Step 4: Code Migration - Amazon Vega Docs

4.1 Remove PropTypes

React 19 removes PropTypes from the React package. All PropTypes usage must be migrated to TypeScript interfaces. Find all PropTypes usage

grep -rn "from 'prop-types'" src/
grep -rn "\.propTypes\s*=" src/

Migration pattern

// ❌ BEFORE (breaks in RN 0.83)
import PropTypes from 'prop-types';

function UserCard({ name, email, age, onPress }) {
  return (
    <TouchableOpacity onPress={onPress}>
      <View>
        <Text>{name}</Text>
        <Text>{email}</Text>
        {age && <Text>Age: {age}</Text>}
      </View>
    </TouchableOpacity>
  );
}

UserCard.propTypes = {
  name: PropTypes.string.isRequired,
  email: PropTypes.string.isRequired,
  age: PropTypes.number,
  onPress: PropTypes.func,
};

// ✅ AFTER
interface UserCardProps {
  name: string;
  email: string;
  age?: number;
  onPress?: () => void;
}

function UserCard({ name, email, age, onPress }: UserCardProps) {
  return (
    <TouchableOpacity onPress={onPress}>
      <View>
        <Text>{name}</Text>
        <Text>{email}</Text>
        {age && <Text>Age: {age}</Text>}
      </View>
    </TouchableOpacity>
  );
}

4.2 Replace defaultProps

React 19 removes defaultProps support for function components. Use default parameter values instead. Find all defaultProps usage

grep -rn "\.defaultProps\s*=" src/

Migration pattern

// ❌ BEFORE
MyComponent.defaultProps = {
  name: 'Default',
  age: 0,
  onPress: () => {},
};

// ✅ AFTER — use default parameters
function MyComponent({ 
  name = 'Default', 
  age = 0, 
  onPress = () => {} 
}: MyComponentProps) {
  return <Text>{name}</Text>;
}

4.3 Replace BackHandler.removeEventListener

BackHandler.removeEventListener() was removed by React Native. Use the subscription pattern. Find all usage

grep -rn "BackHandler.removeEventListener" src/

Migration pattern

// ❌ BEFORE (crashes in RN 0.83)
BackHandler.addEventListener('hardwareBackPress', handler);
// ... later
BackHandler.removeEventListener('hardwareBackPress', handler);

// ✅ AFTER — subscription pattern
const subscription = BackHandler.addEventListener('hardwareBackPress', handler);
// ... later
subscription.remove();

In a React component with useEffect

useEffect(() => {
  const subscription = BackHandler.addEventListener('hardwareBackPress', () => {
    // Handle back press
    return true; // Prevent default behavior
  });

  return () => subscription.remove();
}, []);

4.4 Fix useNativeDriver mixed usage

In RN 0.72, mixing native-driver and JS-driver animations was unsupported but only produced warnings. In RN 0.83, this mixing causes a fatal crash (SIGABRT). There are two rules, both enforced:

Per-value: A single Animated.Value must use the same driver across all animations throughout its lifetime.
Per-view (NEW): All Animated.Value instances combined into the same style object on a single Animated.View must use the same driver.

Audit your project

grep -rn "useNativeDriver" src/

Files with more than two occurrences are most likely to have mixed-driver views. Example of the crash pattern

// ❌ CRASHES — scaleAnim (native) and backgroundAnim (JS) on same view
<Animated.View style={{
  transform: [{ scale: scaleAnim }],             // useNativeDriver: true
  backgroundColor: backgroundAnim.interpolate()  // useNativeDriver: false
}}>
  {/* content */}
</Animated.View>

// ✅ CORRECT — separate into nested views by driver type
<Animated.View style={{ transform: [{ scale: scaleAnim }], opacity: opacityAnim }}>
  {/* native-driven: transform, opacity */}
  <Animated.View style={{ backgroundColor: colorAnim.interpolate(...) }}>
    {/* JS-driven: backgroundColor */}
    {/* content */}
  </Animated.View>
</Animated.View>

Driver usage rules

Native driver (useNativeDriver: true): transform, opacity. Don’t blanket-change all useNativeDriver: true to false. Only fix values where the conflict exists.
JS driver (useNativeDriver: false): backgroundColor, width, height, color interpolations

4.5 Update legacy Context API usage

React 19 fully removes the legacy Context API (childContextTypes, getChildContext). Use the modern Context API:

// ❌ BEFORE — Legacy Context (removed)
class Parent extends React.Component {
  getChildContext() {
    return { theme: 'dark' };
  }
  static childContextTypes = { theme: PropTypes.string };
}

// ✅ AFTER — Modern Context API
const ThemeContext = React.createContext('light');

function Parent({ children }) {
  return (
    <ThemeContext.Provider value="dark">
      {children}
    </ThemeContext.Provider>
  );
}

function Child() {
  const theme = useContext(ThemeContext);
  return <Text>{theme}</Text>;
}

4.6 Add explicit React hook imports

If any files use hooks without importing them explicitly, they fail with ReferenceError: useState is not defined error.

