How to easily update React Native app semantic/build versions

how-to-react-native-app-versioning.md

TL;DR

This script automates the process of updating:

• The package.json version.
• Xcode target versions.
• Android Gradle version names.

It ensures the build numbers are synced across both iOS and Android platforms.

---

1. Add Scripts and Dependencies to package.json

Add the following entries to your package.json:

{
  "scripts": {
    "bump-version:build": "npx react-native bump-version --skip-semver-for all",
    "bump-version:type": "npx react-native bump-version --reset-build --type"
  },
  "dependencies": {
    "rn-bump-version": "^1.0.0"
  }
}

---

2. Align iOS and Android Versions

Ensure the following mappings between iOS and Android:

• Version (version name) should be identical.
• Build number (version code) should be identical.

Example:

iOS Configuration

Android Configuration

---

3. Increment the Build Number

To increase the build number without changing the version:

npm run bump-version:build  # or yarn bump-version:build

The build number will increment by 1. The version remains unchanged.

---

4. Update the Version (Resets the Build Number)

To update the semantic versioning (semver) and reset the build number to 1:

Bump the Major Version:

From 1.2.3 → 2.0.0

npm run bump-version:type major  # or yarn run bump-version:type major

Bump the Minor Version:

From 1.2.3 → 1.3.0

npm run bump-version:type minor  # or yarn run bump-version:type minor

Bump the Patch Version:

From 1.2.3 → 1.2.4

npm run bump-version:type patch  # or yarn run bump-version:type patch