18.7.4), Node 22.
• Do a pass on API Docs using UpdateNativeApiDocs.ps1 script
• Integrate any applicable patch/prerelease releases for React Native
• Test creating a new RNW application with the preview version (run in both debug/release) -
  ✅ Validated locally against  react-native-windows@0.85.0-preview.1  (built on RN 0.85.3). Scaffolded a fresh app ( npx @react-native-community/cli init --version 0.85.3  →  react-native-windows@preview  →  init-windows  cpp/Fabric New-Arch template). Debug + Release (x64) both built, deployed, and launched successfully (exit 0). Metro bundled  index.js  (5.09 MB, HTTP 200) and the app rendered the JS welcome screen — confirming the JS↔native bridge, Fabric renderer, and Hermes all work end-to-end on the published preview. Toolchain: VS 2026 (18.7.4), Node 22, Windows SDK 26100 + 22621.
• [ ]

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Before Release

• Ensure doc issues are addressed ()
• Promote latest build to legacy using wiki instructions ()
• LT Review ()

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After Release

• Promote preview build to latest using wiki instructions ()
• Update preview release notes with any changes from cherry-picked PRs ()
• Update GitHub release notes to use manually curated notes instead of a changelog ()
• Send out internal release announcement ()
• Update website ()
• Update Sample Apps to 0.85 ()
• Update React Native Gallery ()
• Fabric – Publish Updated Gallery to Store ()
• [Fabric] Ensure Accessibility is tested through updated Gallery ()
• Publish release to discord ()

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Open Issues

• (add 0.85-specific blocking issues here)

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Adapted from #15927 (0.84 Release Status). Pre-checked items reflect work already completed for 0.85 as of issue creation: canary→preview promote and push to 0.85-stable.