React Native 0.72 New Architecture Default Enablement Decision

When starting a new project with React Native 0.72, the generated templates still use the legacy architecture even though the New Architecture (Fabric) can be enabled via newArchEnabled=true in Gradle and the corresponding CocoaPods flag. The React Native team has documented the opt‑in process, but has not yet decided when—or if—the default should flip to Fabric for newly created apps.

This unresolved decision creates tension between gaining Fabric’s performance benefits and ensuring compatibility with third‑party native modules that may lack Fabric‑ready implementations. Developers must weigh the risk of runtime crashes against the desire to adopt the new threading model early.

What criteria should guide the switch to Fabric as the default? How should library maintainers be notified of required Fabric compatibility? What impact would enabling Fabric by default have on existing apps that depend on legacy‑only modules?