Update the codebase

Save your current work

Commit your changes and check that the working tree is clean:

git status --short

Create a branch for the update:

git switch -c update-nativeexpress

Add the NativeExpress remote

Check your existing remotes:

git remote -v

If you do not already have an upstream remote for NativeExpress, add it:

git remote add upstream https://github.com/robinfaraj/nativeexpress.git

Use git@github.com:robinfaraj/nativeexpress.git if you authenticate through SSH. Your GitHub account still needs repository access.

Fetch the changes

git fetch upstream

Fetching downloads commits without changing your app’s files. Review the release linked in the changelog and the commits relevant to your app.

Apply the changes you need

For a self-contained fix, cherry-pick its commit  and any dependencies it needs. For a larger feature, compare its files with your app and bring over the required changes in smaller pieces.

Preserve your app identity, environment values, store configuration and custom screens. Check new imports, dependencies and database requirements alongside the code.

A full merge is appropriate only after reviewing the release and the shared Git history. If your app has a separate history, do not force unrelated histories together as a routine update. See Git’s merge guide  for conflict resolution.

Verify

Install dependencies and run the project’s checks:

yarn install
yarn ci

Test the changed features and your custom screens in a development build. Rebuild when native dependencies or configuration change. If the update changes your backend, test its migrations and edge functions before deploying them.

Review the completed branch against your main branch, then merge it when those checks pass.