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iOS 26 Breaks Your React Native App. Here's What to Do.

Authors
  • Name
    Kavya

Photo by Joseph Sharp on Unsplash

“Our app stopped working after the iOS 26 beta.”  “Apple just rejected our build — again.”  “React Native used to be fine. What changed?”

If you’ve recently tried testing your React Native app on iOS 26 and things went very wrong — you’re not alone.

Apple just pulled the rug out from under hybrid frameworks — and it’s not a bug. It’s the new reality.

In this post, I’ll explain why iOS 26 breaks React Native apps, what you can do about it, and how to future-proof your mobile stack moving forward.

What’s Happening?

Photo by Arturrro on Unsplash

iOS 26 removes support for legacy JIT runtimes and blocks unofficial JavaScriptCore integrations.

This affects:

  • React Native (especially older versions using custom JSI runtimes)
  • Capacitor / Cordova plugins
  • Flutter apps using legacy rendering layers
  • Custom JavaScript runtimes bundled via WKWebView

Common Symptoms:

  • App crashes on launch
  • App Store rejections citing “unsupported binaries”
  • Features relying on native modules no longer function
  • Push notifications or background tasks silently fail

If you haven’t tested your app on iOS 26 yet — now’s the time.

Why Did Apple Do This?

Photo by Elena Mozhvilo on Unsplash

Apple’s motivation, as always, comes down to three things:

  1. Security — JIT runtimes open up memory execution vulnerabilities.
  2. Performance — Native Swift apps are more battery-efficient and faster.
  3. User Experience — Apple wants apps to feel native. No lag. No stutter. No bridges.

With SwiftUI, SwiftData, and improved native tooling, Apple is signaling:

“If you’re building for iOS — build native.”

How React Native Is Affected

React Native apps rely on:

  • A JavaScriptCore engine
  • Native bridges (for UI, gestures, modules)
  • Sometimes WebViews or Metro bundlers on-device

iOS 26 breaks:

  • Access to internal JSC APIs
  • Old UIWebView or WKWebView hacks
  • Some dynamic native module linking
  • Non-compliant background task APIs

What You Can Do (Right Now)

1. Upgrade React Native — ASAP

  • Make sure you’re on the latest version of React Native (0.74+ in 2025).
  • Recent versions offer better support for Hermes (the new JS engine) and fewer deprecated APIs.
  • Hermes is now the only JS engine Apple semi-tolerates. Older setups using vanilla JSC are blocked.
npm install react-native@latest

Also upgrade Xcode, Metro, and all dependencies to match.

2. Replace Deprecated Native Modules

Audit your dependencies:

  • Check for plugins using UIWebView (Apple banned this years ago)
  • Avoid modules that require binary patching or unsafe native bridging
  • Look for iOS 26–ready alternatives (many open-source maintainers are scrambling to update)

3. Test on iOS 26 Simulators and Devices

Don’t wait for user complaints.

  • Install Xcode 16
  • Run your app on an iOS 26 simulator
  • Check logs for warnings about:
  • Unsupported symbols
  • JIT failure
  • Crashes in RCTBridge

Use TestFlight to validate behavior on physical iPhones too.

4. Submit an Appeal (if Needed)

If Apple rejected your app recently:

  • Provide details on how you’ve updated the JS engine (Hermes)
  • Remove non-compliant libraries
  • Highlight any native Swift integrations
  • Rebuild with Xcode 16 and re-submit

Rejections are more common right now — Apple is enforcing strict checks but allowing fixes if your app is actively maintained.

But Long-Term? It Might Be Time to Go Native.

Photo by Christian Thöni on Unsplash

Many teams are facing this hard truth:

Keeping a React Native app compliant with iOS is becoming harder, not easier.

With SwiftUI and Jetpack Compose becoming mainstream, native development is now:

  • Faster (thanks to declarative UI and hot previews)
  • Safer (no bridges, no runtime hacks)
  • Smoother (native feel and instant animations)

Migration Options (If You’re Ready to Move On)

1. Rebuild in SwiftUI (iOS-only, fast-to-market)

  • Focus only on iOS first
  • Use SwiftUI + SwiftData
  • Build lean MVPs with native UX

2. Go Native Gradually (Hybrid approach)

  • Keep some parts in RN
  • Move core features to Swift modules
  • Use RCTBridgeModule only where absolutely required

3. Use Cross-Platform APIs, Not Code

  • Share business logic in Rust/Kotlin Multiplatform
  • Build UI natively on each platform
  • Better long-term maintainability than full hybrid apps

Final Thoughts

React Native isn’t dead. But on iOS, it’s no longer safe to assume “it just works.”

iOS 26 is a wake-up call.

You either:

  • Constantly fight the platform and chase compatibility
  • Or embrace the tools Apple is building for the future

If your startup’s app is central to your business — now is the time to reassess.

Don’t wait until your users update to iOS 26 and your app breaks.

SwiftUI in 2025: How I Architect My Apps Without MVVM (With Real Code) Okay, no MVVM. But then… how do I structure my app?  — Every developer after reading my last article 😅medium.com

🔥 The End of MVP Culture? Why Startups Are Choosing Native Again “Just ship it fast.” “Use React Native.” “MVP first, polish later.”javascript.plainenglish.io

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