---
title: "Live Dev Session: React Native 0.81 Is Here! Faster Builds, API Changes, and What You Need to Know"
description: "React Native 0.81 slashes iOS build times with prebuilt binaries, adds Android 16 support, deprecates SafeArea, and shifts JSC to community maintenance."
url: https://www.callstack.com/events/live-dev-session-week-33
updated: 2026-10-24T08:39:20.684Z
---

# Live Dev Session: React Native 0.81 Is Here! Faster Builds, API Changes, and What You Need to Know

React Native 0.81 slashes iOS build times with prebuilt binaries, adds Android 16 support, deprecates SafeArea, and shifts JSC to community maintenance.

_Livestream · 8/14/2025, 5PM [CEST] · Online · Recording: 01:47:14 · Category: Community_

Organizer: Callstack

Speakers: Łukasz Chludziński (Engineering Manager @ Callstack), Burak Güner (Software Developer @ Callstack)

[Watch the recording](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=We76FPjE73U)

This week’s livestream was all about turbocharged builds, smarter tooling, and developer-first upgrades. Our main spotlight: React Native 0.81 landed, and with it came precompiled iOS builds that radically accelerate your workflow. We also covered build housekeeping, tooling perks, and a few tech news gems worth sharing.

## React Native 0.81: A Leap Forward in iOS Development

[React Native 0.81](https://reactnative.dev/blog/2025/08/12/react-native-0.81) is a performance game changer, especially for iOS builds.

### Precompiled iOS Builds

- Built-in support for precompiled iOS binaries: React Native now ships an `ReactNativeDependencies.xcframework` containing compiled native dependencies like Folly, Glog, DoubleConversion, and the React call invoker.
- This results in dramatic speed ups: in benchmarks on Apple Silicon (M4), builds were ~8.3× faster—going from ~147s down to ~18s.
- In our own tests:
  - Fresh RN project: 200s → 20s
  - With Reanimated: 70s
- The feature is experimental but promising. To enable it, use the environment flags when installing pods:

```ruby
ENV['RCT_USE_RN_DEP'] = '1'
ENV['RCT_USE_PREBUILT_RNCORE'] = '1'
```

- The heavy lifting is handled by CocoaPods switching to the binary under the hood; no major Podfile rewrites needed.

Why this matters

- Build times slashed: whether for local dev, CI/CD, or new machines, save serious time.
- Consistent results across environments: reducing flaky native builds.
- Better dev experience: faster iteration, fewer interruptions, and smoother onboarding.

### Other React Native 0.81 Highlights

- Android 16 (API 36) is now the default: edge-to-edge rendering is required, and predictive back gestures are enabled by default.
- `<SafeAreaView>` is deprecated: migrate to `react-native-safe-area-context`.
- JavaScriptCore (JSC) support removed from core: apps that need JSC must now install the community-maintained package from Expo & Callstack. Hermes remains unaffected.
- Minimum requirements bumped: Node.js v20.19.4+, Xcode 16.1+, and updated Metro bundler configs.

## Other highlights from the live dev session

- Managing Xcode versions like a pro: We explored [Xcodes](https://github.com/XcodesOrg/xcodes): a CLI/GUI tool that lets you install and switch Xcode versions effortlessly. Perfect for multi-version workflows.
- Why older color choices still haunt the web today: A UI decision from five years ago still shapes modern design palettes → [Adam Wathan’s post](https://x.com/adamwathan/status/1953510802159219096).
- Trademark humor in action
  - “Why did Oracle bring an attorney to defend “JavaScript” at the TTAB? Because they heard that without representation, things might get null and void”
  - The joke underscores the Oracle vs. Deno trademark dispute over “JavaScript” → [read more](https://x.com/rough__sea/status/1953335245412946327).
- GitHub joins Microsoft’s CoreAI team —No longer a separate company, GitHub is now part of CoreAI. Expect deeper AI integrations soon → [The Verge article](https://www.theverge.com/news/757461/microsoft-github-thomas-dohmke-resignation-coreai-team-transition).

Catch the full livestream replay for demos, build comparisons, and a behind-the-scenes look at setting up precompiled iOS builds.