React Native Windows 0.73.1

We're excited to release React Native Windows 0.73.1 targeting React Native 0.73.0. There have been many changes to both react-native-windows and react-native itself, and we would love your feedback on anything that doesn't work as expected. This release includes the commits to React Native Windows from 6/23/2023 – 10/12/2023.

Note: 0.73.0 was accidentally released early to npm, 0.73.1 is our official release that matches React Native 0.73.0

How to upgrade

You can view the changes made to the default new React Native Windows applications for C++ and C# using React Native Upgrade Helper. See this document for more details.

What's new from React Native Windows

Reliability

• Drops Cxx Modules in favor of TurboModules for networking Features to improve efficiency. Use TurboModules for networking in MSRN (#11168) · microsoft/react-native-windows@41e884a (github.com)
• Fixes FileReader turbo module's argument handling to use correct data types in FileReaderTurboModule::ReadAs*. Use correct data types in FileReaderTurboModule::ReadAs*(#11902) · microsoft/react-native-windows@df09b65 (github.com)
• Customers who specify their own version of Microsoft.Windows.CppWinRT can now use versions >= 2.0.230524.3. Enable using newer CppWinRT versions that use WINRT_IMPL_LoadLibraryExW (#11953) · microsoft/react-native-windows@e68fcf4 (github.com)
• Properly detect the correct machine architecture for 32-bit Node on 64-bit Windows scenarios. Properly detect the correct machine architecture in CLI (#11978) · microsoft/react-native-windows@0547552 (github.com)
• Fix for NPE when blur command is received while React instance is shutting down. Fix bug when blur command received on node without XamlRoot (#12051) · microsoft/react-native-windows@97a386c (github.com)
• Prevents memory leaks by untracking responses managed by a custom response handler Untrack HTTP responses when processed by IResponseHandler (#12378) · microsoft/react-native-windows@70ca7ac (github.com)
• Updates fmt version from 8.0.0 to 10.1.0 Update fmt to 10.1.0 (#12413) · microsoft/react-native-windows@3b2d2a5(github.com)
• Regularly cleans list of long-lived objects. Release long lived JSI objects ASAP (#12387) · microsoft/react-native-windows@49001fa (github.com)

Accessibility

• Properly implements accessibilityState by allowing null values for accessibility states and clearing unset states. Fix accessibilityState to support states not being set (#11792) · microsoft/react-native-windows@13c1223 (github.com)

New Features

• Now able to use new CLI init-windows commands. Create new CLI init-windows command (#12123) · microsoft/react-native-windows@de07af9 (github.com)
• Define an HTTP module based on the modern REACT_MODULE type system. Define HTTP TurboModule (#11825) · microsoft/react-native-windows@873bbb0 (github.com)
• Adds cppStringType option to @rnw/codegen. Add cppStringType option to @rnw/codegen (#11833) · microsoft/react-native-windows@5a3dcf7 (github.com)
• Adds REACT_MODULE_NOREG which is REACT_MODULE but without auto registration. Add REACT_MODULE_NOREG which is REACT_MODULE but without auto registration (#11849) · microsoft/react-native-windows@19cf1ad (github.com)
• Allows the disabling Blob Cxx modules. Allow disabling Blob Cxx module (#11979) · microsoft/react-native-windows@bde337f (github.com)
• npx react-native codegen-windows will generate two files if there is any custom type to generate. The additional file NativeXXXDataTypes.g.h contains all generated custom types. Generate types and spec in two files for turbo module (#11990) · microsoft/react-native-windows@690d70c (github.com)
• Adds configConfig.windows.cppStringType in package.json for @rnw/codegen. Add configConfig.windows.cppStringType in package.json for @rnw/codeg… (#11848)· microsoft/react-native-windows@dcf95f7 (github.com)
• Enable the /PROFILE linker flag for all C++ release binaries Enable the /PROFILE linker flag for all C++ release binaries (#12492)· microsoft/react-native-windows@c49655a (github.com)

Breaking Changes

• Follows RNW and bump minimum Node version to 18. Integrate RN Nightly 6/28, bumps node from 16 to 18 (#11858) · microsoft/react-native-windows@4dae247 (github.com)
• The Microsoft.ReactNative.WindowsAppSDK experimental project has been deprecated and will no longer be supported (track it's replacement here: https://aka.ms/rnw-roadmap). Deprecate Microsoft.ReactNative.WindowsAppSDK project (#11945) · microsoft/react-native-windows@7212312 (github.com)
• Hermes is now the default JS engine for all new projects and will eventually be the only supported JS engine. Make Hermes the default JS engine (#12371) · microsoft/react-native-windows@ffbe2ea (github.com)