Rocket Ship

This week’s episode is packed with deep React Native ecosystem updates, a clear shift toward AI-first tooling, and some really positive momentum on Tiny Harvest. We talk new APIs, better performance, smarter automation - and why it feels like AI has officially crossed a tipping point for most developers.

⚛️ React Native Radar
⏳ Expo SDK 55 – still not released, likely 1–2 weeks out
🤏 React Native Gesture Handler v3 (beta)
🧩 React Native Screens 4.22 – ongoing polish and fixes
🚪 Teleport – a better, more flexible Portal solution for React Native
🧠 AI SDK Profiler with Rozenite
🤖 Token-efficient automation for AI agents
⚡ Superconfig with Nitro
📈 5 tips to increase app downloads & retention (Expo blog)
🧰 Expo MCP – new features
🧠 Vercel React Native Skills for AI agents
🧹 Xcode cleanup tool – finally reclaim that disk space
💬 Expo OpenClaw Chat 
🧠 Build in Public
Tiny Harvest Update 🌱🎟️ Season pass is performing really well
🐔 The new Coop feature feels great in-game
🚀 More big features shipping this week
❤️ Most importantly: people genuinely love the game

🚨 Trending in Tech
🤖 AI has reached a tipping point for most developers

🚀 Learn React Native: https://galaxies.dev/missions/zero-to-hero
🔥 Weekly Videos: https://www.youtube.com/@galaxies_dev
❤️  Socials
https://x.com/schlimmson
https://www.tiktok.com/@simongrimm_
https://www.linkedin.com/in/simongr
👨‍💻 Apps
Tiny Harvest iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/tiny-harvest-cozy-farm/id6755226300
Tiny Harvest Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.supersimon.harvestgame
Matrix Manager: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/matrix-manager-task-manager/id6739463021
Quick Track: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/quick-track-calorie-counter/id1669892980
🔗 Links
RNGH v3 beta: https://blog.swmansion.com/introducing-gesture-handler-3-0-hook-based-api-deeper-reanimated-integration-more-9185b0c8e305
React Native Teleport: https://kirillzyusko.github.io/react-native-teleport/blog/welcome
AI SDK Profiler: https://www.callstack.com/blog/announcing-ai-sdk-profiler-for-react-native
Superconfig: https://github.com/riteshshukla04/react-native-superconfig
Worklets: https://blog.swmansion.com/behind-the-scenes-of-react-native-multithreading-vision-camera-v5-x-react-native-worklets-a102c37b32ae
5 Tips to increase mobile app downloads: https://expo.dev/blog/how-to-increase-mobile-app-downloads-and-retention
Expo MCP: https://x.com/Baconbrix/status/2016286464510984224
Vercel React Native Skills: https://x.com/vercel_dev/status/2016226892333121635
Reactix: https://www.reacticx.com/
Xcode clean up dev tool: https://x.com/seanallen_dev/status/2019823735667372099
Expo Openclaw Demo: https://x.com/brunobar79/status/2019444917064315320
Tiny Harvest Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/TinyHarvest/

This week’s episode is packed with Expo-heavy updates, early looks at AI agent tooling, and some honest numbers and lessons from Tiny Harvest. We also zoom out and talk about the idea that we might be living through an Industrial Revolution of Software.
⚛️ React Native Radar
🚀 Expo SDK 55 (beta)
🧠 Expo Skills – a growing collection of AI agent skills for Expo & EAS
🧩 React Native Screens 4.20 released
🪟 React Native Windows & macOS 0.81
✨ Making AI feel human using Expo, Reanimated & Skia
🔄 EAS Channel Surfing – switching update channels at runtime
📄 Remote MDX support experiments
🖼️ SF Symbols support coming to Expo Image
🧭 Expo Router v7 (beta) – big iteration on routing
🧮 calc() support lands in React Native styling
🧠 Build in Public
📊 App Store ratings & early feedback
💰 Purchases & revenue insights
🚨 Trending in Tech
🧠 The Death of Software Development
“We are living through the Industrial Revolution of Software.”

🚀 Learn React Native: https://galaxies.dev/missions/zero-to-hero
🔥 Weekly Videos: https://www.youtube.com/@galaxies_dev
❤️  Socials
https://x.com/schlimmson
https://www.tiktok.com/@simongrimm_
https://www.linkedin.com/in/simongr
👨‍💻 Apps
Tiny Harvest: https://tinyharvest.app/
Matrix Manager: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/matrix-manager-task-manager/id6739463021
Quick Track: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/quick-track-calorie-counter/id1669892980
🔗 Links
Expo SDK 55 beta: https://expo.dev/changelog/sdk-55-beta#new-expo-sdk-package-versioning-scheme
Expo AI Skills: https://github.com/expo/skills
React Native Windows 0.81: https://devblogs.microsoft.com/react-native/%F0%9F%9A%80react-native-windows-v0-81-is-here/
EAS Channel surfing: https://expo.dev/blog/channel-surfing-for-expo-updates-how-to-switch-update-channels-at-runtime
Remote MDX with Expo: https://x.com/Baconbrix/status/2011518481976734099
calc() support: https://x.com/_ikswodarap/status/2014677703266288082
Tiny Harvest: https://tinyharvest.app/
The Death of Software Development: https://mike.tech/blog/death-of-software-development

This week’s episode is a quieter one on the news front - but a big one for reflections.

