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

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

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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