Resolving React Native Android Build Failures Due to React Native 0.71.0-rc.0 Release

Problem Statement

After November 4, 2022, many React Native developers encountered unexpected Android build failures without making any code changes. A typical error appears during Gradle dependency resolution:

FAILURE: Build failed with an exception.

* Where: Build file '/path/to/node_modules/react-native-month-year-picker/android/build.gradle' line: 115

* What went wrong: 
Could not resolve com.facebook.react:react-native:+.
> Cannot choose between the following variants of com.facebook.react:react-native:0.71.0-rc.0:
   - debugVariantDefaultRuntimePublication
   - releaseVariantDefaultRuntimePublication

This issue occurs because **third-party libraries using implementation 'com.facebook.react:react-native:+'** started resolving to the newly published 0.71.0-rc.0` in public repositories instead of your locally installed version. The conflict causes Gradle resolution failures and Kotlin version mismatches.

Why This Happens

Background

• React Native 0.71.0-rc.0 was published to MavenCentral on November 4, 2022
• Many third-party libraries declare dependency using + (latest version)
• Before this release, the only available version was in your node_modules folder
• After publication, Gradle started seeing two conflicting versions

Your Android build fails because:

1. A library declares implementation 'com.facebook.react:react-native:+'
2. Gradle finds both:
   • Your project's version in node_modules
   • The new 0.71.0-rc.0 in MavenCentral
3. Gradle can't automatically choose between them
4. Kotlin version conflicts appear when mismatched React Native versions are used

WARNING

This affects projects regardless of their React Native version! The issue stems from library dependencies, not your direct project dependencies.

Recommended Solutions

Solution 1: Exclusive Content Resolution (Preferred)

Add Gradle rules to force resolution through your local node_modules:

1. Open android/build.gradle
2. Add this inside the allprojects.repositories block:

allprojects {
    repositories {
        exclusiveContent {
            filter { includeGroup "com.facebook.react" }
            forRepository {
                maven { url "$rootDir/../node_modules/react-native/android" }
            }
        }
        
        // Your existing repositories (keep these)
        mavenCentral()
        google()
    }
}

How This Works

The exclusiveContent rule:

• Targets only com.facebook.react group packages
• Forces resolution exclusively through your node_modules
• Prevents Gradle from checking other repositories for React Native artifacts

Solution 2: Force React Native Version (For Older Gradle)

For projects using Gradle versions without exclusiveContent:

def REACT_NATIVE_VERSION = new File(['node', '--print',"JSON.parse(require('fs').readFileSync(require.resolve('react-native/package.json'), 'utf-8')).version"].execute(null, rootDir).text.trim()

allprojects {
    configurations.all {
        resolutionStrategy.force "com.facebook.react:react-native:$REACT_NATIVE_VERSION"
    }
}

Compatibility

This method works for all Gradle versions but is less precise than Solution 1 as it doesn't protect against all conflict scenarios.

Solution 3: Upgrade to Patched React Native Version

The React Native team released patched versions for older release lines. Upgrade to these specific versions:

Your Version	Upgrade Target
0.63.x	0.63.5
0.64.x	0.64.4
0.65.x	0.65.2
0.66.x	0.66.5
0.68.x	0.68.7
0.69.x	0.69.11
0.70.x	0.70.8

Update using npm/yarn:

npm install react-native@x.y.z
# or
yarn add react-native@x.y.z

Post-Solution Steps

After implementing any fix:

1. Clean Gradle caches:

   cd android
   ./gradlew clean

2. Refresh dependencies:

   npm install
   # or
   yarn install

3. Rebuild your project:

   npx react-native run-android

Why Not Specify Exact Library Versions?

While tempting, modifying library dependencies isn't recommended:

// Avoid this approach in libraries' build.gradle
implementation 'com.facebook.react:react-native:0.69.5'

• Breaks library compatibility with future React Native versions
• Requires manual tracking of every dependency
• Causes cascading dependency conflicts
• Loses automatic patch version compatibility

Additional Considerations

1. Kotlin version conflicts might persist until resolution strategies are applied
2. Hermes users: Both solutions work regardless of Hermes configuration
3. Flipper users: No special actions required beyond these fixes

Use Solution 1 for newer projects with modern Gradle setups. Solution 2 provides compatibility for legacy environments. Solution 3 offers a long-term fix while keeping dependencies current. For ongoing maintenance, prefer Solution 1 for cleanest resolution behavior.