We look at the latest signals from the React Native ecosystem, then zoom out into what I’ve been building lately, why I can’t stop thinking about my game project, and how AI has quietly become one of the most useful tools in my daily workflow.

⚛️ React Native Radar
State of React Native 2025 survey: early impressions & what stands out
JavaScript Rising Stars 2025: what’s gaining traction (and what isn’t)
🧠 Build in Public
Game updates & early revenue
Why this project completely took over my brain
Key lessons learned so far
What I’m planning to do next
A small but fun side tool: my asset/icon generator
🚨 Trending in Tech
AI has crossed an interesting line
Why engineers are finally talking about it constantly
How it went from “meh” to genuinely incredible for building
🚀 Learn React Native: https://galaxies.dev/missions/zero-to-hero
🔥 Weekly Videos: https://www.youtube.com/@galaxies_dev
❤️  Socials
https://x.com/schlimmson
https://www.tiktok.com/@simongrimm_
https://www.linkedin.com/in/simongr
👨‍💻 Apps
Tiny Harvest: https://tinyharvest.app/
Matrix Manager: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/matrix-manager-task-manager/id6739463021
Quick Track: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/quick-track-calorie-counter/id1669892980
🔗 Links
JS Rising Stars 2025: https://risingstars.js.org/2025/en

2025 is coming to an end - and instead of another release recap, this episode takes a step back.

In this year-in-review, I reflect on what actually mattered in React Native in 2025:
the shifts that changed how we build apps, what was overhyped, what quietly became important, and the lessons I’m taking into 2026.

This is a calm, opinionated look at the year - from the perspective of someone building apps, teaching developers, and navigating a fast-moving ecosystem.

🧭 Topics in this episode

🔍 The big picture
What kind of year 2025 really was for React Native
Stability vs innovation: where the ecosystem landed
Why this year felt different from previous “big” RN years

⚛️ What actually mattered in 2025
Changes that genuinely affected day-to-day development
Where complexity moved (and where it didn’t)
What turned out to be worth learning - and what wasn’t

📉 Overhyped vs underhyped
Things that got more attention than they deserved
Tools and ideas that quietly proved their value
How hype cycles affected developer decision-making

🧠 Personal lessons from the year
What I underestimated
Mistakes I wouldn’t repeat
How my approach to building, teaching, and content changed

🔮 Looking ahead to 2026
What I’m doubling down on
What I’m deliberately saying “no” to
Areas I’m curious about - but still skeptical

💬 Join the conversation
What was your biggest takeaway from 2025?
What do you want to leave behind - and what are you taking into 2026?

Let me know on X / LinkedIn or in the YouTube comments.

Thanks for listening - and see you in 2026 👋

This week’s episode covers a big React Native release, a critical React security vulnerability, and a wave of performance and DX improvements across the ecosystem. I also share updates from Tiny Harvest and talk about the realities of AI-assisted coding as projects grow.
⚛️ React Native Radar
🚀 React Native 0.83 released
📦 Release overview & what’s coming next in RN
📊 State of React Native 2025 Survey is now open
🎞️ Reanimated 4.2.0 with SET support
⚡ Pre-built artifacts config plugin for significantly faster builds
🔗 Detour – a new developer-friendly deep linking library
🧾 True Sheet 3.0 released
☁️ Nitro Cloud Uploader – resumable, background-friendly uploads
🔐 react-native-quick-crypto 1.0 – fast JSI-based crypto APIs
🧭 Expo Router previews
🧩 iOS Widgets with Expo UI – native widgets driven from JS
🧠 From My Projects:
🔧 Major refactor
📊 Added app events & analytics
🛍️ Brand new App Store page
🚨 Trending in Tech
Critical security vulnerability in React Server Components

🚀 Learn React Native: https://galaxies.dev/missions/zero-to-hero
🔥 Weekly Videos: https://www.youtube.com/@galaxies_dev
❤️  Socials
https://x.com/schlimmson
https://www.tiktok.com/@simongrimm_
https://www.linkedin.com/in/simongr
👨‍💻 Apps
Tiny Harvest: https://tinyharvest.app/
Matrix Manager: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/matrix-manager-task-manager/id6739463021
Quick Track: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/quick-track-calorie-counter/id1669892980
🔗 Links
React Native 0.83: https://reactnative.dev/blog/2025/12/10/react-native-0.83
React Native Releases: https://reactnative.dev/docs/next/releases
State of React Native survey: https://survey.2025.stateofreactnative.com/
Reanimated 4.2.0: https://blog.swmansion.com/introducing-reanimated-4-2-0-71eea21ca861
RN Pre-Built Artifacts: https://rnrepo.org/
Detour for Deep linking: https://docs.swmansion.com/detour/
True Sheet 3: https://sheet.lodev09.com/blog/release-3-0
RN Nitro Cloud Uploader: https://github.com/Gautham495/react-native-nitro-cloud-uploader
RN Quick Crypto: https://github.com/margelo/react-native-quick-crypto
Expo Router Preview: https://x.com/Baconbrix/status/1998438240291049931
Expo UI Widgets: https://x.com/k7grzywacz/status/1998387025615978645
Critical Security Vulnerability: https://react.dev/blog/2025/12/03/critical-security-vulnerability-in-react-server-components
Mitigating vulnerabilities in RSC: https://expo.dev/changelog/mitigating-critical-security-vulnerability-in-react-server-components