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---

Month before Preview

• Check that the CI pipeline is passing on main.

Before Preview

• Promote canary build to preview using wiki instructions ()
  Promoted canary →  preview  ( 0.85.0-preview.1 ): merged RELEASE PR RELEASE: Releasing 31 package(s) (0.85-stable) #16320, which ran Publish/Release pipelines 63081 → 163759 and published to the npm  preview  dist-tag. (Enabled by allowlist PR Add 0.85-stable to Release pipeline branch allowlist #16318.)
• Push build to stable branch ()
   0.85-stable  branch cut from  main  (https://github.com/microsoft/react-native-windows/tree/0.85-stable); final release content landed via PR Integrate RN 0.85.3 #16311 ("Integrate RN 0.85.3", merge  e4ec8fe57 , all CI green)
• Draft GitHub release notes from commit log ()
  Generated a curated release-notes draft from the commit log and saved it as a GitHub draft Release ("React Native Windows 0.85.0", in the repo Releases tab). Local copies of the notes:  ...\session-state\96c3bb98-6336-4c87-bf20-11a388dd268f\files\0.85-release-notes-draft.md  and  0.85-release-notes-final.md.
• Enable CI schedule for new branch of CI pipeline ()
  Verified  0.85-stable  is covered by CI pipeline 210 ("PR", YAML  /.ado/windows-vs-pr.yml ) — it's in the UI branch filters and matched by the  pr: [main, master, "*-stable"]  wildcard. Pipeline: https://dev.azure.com/ms/react-native-windows/_build?definitionId=210
• Update dashboard @ms with an entry for CI ${version} ()
• Add release schedule for the new stable branch of publish pipeline ()
  Added  0.85-stable  to the Release pipeline allowlist via PR Add 0.85-stable to Release pipeline branch allowlist #16318 (added  - '0.85-stable'  to  .ado/release.yml  and  .ado/release-pipeline.yml , commit  02fd85e ): Add 0.85-stable to Release pipeline branch allowlist #16318 — which enables Publish pipeline 63081 → Release pipeline 163759 (org  microsoft/ReactNative ) to run on the branch. Confirmed working: it subsequently published  0.85.0-preview.1  via RELEASE PR RELEASE: Releasing 31 package(s) (0.85-stable) #16320.
• Update dashboard @microsoft with an entry for Publish ${version} ()
• Update GitHub release notes to use manually curated notes instead of a changelog ()
  The 0.85 draft Release body is hand-curated notes (not an auto-changelog): computed the  origin/0.84-stable..origin/0.85-stable  delta (123 commits), curated the substantive changes, and cross-checked against the  generate-release-notes  script. No PR/review link exists (release notes are a GitHub draft Release, not a PR); internal sign-off pinged to Vlad & Vineeth on Teams (07/30). Local copies:  ...\session-state\96c3bb98-6336-4c87-bf20-11a388dd268f\files\0.85-release-notes-final.md ,  0.85-release-notes-draft.md ,  0.85-internal-review-post.md .
• Post release notes internally ()
  Drafted the release notes here and got them reviewed by Vineeth - https://github.com/microsoft/react-native-windows/releases
• Create a draft PR for Updating Website for 0.85 in react-native-windows-samples ()
  Opened PR Add missing APIs from NativeAnimated implementation #1292 in  react-native-windows-samples  — adds the 0.85 versioned docs to websitev2 (278 files:  versioned_docs ,  versions.json ,  versioned_sidebars , config) plus the support-matrix update, following the same process as 0.84 (build wpf bundle #1263): Adds the 0.85 versioned docs to websitev2, following the same process used for 0.84 (#1263). react-native-windows-samples#1292. Local Docusaurus build passes; Vineeth reviewing, merge held until 0.85 GA (merging makes 0.85 the  latest  docs on the live site).

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After Preview

• Move most issues targeting current release
  Triaged the 0.85 milestone — moved all 45 open issues (0 open PRs; 26 bugs / 21 enhancements / 3 stale security CG alerts) to the Next milestone (Fix Dispatcher Rx Creation Issue #34), leaving 0.85 at 0 open, consistent with the 0.84/0.83 precedent. Remaining items will be re-triaged from Next to Backlog later.
• 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
  August 5th update - Verified - nothing to integrate. RNW  0.85-stable  already pins RN 0.85.3, which is the final 0.85.x patch on npm (no 0.85.4/prerelease exists). Post-0.85.3 commits on RN's  0.85-stable are CI/infra-only (npm trusted publishing, repo-reference updates), with no Windows-relevant code changes. RN mainline is already on 0.86 (out of scope)
• 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.