[0.81] Android 16 changes impacting React Native

[alanleedev]

Summary

• You can no longer opt-out of forced edge-to-edge on Android 16+. Use the following to support edge-to-edge properly;
  • React Native 0.81 introduces a new Gradle property, edgeToEdgeEnabled, to enable edge-to-edge on all supported Android devices.
  • Use react-native-safe-area-context for proper edge-to-edge layout instead of the now-deprecated <SafeAreaView>.
• onBackPressed() is no longer called when targeting Android 16. BackHandler should continue to work, but if you have custom native code for back handling, you may need to migrate it manually. Test your app’s back button handling thoroughly.
• App orientation and size restrictions are ignored on large screen devices. Ensure your app works properly on large screens, or opt out for now and address issues before Android 17.

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Android 16 was released in June 2025 and brings important behavior changes when targeting Android 16 (targetSdk 36). Our community template has been updated to use targetSdk 36 with the React Native 0.81 release. These changes apply if you create a new Android app using the community template or upgrade your existing app to use targetSdk 36. Please review the changes below and update your app as needed.

Edge-to-edge opt-out is being removed

Apps targeting Android 15 could opt out of forced edge-to-edge, but this is no longer possible with Android 16. Ensure your app’s edge-to-edge experience works correctly on Android 15+.

To go a step further and to also enable edge-to-edge on supported devices below Android 15, React Native 0.81 introduces a new Gradle property; edgeToEdgeEnabled (default is false). In addition to allowing your app content to flow seamlessly beneath the system bars (on all supported Android versions), it also changes the behavior of certain existing APIs:

• The StatusBar backgroundColor and translucent props no longer have any effect
• The StatusBar hidden prop now uses Android's immersive mode
• The Modal statusBarTranslucent and navigationBarTranslucent props are always treated as true

Note: This only works if you use the ReactActivity provided by React Native. If you use a custom Activity or Fragment to host React Native, you’ll need to manually add native code changes. See the Google doc on edge-to-edge for more information.

🙏 Thank you, @zoontek for your contribution adding support for these features.

<SafeAreaView>is deprecated — use react-native-safe-area-context

We previously recommended react-native-safe-area-context because <SafeAreaView> did not support Android and had limited features for iOS. We are now deprecating <SafeAreaView>, and it may be removed in the future. Please migrate to react-native-safe-area-context or an equivalent library. You will see warnings in React Native DevTools if your app uses <SafeAreaView>.

🙏 Thank you, @kikoso for your work heping us deprecate SafeAreaView.

Predictive back is being enforced

Apps targeting Android 16 enable predictive back by default. Predictive back animation is supported when exiting the app, and BackHandler should continue to work.

However, onBackPressed is no longer called, and KeyEvent.KEYCODE_BACK is not dispatched in Android native code. RN 0.81 includes changes to continue supporting native back handling, but if you have custom native back handling code, you may need to migrate manually using the backwards-compatible OnBackPressedDispatcher. See also update example here on handling DefaultHardwareBackBtnHandler from your custom host Activity. If you encounter issues, you can temporarily opt-out for now.

See Google's predictive back gesture doc for more info.

Adaptive layout on large screen devices

For large screen devices (smallest width ≥ 600dp), app orientation, resizability, and aspect ratio restrictions are ignored. Android is moving toward adaptive layout to support varying screen sizes. Please test your app on large screens. If your app is not ready, you can opt out for now. Also, if you find issues with React Native while supporting large screens, please file a bug report.

16KB page size is required starting November 1, 2025

Android 15 introduced the 16 KB page size, and React Native has supported it since 0.79. However, for your app to be fully 16KB page size ready, all your native binaries—including any third-party libraries with native code—must support it.

Although Android 16 introduces compatibility mode, Google has announced that you must support 16KB page size starting November 1, 2025 for Play Store submissions. This applies to all new apps and updates targeting Android 15+ devices.
See this Google video for more information on supporting 16KB page size.

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To learn more about Android 16 changes, read the official guidance for Android developers on behavior changes in Android 16.
You can also watch the Google I/O 2025 announcement video.

[vishal-bhil]

@alanleedev, is there any tool to check which third-party libraries are not compatible with a 16KB page size?

[SarjuHansaliya]

@vishal-bhil You can use Apk Analyzer to find which library is not compatible with 16kb page size. Also you can test your apk in 16kb page size environment.

[vishal-bhil]

After upgrading my app to 0.81.1 i have reduced list of unsupported packages list
@SarjuHansaliya, any idea which part is still causing the issue?