// ✅ Always import hooks explicitly
import React, { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useRef, useState } from 'react';

Find potential issues

grep -rn "useState\|useEffect\|useCallback\|useMemo\|useRef" src/ | grep -v "import"

4.7 Remove incompatible tools

Some development tools are incompatible with React 19:

# Remove @welldone-software/why-did-you-render (declares peer react@^18)
npm uninstall @welldone-software/why-did-you-render

Check for any other dev dependencies that pin react@^18 as a peer dependency:

npm ls react 2>&1 | grep "peer"

4.8 Update SafeAreaView usage

React Native 0.83 requires react-native-safe-area-context as a dependency. Update your app’s root component:

// ✅ AFTER — wrap app in SafeAreaProvider
import { SafeAreaProvider, useSafeAreaInsets } from 'react-native-safe-area-context';

function App() {
  return (
    <SafeAreaProvider>
      <AppContent />
    </SafeAreaProvider>
  );
}

function AppContent() {
  const insets = useSafeAreaInsets();
  
  return (
    <View style={{ 
      flex: 1,
      paddingTop: insets.top,
      paddingBottom: insets.bottom,
    }}>
      {/* Your app content */}
    </View>
  );
}

4.9 Convert layout values to density-independent pixels (DIP)

React Native 0.83 on Vega uses density-independent pixels (dp) for all layout values. The canvas reference size is 960x540 dp, which is a scale factor of 2 on 1080p displays. The framework automatically scales dp values to physical pixels. Divide all hardcoded pixel values by the scale factor, which is 2 for 1080p devices.

// ❌ BEFORE (RN 0.72) — physical pixel values
const styles = StyleSheet.create({
  container: {
    width: 1920,
    height: 1080,
    padding: 32,
  },
  title: {
    fontSize: 48,
    marginBottom: 24,
  },
});

// ✅ AFTER (RN 0.83) — dp values, divided by 2
const styles = StyleSheet.create({
  container: {
    width: 960,
    height: 540,
    padding: 16,
  },
  title: {
    fontSize: 24,
    marginBottom: 12,
  },
});

The unit change also affects input coordinates, custom native interfaces, and image sources. For the full guidance, see React Native 0.83 Migration: Density-Independent Pixels.

4.10 Replace LinearGradient with the backgroundImage style prop

React Native 0.83 supports linear gradients natively through the experimental_backgroundImage style prop, which accepts standard CSS linear-gradient() syntax on any View. The @amazon-devices/react-linear-gradient library isn’t part of the RN 0.83 library set, and an RN 0.83 app that depends on it can crash at launch. Remove the @amazon-devices/react-linear-gradient dependency, then replace each <LinearGradient> component with a View that sets experimental_backgroundImage:

// ❌ BEFORE (RN 0.72) — breaks on RN 0.83
import LinearGradient from '@amazon-devices/react-linear-gradient';

<LinearGradient colors={['#e66465', '#9198e5']} style={styles.gradient}>
  <Text>Hello</Text>
</LinearGradient>

// ✅ AFTER (RN 0.83) — built-in style prop
<View style={{
  experimental_backgroundImage: 'linear-gradient(#e66465, #9198e5)'
}}>
  <Text>Hello</Text>
</View>

If you set start, end, or locations on LinearGradient, express them in the gradient string instead, for example linear-gradient(to right, #e66465 0%, #9198e5 80%). For the full syntax, see experimental_backgroundImage in the React Native documentation.

​4.1 Remove PropTypes

​4.2 Replace defaultProps

​4.3 Replace BackHandler.removeEventListener

​4.4 Fix useNativeDriver mixed usage

​4.5 Update legacy Context API usage

​4.6 Add explicit React hook imports

​4.7 Remove incompatible tools

​4.8 Update SafeAreaView usage

​4.9 Convert layout values to density-independent pixels (DIP)

​4.10 Replace LinearGradient with the backgroundImage style prop

4.1 Remove PropTypes

4.2 Replace defaultProps

4.3 Replace BackHandler.removeEventListener

4.4 Fix useNativeDriver mixed usage

4.5 Update legacy Context API usage

4.6 Add explicit React hook imports

4.7 Remove incompatible tools

4.8 Update SafeAreaView usage

4.9 Convert layout values to density-independent pixels (DIP)

4.10 Replace LinearGradient with the backgroundImage style prop