diff --git a/autolink/postlink/applicationLinker.js b/autolink/postlink/applicationLinker.js
index 5cd253f7f6..5d65b320e0 100644
--- a/autolink/postlink/applicationLinker.js
+++ b/autolink/postlink/applicationLinker.js
@@ -98,6 +98,11 @@ class ApplicationLinker {
   }
 
   _extendNavigationHost(applicationContent) {
+    if (this._hasAlreadyLinkedNavigationHost(applicationContent)) {
+      warnn('   NavigationReactNativeHost is already used, skipping.');
+      return applicationContent;
+    }
+
     if (this._doesExtendReactNativeHost(applicationContent)) {
       debugn('   Changing host implementation to NavigationReactNativeHost');
       return applicationContent
@@ -106,11 +111,14 @@ class ApplicationLinker {
           'import com.facebook.react.ReactNativeHost;',
           'import com.facebook.react.ReactNativeHost;\nimport com.reactnativenavigation.react.NavigationReactNativeHost;'
         );
-    }
-
-    if (this._hasAlreadyLinkedNavigationHost(applicationContent)) {
-      warnn('   NavigationReactNativeHost is already used, skipping.');
-      return applicationContent;
+    } else if (this._doesExtendDefaultReactNativeHost(applicationContent)) {
+      debugn('   Changing host implementation to NavigationReactNativeHost');
+      return applicationContent
+        .replace('new DefaultReactNativeHost(this)', 'new NavigationReactNativeHost(this)')
+        .replace(
+          'import com.facebook.react.defaults.DefaultReactNativeHost;',
+          'import com.facebook.react.defaults.DefaultReactNativeHost;\nimport com.reactnativenavigation.react.NavigationReactNativeHost;'
+        );
     }
 
     throw new Error('There was a problem extending NavigationReactNativeHost().');
@@ -120,6 +128,10 @@ class ApplicationLinker {
     return /\s*new ReactNativeHost\(this\)\s*/.test(applicationContent);
   }
 
+  _doesExtendDefaultReactNativeHost(applicationContent) {
+    return /\s*new DefaultReactNativeHost\(this\)\s*/.test(applicationContent);
+  }
+
   _hasAlreadyLinkedNavigationHost(applicationContent) {
     return /\s*new NavigationReactNativeHost\(this\)\s*/.test(applicationContent);
   }
diff --git a/autolink/postlink/gradleLinker.js b/autolink/postlink/gradleLinker.js
index 86139e9dc6..520539591b 100644
--- a/autolink/postlink/gradleLinker.js
+++ b/autolink/postlink/gradleLinker.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ var path = require('./path');
 var fs = require('fs');
 var { warnn, errorn, logn, infon, debugn } = require('./log');
 var { insertString } = require('./stringUtils');
-var DEFAULT_KOTLIN_VERSION = '1.5.31';
+var DEFAULT_KOTLIN_VERSION = '1.7.10';
 // This should be the minSdkVersion required for RNN.
 var DEFAULT_MIN_SDK_VERSION = 21;
 
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ class GradleLinker {
       return contents;
     }
 
-    var match = /classpath\s*\(*["']com\.android\.tools\.build:gradle:/.exec(contents);
+    var match = /classpath\s*\(*["']com\.android\.tools\.build:gradle.*/.exec(contents);
     if (match) {
       debugn('   Adding Kotlin plugin');
       return insertString(