Angular 19 has been released!
Standalone by default
First things first—when you update, make sure to run `ng update` or `nx migrate`, but avoid using the native `npm install` command.
Don’t be surprised if the update script changes all your components. **Standalone is now the default**.
The update script removes `standalone: true` from all components, while NgModule-based components will now have `standalone: false` added.
Utility Functions for Signals
`linkedSignal()`
With `linkedSignal`, you can clone an existing Signal. You can modify the clone, but those changes won’t affect the original. However, if the original Signal updates, its value will overwrite the clone.
This is perfect for:
1. Template-driven forms, where you need a working copy of a Signal.
2. Managing a state linked to a parent Signal. For example, when a parent component passes down an ID to a child component, and the child’s state needs to reset when the parent’s Signal changes.
`linkedSignal` is in **developer preview**. While the functionality is stable, breaking changes within a major version are still possible.
`resource()` & `rxResource()`
The `resource` function addresses Signals where the value comes from an asynchronous task, such as an HTTP request. Its standout feature is managing race conditions by automatically canceling HTTP requests — without using RxJS.
Additionally, there’s an RxJS-powered version called `rxResource`.
Both functions are still **experimental**, so breaking changes are likely.
However, this marks a fundamental milestone, showcasing Angular’s direction with Signals and its "optional RxJS" approach.
Incremental Hydration
Incremental Hydration allows parts of your template to hydrate based on specific triggers.
For example:
When a user interacts with it.
After a delay.
Or never
This feature comes from Angular’s collaboration with Wiz, Google’s internal framework used in Gmail, Google Search, and other performance-intensive applications.
While Incremental Hydration might not be relevant for all use cases — such as internal applications — it opens Angular to a completely new group of developers.
These are developers who previously relied on frameworks like Next.js, Remix, or Qwik to build interactive websites that load instantly and are efficient in terms of bundle size.
More Information
For more information, check out:
The official release video on YouTube.
• Angular v19 Developer Event
The Q&A session with Mark and Jeremy from the Angular team.
• Angular v19 Reaction Stream with Mark and ...
The Angular blog post
https://blog.angular.dev/meet-angular...
