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.

Starting with React Native Windows 0.82, the legacy Paper architecture has been completely removed. All apps now run exclusively on the New Architecture (Fabric). If you haven't already migrated your app to Fabric, you must do so before upgrading to 0.82. See the New Architecture migration guide for details

New Architecture-specific changes

Adds Text Component selection support for Fabric : Fabric : Implements selectable prop for <Text> #15473 by iamAbhi-916 · microsoft/react-native-windows
Adds Text Component selectionColor support for Fabric : Fabric : Implements selectionColor for <Text> #15553 by iamAbhi-916 · microsoft/react-native-windows
Accessibility and UIA Support for XAML Fabric implementation : Accessibility and UIA Support for XAML Fabric implementation by protikbiswas100 · Pull Request #15466 · microsoft/react-native-windows
PagingEnabled Parity for Fabric ScrollView : PagingEnabled Parity for Fabric ScrollView by Nitin-100 · Pull Request #15341 · microsoft/react-native-windows
TextAlign and WritingDirection Parity for Fabric TextInput : TextAlign and WritingDirection Parity for Fabric TextInput by Nitin-100 · Pull Request #15340 · microsoft/react-native-windows
ContextMenu implementation in Fabric as per Parity to Paper : TextAlign and WritingDirection Parity for Fabric TextInput by Nitin-100 · Pull Request #15340 · microsoft/react-native-windows
Defer UIA accessibility provider initialization until requested : Defer UIA accessibility provider initialization until requested by Copilot · Pull Request #14756 · microsoft/react-native-windows

Breaking Changes

Fixed focus restoration on close, removed minimize/maximize buttons, and hidden title bar icon for cleaner modal appearance : Modal outstanding issues by iamAbhi-916 · Pull Request #15445 · microsoft/react-native-windows
Remove old architecture that is not supported in 0.82 : Remove paper by acoates-ms · Pull Request #15354 · microsoft/react-native-windows

New Features

Add ability to customize native accessibility of custom native components : Add ability to customize native accessibility of custom native components by acoates-ms · Pull Request #15532 · microsoft/react-native-windows
Improve the inspector page name for modern debugger : Improve the inspector page name for modern debugger by iamAbhi-916 · Pull Request #15375 · microsoft/react-native-windows
Xaml UI Hosting : Xaml UI Hosting by sharath2727 · Pull Request #15223 · microsoft/react-native-windows
Added support for italic underline and strikethrough styling for TextInput Implements italic underline and strikethrough styling for TextInputTextinput fontstyles by iamAbhi-916 · Pull Request #15565 · microsoft/react-native-windows

Reliability

Fixed devtools ui overlay on high dpi displays : Fix DPI scaling for debugging overlay highlights by iamAbhi-916 · Pull Request #15479 · microsoft/react-native-windows
Fix crash when switching bundles in playground : Fix crash when switching bundles in playground by iamAbhi-916 · Pull Request #15478 · microsoft/react-native-windows
Initialize Xaml on demand : Initialize Xaml on demand by sundaramramaswamy · Pull Request #15407 · microsoft/react-native-windows
Fixed app crash when loading images with no network connection : [Fix crash] Image loading fails due to network error for instance shut down metro while app is running by iamAbhi-916 · Pull Request #15428 · microsoft/react-native-windows
Fix Debugger outstanding issues: Debugger outstanding issues by iamAbhi-916 · Pull Request #15392 · microsoft/react-native-windows
Fixed modal dialog crash when interacting with parent window after dismissal : Fix modal Crash after closing DesktopPopupSiteBridge by iamAbhi-916 · Pull Request #15384 · microsoft/react-native-windows
[Fabric] Fix UIA_LiveSettingPropertyId to use VT_I4 datatype instead of VT_BSTR : [Fabric] Fix UIA_LiveSettingPropertyId to use VT_I4 datatype instead of VT_BSTR by ritoban23 · Pull Request #15438 · microsoft/react-native-windows
Include missing bridging files in MS.RN.Cxx : Include missing bridging files in MS.RN.Cxx by acoates-ms · Pull Request #15524 · microsoft/react-native-windows
Remove WerRegisterMemoryBlock which causes issues when kernel debugging : Remove WerRegisterMemoryBlock which causes issues when kernel debugging by acoates-ms · Pull Request #15432 · microsoft/react-native-windows
Tooltip positioned incorrectly on non 100% scale factor : Tooltip positioned incorrectly on non 100% scale factor by acoates-ms · Pull Request #15382 · microsoft/react-native-windows
Enable UTs on more platforms : Enable UTs on more platforms by acoates-ms · Pull Request #15373 · microsoft/react-native-windows
TextInputs are zero height if there is no value and no placeholder text : TextInputs are zero height if there is no value and no placeholder text by acoates-ms · Pull Request #15334 · microsoft/react-native-windows
Focusable Pressables should take focus when they are clicked on Focusable Pressables should take focus when they are clicked on by acoates-ms · Pull Request #15327 · microsoft/react-native-windows

Other

Fix playground "New Window" command : Fix playground "New Window" command by acoates-ms · Pull Request #15474 · microsoft/react-native-windows
Fix stackoverflow in StructInfo : Fix stackoverflow in StructInfo by ivan-golubev · Pull Request #15454 · microsoft/react-native-windows
Remove code related to USE_WINUI3 which is now always true : Remove code related to USE_WINUI3 which is now always true by acoates-ms · Pull Request #15393 · microsoft/react-native-windows
Update WinAppSdk to 1.8 : Update WinAppSdk to 1.8 by acoates-ms · Pull Request #15381 · microsoft/react-native-windows
Deprecates chakra support and more legacy instance code : Remove chakra support and more legacy instance code by acoates-ms · Pull Request #15371 · microsoft/react-native-windows
Deprecates web debugging support (#15350) [Remove web debugging support : Remove web debugging support by acoates-ms · Pull Request #15350 · microsoft/react-native-windows
Realign view.js Realign view.js by acoates-ms · Pull Request #15310 · microsoft/react-native-windows
Realign index.windows.js with core and disable the deep import warning : Realign index.windows.js with core and disable the deep import warning by acoates-ms · Pull Request #15309 · microsoft/react-native-windows
Fix init-windows template to automatically detect existing codegen spec files : Fix init-windows template to automatically detect existing codegen spec files by Copilot · Pull Request #15096 · microsoft/react-native-windows
Simplify Playground-Composition : Simplify Playground-Composition by acoates-ms · Pull Request #15308 · microsoft/react-native-windows