Does not support 16 KB
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Libraries that do not support 16 KB:
base/lib/arm64-v8a/libgifimage.so
base/lib/arm64-v8a/libstatic-webp.so
base/lib/x86_64/libandroidlame.so
base/lib/x86_64/libconceal.so
base/lib/x86_64/libgifimage.so
base/lib/x86_64/libstatic-webp.so

[LuanNguyen-HnL]

Any update on this? I also experience that issue with base/lib/x86_64/libconceal.so

[Rexogamer]

I don't think these are included with React Native - I don't see them in my app, at least - so you might need to check if any other dependencies/libraries you're using need updating or have available updates?

[Brma1048]

@LuanNguyen-HnL do you find out which package this is "base/lib/x86_64/libconceal.so"?

[liamjones]

If you search your node_modules directory for the string libconceal.so I'd expect you to find a reference in a build file for the relevant native module which produces this.

[MortalKastor]

You can find the parent "project" (which name should match the package it came from) of an Android lib like so:

# From your android directory
./gradlew app:dependencies | grep -B 10 <lib name> # Use the lib _name_, not its path, not its filename (no `lib` prefix, no `.so`)

./gradlew app:dependencies gives a complete tree of your Android dependencies and grep -B 10 <lib name> the lines matching the lib name + the 10 lines before that.

For instance, for base/lib/x86_64/libconceal.so this gives:

$ ./gradlew app:dependencies | grep -B 10 conceal
|         +--- org.jetbrains.kotlin:kotlin-stdlib:1.3.60 -> 2.0.21 (*)
|         \--- androidx.dynamicanimation:dynamicanimation:1.1.0-alpha03 (*)
+--- project :react-native-keychain
|    +--- com.facebook.react:react-android:+ -> 0.79.4 (*)
|    +--- androidx.appcompat:appcompat:1.6.1 -> 1.7.0 (*)
|    +--- androidx.legacy:legacy-support-v4:1.0.0 (*)
|    +--- org.jetbrains.kotlin:kotlin-stdlib:2.0.21 (*)
|    +--- androidx.biometric:biometric:1.1.0 -> 1.2.0-alpha04 (*)
|    +--- androidx.lifecycle:lifecycle-viewmodel:2.3.1 -> 2.6.2 (*)
|    +--- androidx.fragment:fragment:1.3.2 -> 1.6.2 (*)
|    \--- com.facebook.conceal:conceal:1.1.3

Read from the bottom up, it makes it clear that it's from react-native-keychain

[Siddhantshelake]

I’m aware that disabling android:enableOnBackInvokedCallback="false" temporarily restores the old back behavior on Android 16, but that’s not a long-term solution.

Specifically, on Android 16 devices, pressing the physical back button should navigate to the previous screen in the navigation stack, rather than exiting the app or going to the device home screen.
Right now, returning to the main screen from a directed screen does not behave as expected when predictive back gestures are enabled.

I’m looking for guidance on the best way to handle this:

Are there recommended approaches in React Navigation to fully support Android 16+ predictive back gestures?

Are there plans for built-in support for this behavior in upcoming releases?

[alanleedev]

@Siddhantshelake Can you clarify what is not working?

[taylorkline]

Is it possible to amend the React Native 0.81 release blog post to correct a typo?

It confusingly states that edge-to-edge is forcibly opted in for Android 16 and then proceeds to state that "We are also adding a new gradle property edgeToEdgeEnabled to let you choose if you wish to enable edge-to-edge on all supported Android versions beyond 16," which directly contradicts the previous paragraphs that state edge-to-edge is non-toggleable on Android 16 (and presumably beyond).

It is clear from this discussions-and-proposals post that the intended wording was "to let you choose if you wish to enable edge-to-edge on all supported Android versions before 16".

[alanleedev]

Thanks for catching it. Will update it.

[taylorkline]

I see it on my end. Thank you!

[taylorkline]

I believe there may be another mistake, as I am seeing that edge-to-edge cannot be opted out in Android 15 either. With edgeToEdgeEnabled=false, my apps draw behind a transparent status bar and navigation bar on my Android 15 test device.

This is also the behavior I expect, given the linked Android Developers source states,

Once you target SDK 35 or higher on a device running Android 15 or higher, your app is displayed edge-to-edge. The window spans the entire width and height of the display by drawing behind the system bars. System bars include the status bar, caption bar, and navigation bar.