Android crashes when tried to render TextInput on RN 0.64.x and using appcompat library of 1.4.0

[st1ng]

Description

Latest 0.64 react-native is not compatible with latest appcompat androidx library. When app tries to render TextInput, NullPointerException thrown. This happens in file ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/views/textinput/ReactEditText.java (line 972):

private void updateCachedSpannable(boolean resetStyles) { // Noops in non-Fabric if (!mFabricViewStateManager.hasStateWrapper()) { return; }

This happens because super constructor AppCompatEditText calls updateCachedSpannable as part of construction, so mFabricViewStateManager not initialized yet and is null. So need to check mFabricViewStateManager for null value first.

React Native version:

System:
OS: macOS 10.15.7
CPU: (8) x64 Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-2600K CPU @ 3.40GHz
Memory: 790.90 MB / 24.00 GB
Shell: 3.2.57 - /bin/bash
Binaries:
Node: 15.4.0 - /usr/local/bin/node
Yarn: 1.22.10 - /usr/local/bin/yarn
npm: 7.0.15 - /usr/local/bin/npm
Watchman: 4.9.0 - /usr/local/bin/watchman
Managers:
CocoaPods: 1.10.1 - /Users/st1ng/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.7.0/bin/pod
SDKs:
iOS SDK:
Platforms: iOS 14.4, DriverKit 20.2, macOS 11.1, tvOS 14.3, watchOS 7.2
Android SDK:
API Levels: 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30
Build Tools: 25.0.0, 26.0.0, 27.0.3, 28.0.3, 29.0.2, 29.0.3, 30.0.0, 30.0.2
System Images: android-21 | Google APIs Intel x86 Atom_64, android-24 | Google Play Intel x86 Atom, android-29 | Google Play Intel x86 Atom, android-30 | Google Play Intel x86 Atom
Android NDK: Not Found
IDEs:
Android Studio: 4.2 AI-202.7660.26.42.7322048
Xcode: 12.4/12D4e - /usr/bin/xcodebuild
Languages:
Java: 1.8.0_221 - /usr/bin/javac
npmPackages:
@react-native-community/cli: Not Found
react: 17.0.1 => 17.0.1
react-native: 0.64.1 => 0.64.1

Steps To Reproduce

1. Create empty project
2. Set explicitly appcompat version to 1.4.0-alpha01 or make it "+" in app/build.gradle
   implementation "androidx.appcompat:appcompat:1.4.0-alpha01"
3. Add empty TextInput to any page

Expected Results

No crash happen

Snack, code example, screenshot, or link to a repository:

[safaiyeh]

Hey @st1ng I want to learn your motivations needing to support androidx.appcompat:appcompat:1.4.0-alpha01 is there an API RN is not supporting that you need? If RN does not support the version (especially alpha versions) there isn't an expectation for it to be working.

[kangear]

same problem

[wanderbon]

Same problem with any version of appcompat

[kangear]

https://stackoverflow.com/a/67733792/2193455

[ahsanjamilarkhitech]

still struggling with the issue. any solutions?

[cristianoccazinsp]

Same issue with RN 0.65.1

[cristianoccazinsp]

Use this for now:

implementation ("androidx.appcompat:appcompat:1.3.1") {
        version {
            strictly '1.3.1'
        }
    }

[jraska]

Hi, androidx.appcompat:appcompat:1.4.0 is now stable and as such RN is now becoming a blocker to update further. Since many other androidx dependencies are transitively dependent on appcompat, the issue will soon start bubbling through many apps using RN.

Please does anyone have any idea how to solve this actually? The locking appcompat on version 1.3.1 is a temporary fix, but what should be the long term one?

[cortinico]

I've addressed this in e21f8ec It will be available in the upcoming stable of RN

[mikehardy]

Here I am chasing a crash bug down from stackoverflow and github and such and I find it closed just hours ago - thanks a bunch @cortinico ! I'm fine pinning the version in gradle as long as I know there's a fix coming, I'll just mark the pin for removal with react-native 0.68. Cheers

[BANG88]

Use this for now:

implementation ("androidx.appcompat:appcompat:1.3.1") {
        version {
            strictly '1.3.1'
        }
    }

Save my day!

[devildriver666]

This solution creating issue with all other libraries ( I am using tons in my project which are using all possible versions of appcompact)

implementation ("androidx.appcompat:appcompat:1.3.1") {
        version {
            strictly '1.3.1'
        }
    }

[RobTS]

Why is this issue marked as closed if it is very much alive?

[cortinico]

Why is this issue marked as closed if it is very much alive?

Because the issue is solved on main + there is a workaround provided. Nothing else is actionable on this issue anymore 👍

[RobTS]

@cortinico my bad, I had just seen the reversal to 1.3.1 commit, not the other one!

[Bamorem]

I have the same issue but don't use any androidx.appcompat:appcompat in my build.gradle

but when i search for it in my project i see this: MERGED from [androidx.appcompat:appcompat:1.4.1] /Users/[username]/.gradle/caches/transforms-3/0e660b8bafa777eda46724d78ef391ea/transformed/appcompat-1.4.1/AndroidManifest.xml:17:1-24:12

What should i do ?

[mikehardy]

@Bamorem implement the workaround as described
#31572 (comment)

[danarchos]

Had this issue after upgrading to JDK 11, and upgrading targetSdkVersion and compleSdKVersion to 31 from 30 (React Native 0.64.3)

Thank you so much @cristianoccazinsp for the workaround that worked. Many many hours have been spent on this.

[patriziomadferitmilione]

Hi I have the same issue, but I don't have any iOS or Android folders in my project,

what should I do?

thanks for the help

[brentvatne]

@patriziomadferitmilione - download the latest version of expo go

[codal-mpawar]

@brentvatne @BANG88 @mikehardy @RobTS @kangear Hey guys Are we have any solution for this issue?

"react": "16.13.1",
"react-native": "0.64.3",

[mikehardy]

@codal-mpawar please read comments prior to posting, resolution is either of:

1. Android crashes when tried to render TextInput on RN 0.64.x and using appcompat library of 1.4.0 #31572 (comment) (pin appcompat to 1.3.1
2. upgrade to react-native 0.68.2 - https://react-native-community.github.io/upgrade-helper/ (or apparently latest version of expo includes the fix as well, so if you use expo; upgrade expo)

This issue is completely resolved

[mfajarf]

Use this for now:

implementation ("androidx.appcompat:appcompat:1.3.1") {
        version {
            strictly '1.3.1'
        }
    }

not working for me