CodePush Migration Guide 2026: Move to SwiftPatch in 30 Minutes

Why You Need to Migrate From CodePush Now

Microsoft officially shut down App Center and CodePush in March 2025. If you're still using CodePush, you're running on borrowed time — the servers are no longer maintained, there are no security patches, and the SDK hasn't been updated for React Native 0.76+.

SwiftPatch is the most popular CodePush replacement. It's purpose-built to be the modern alternative with 98% smaller differential patches, automatic rollback, and enterprise security. Over 2,500 organizations have already migrated.

Before You Start: What You'll Need

• A React Native project currently using react-native-code-push
• Node.js 18+ installed
• 30 minutes of uninterrupted time
• Access to your app's deployment keys (from App Center)

Step 1: Create a SwiftPatch Account (2 minutes)

Sign up for free at app.swiftpatch.io. The free tier includes 5,000 deploys/month and 2 apps — enough for most migration testing.

Create a new project in the SwiftPatch Console and note your deployment key (you'll need it in Step 3).

Step 2: Remove CodePush SDK (5 minutes)

# Remove CodePush
npm uninstall react-native-code-push

# For iOS, clean pods
cd ios && pod install && cd ..

• AppDelegate.mm (iOS) — remove the CodePush import and bundleURL override
• MainApplication.kt or MainApplication.java (Android) — remove CodePush package registration
• Info.plist — remove CodePushDeploymentKey

Step 3: Install SwiftPatch SDK (3 minutes)

# Install SwiftPatch
npm install swiftpatch

# iOS: install pods
cd ios && pod install && cd ..

Step 4: Replace CodePush in Your App Code (10 minutes)

Before (CodePush):

import codePush from 'react-native-code-push';

const codePushOptions = {
  checkFrequency: codePush.CheckFrequency.ON_APP_RESUME,
  installMode: codePush.InstallMode.ON_NEXT_RESTART,
};

function App() {
  return <MyApp />;
}

export default codePush(codePushOptions)(App);

After (SwiftPatch):

import { SwiftPatch } from 'swiftpatch';

// Initialize SwiftPatch — same concepts, modern API
SwiftPatch.init({
  deploymentKey: 'YOUR_SWIFTPATCH_KEY',
  checkFrequency: 'ON_APP_RESUME',
  installMode: 'ON_NEXT_RESTART',
  autoRollback: true,  // NEW: automatic crash rollback
});

function App() {
  return <MyApp />;
}

export default App;

If You Used CodePush Sync:

// Before (CodePush)
codePush.sync({
  updateDialog: true,
  installMode: codePush.InstallMode.IMMEDIATE,
});

// After (SwiftPatch)
SwiftPatch.sync({
  showUpdateDialog: true,
  installMode: 'IMMEDIATE',
});

If You Used CodePush Hooks:

// Before (CodePush)
const update = await codePush.checkForUpdate();
if (update) {
  await update.download();
  update.install(codePush.InstallMode.IMMEDIATE);
}

// After (SwiftPatch)
const update = await SwiftPatch.checkForUpdate();
if (update) {
  await SwiftPatch.downloadUpdate();
  SwiftPatch.applyUpdate({ installMode: 'IMMEDIATE' });
}

Step 5: Deploy Your First SwiftPatch Update (5 minutes)

# Build and release for both platforms
npx swiftpatch release --platform ios --platform android

# Or release with a specific description
npx swiftpatch release --platform all --description "First SwiftPatch release - migrated from CodePush"

Open the SwiftPatch Console to see your release, monitor adoption, and manage rollouts.

Step 6: Verify the Migration (5 minutes)

1. Build and run your app in development mode
2. Push a small test update via SwiftPatch CLI
3. Verify the update is received on-device
4. Check the dashboard for adoption metrics
5. Test rollback by pushing a deliberately broken update (SwiftPatch will auto-rollback)

CodePush → SwiftPatch Concept Mapping

CodePush Concept	SwiftPatch Equivalent	Notes
Deployment Key	Deployment Key	Same concept, different key
codePush.sync()	SwiftPatch.sync()	Same API pattern
checkForUpdate()	SwiftPatch.checkForUpdate()	Same API pattern
InstallMode.IMMEDIATE	'IMMEDIATE'	String enum instead of number
InstallMode.ON_NEXT_RESTART	'ON_NEXT_RESTART'	String enum
Deployment (Staging/Prod)	Channels	More flexible channel system
Rollback (manual)	Auto-rollback + manual	Automatic crash detection
Full bundle release	Differential patch	98% smaller downloads

What You Get After Migration

After migrating to SwiftPatch, you immediately gain:

• 98% smaller patches: SwiftPatch uses binary-level diffing, so your users download ~200KB instead of 18MB for each update
• Automatic rollback: If an update crashes, SwiftPatch rolls back in under 3 seconds — no manual intervention needed
• Real-time analytics: See update adoption rates, download speeds, and error rates in real-time
• Bundle signing: Ed25519 cryptographic signatures ensure update integrity
• CI/CD integration: GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, CircleCI, and Bitrise out of the box
• Active development: Weekly updates and new features — unlike CodePush which is abandoned

Troubleshooting Common Migration Issues

"Bundle not found" after migration

Make sure you've removed all CodePush bundle URL overrides from your native code. SwiftPatch uses its own bundle loading mechanism.

App crashes on launch after installing SwiftPatch

Usually caused by leftover CodePush native code. Double-check that react-native-code-push is fully unlinked from both iOS and Android native projects.

Updates not being received

Verify your deployment key is correct and matches the project in the SwiftPatch Console. Check the network tab in Flipper for API call errors.

FAQ

Q: Can I run CodePush and SwiftPatch simultaneously during migration?

A: No, you should remove CodePush completely before installing SwiftPatch. Both modify the bundle loading mechanism and will conflict.

Q: Will my existing CodePush releases continue to work?

A: No. Since App Center is shut down, CodePush servers are no longer available. All existing releases will stop working — which is why you need to migrate.

Q: How long does the full migration take?

A: Most teams complete migration in 30 minutes. Complex setups with custom CodePush configurations might take up to 2 hours.

Q: Is SwiftPatch compatible with my React Native version?

A: SwiftPatch supports React Native 0.60+ including the New Architecture (0.76+). If CodePush worked with your project, SwiftPatch will too.

Q: What about my deployment history and release metadata?

A: CodePush release history is lost since App Center shut down. SwiftPatch starts fresh with your first release. This is a clean slate with better analytics.

Start your free migration now →