Upgrade React Native and update Android build configs

Upgraded React Native and related dependencies to 0.81.x in both root and example projects. Updated Android build tools, compile/target SDK versions, and Kotlin version. Refactored MainApplication to use new React Native entry point. Enabled edge-to-edge display support in gradle.properties. Updated Gradle wrapper to 8.14.3 and fixed gradlew scripts for compatibility.

Author: mCodex

example/android/app/src/main/java/plugpagnitro/example/MainApplication.kt

@@ -6,11 +6,9 @@ import com.facebook.react.ReactApplication
 import com.facebook.react.ReactHost
 import com.facebook.react.ReactNativeHost
 import com.facebook.react.ReactPackage
-import com.facebook.react.defaults.DefaultNewArchitectureEntryPoint.load
+import com.facebook.react.ReactNativeApplicationEntryPoint.loadReactNative
 import com.facebook.react.defaults.DefaultReactHost.getDefaultReactHost
 import com.facebook.react.defaults.DefaultReactNativeHost
-import com.facebook.react.soloader.OpenSourceMergedSoMapping
-import com.facebook.soloader.SoLoader
 
 class MainApplication : Application(), ReactApplication {
 
@@ -35,10 +33,7 @@ class MainApplication : Application(), ReactApplication {
 
   override fun onCreate() {
     super.onCreate()
-    SoLoader.init(this, OpenSourceMergedSoMapping)
-    if (BuildConfig.IS_NEW_ARCHITECTURE_ENABLED) {
-      // If you opted-in for the New Architecture, we load the native entry point for this app.
-      load()
-    }
+
+    loadReactNative(this)
   }
 }

example/android/build.gradle

@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 buildscript {
     ext {
-        buildToolsVersion = "35.0.0"
+        buildToolsVersion = "36.0.0"
         minSdkVersion = 24
-        compileSdkVersion = 35
-        targetSdkVersion = 35
+        compileSdkVersion = 36
+        targetSdkVersion = 36
         ndkVersion = "27.1.12297006"
-        kotlinVersion = "2.0.21"
+        kotlinVersion = "2.1.20"
     }
     repositories {
         google()

example/android/gradle.properties

@@ -37,3 +37,8 @@ newArchEnabled=true
 # Use this property to enable or disable the Hermes JS engine.
 # If set to false, you will be using JSC instead.
 hermesEnabled=true
+
+# Use this property to enable edge-to-edge display support.
+# This allows your app to draw behind system bars for an immersive UI.
+# Note: Only works with ReactActivity and should not be used with custom Activity.
+edgeToEdgeEnabled=true

example/android/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.jar

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 distributionBase=GRADLE_USER_HOME
 distributionPath=wrapper/dists
-distributionUrl=https\://services.gradle.org/distributions/gradle-8.13-bin.zip
+distributionUrl=https\://services.gradle.org/distributions/gradle-8.14.3-bin.zip
 networkTimeout=10000
 validateDistributionUrl=true
 zipStoreBase=GRADLE_USER_HOME

example/android/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties

@@ -10,21 +10,21 @@
     "build:ios": "react-native build-ios --mode Debug"
   },
   "dependencies": {
-    "react": "19.0.0",
-    "react-native": "0.79.x",
-    "react-native-nitro-modules": "^0.26.4"
+    "react": "19.1.0",
+    "react-native": "^0.81.0",
+    "react-native-nitro-modules": "^0.27.6"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "@babel/core": "^7.28.0",
     "@babel/preset-env": "^7.28.0",
-    "@babel/runtime": "^7.27.6",
-    "@react-native-community/cli": "19.1.0",
-    "@react-native-community/cli-platform-android": "18.0.0",
-    "@react-native-community/cli-platform-ios": "18.0.0",
-    "@react-native/babel-preset": "0.79.x",
-    "@react-native/metro-config": "0.79.x",
-    "@react-native/typescript-config": "0.80.1",
-    "@types/react": "^19.1.8",
+    "@babel/runtime": "^7.28.2",
+    "@react-native-community/cli": "20.0.0",
+    "@react-native-community/cli-platform-android": "20.0.0",
+    "@react-native-community/cli-platform-ios": "20.0.0",
+    "@react-native/babel-preset": "^0.81.0",
+    "@react-native/metro-config": "^0.81.0",
+    "@react-native/typescript-config": "0.81.0",
+    "@types/react": "^19.1.10",
     "react-native-builder-bob": "^0.40.13",
     "react-native-monorepo-config": "^0.1.9"
   },

example/android/gradlew

@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@ pre-commit:
     types:
       glob: "*.{js,ts, jsx, tsx}"
       run: npx tsc
-commit-msg:
-  parallel: true
-  commands:
-    commitlint:
-      run: npx commitlint --edit
+# commit-msg:
+#   parallel: true
+#   commands:
+#     commitlint:
+#       run: npx commitlint --edit

example/android/gradlew.bat

@@ -71,30 +71,30 @@
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "@commitlint/config-conventional": "^19.8.1",
-    "@eslint/compat": "^1.3.1",
+    "@eslint/compat": "^1.3.2",
     "@eslint/eslintrc": "^3.3.1",
-    "@eslint/js": "^9.31.0",
-    "@evilmartians/lefthook": "^1.12.2",
-    "@react-native/babel-preset": "0.80.1",
-    "@react-native/eslint-config": "^0.80.1",
+    "@eslint/js": "^9.33.0",
+    "@evilmartians/lefthook": "^1.12.3",
+    "@react-native/babel-preset": "0.81.0",
+    "@react-native/eslint-config": "^0.81.0",
     "@release-it/conventional-changelog": "^10.0.1",
     "@types/jest": "^30.0.0",
-    "@types/react": "^19.1.8",
+    "@types/react": "^19.1.10",
     "commitlint": "^19.8.1",
     "del-cli": "^6.0.0",
-    "eslint": "^9.31.0",
+    "eslint": "^9.33.0",
     "eslint-config-prettier": "^10.1.8",
-    "eslint-plugin-prettier": "^5.5.3",
+    "eslint-plugin-prettier": "^5.5.4",
     "jest": "^30.0.5",
-    "nitro-codegen": "^0.26.4",
+    "nitro-codegen": "^0.27.6",
     "prettier": "^3.6.2",
-    "react": "19.1.0",
-    "react-native": "0.80.1",
+    "react": "19.1.1",
+    "react-native": "0.81.0",
     "react-native-builder-bob": "^0.40.13",
-    "react-native-nitro-modules": "^0.26.4",
+    "react-native-nitro-modules": "^0.27.6",
     "release-it": "^19.0.4",
     "turbo": "^2.5.5",
-    "typescript": "^5.8.3"
+    "typescript": "^5.9.2"
   },
   "peerDependencies": {
     "react": "*",