Performance: Blank app has frame drop on Android

[bonnmh]

Description

IMG_3472.MOV

Steps to reproduce

🐞 Bug Report: Empty Project Drops Below 60 FPS on Interaction

📝 Description

Even with a completely empty React Native project, performance drops significantly when interacting with the screen (e.g., touching anywhere). The frame rate quickly falls below 60 FPS, even though there’s no content or rendering complexity.

📱 Reproduction Steps
1. Create a new React Native project (e.g., using npx react-native init TestApp)
2. Use the following code in App.js:

import React from 'react';
import { View } from 'react-native';

export default function App() {
  return (
    <View style={{ flex: 1 , alignItems:'center', justifyContent:'center', backgroundColor:'pink'}} />
  );
}

3.	Run the app on a physical device
4.	Touch anywhere on the screen

🧪 Expected Behavior

Frame rate should remain at 60 FPS since there’s no content or computation in the app.

❗ Actual Behavior

Frame rate drops immediately after interaction. It feels sluggish even though the app is empty.

IMG_3472.MOV

React Native Version

0.77.2

Affected Platforms

Runtime - Android

Output of npx @react-native-community/cli info

info Fetching system and libraries information...
System:
  OS: macOS 15.2
  CPU: (8) arm64 Apple M1 Pro
  Memory: 647.45 MB / 32.00 GB
  Shell:
    version: "5.9"
    path: /bin/zsh
Binaries:
  Node:
    version: 20.18.1
    path: ~/.nvm/versions/node/v20.18.1/bin/node
  Yarn:
    version: 1.22.22
    path: ~/.nvm/versions/node/v20.18.1/bin/yarn
  npm:
    version: 10.8.2
    path: ~/.nvm/versions/node/v20.18.1/bin/npm
  Watchman:
    version: 2025.04.28.00
    path: /opt/homebrew/bin/watchman
Managers:
  CocoaPods:
    version: 1.16.2
    path: /Users/brian/.rbenv/shims/pod
SDKs:
  iOS SDK:
    Platforms:
      - DriverKit 24.2
      - iOS 18.2
      - macOS 15.2
      - tvOS 18.2
      - visionOS 2.2
      - watchOS 11.2
  Android SDK: Not Found
IDEs:
  Android Studio: 2022.1 AI-221.6008.13.2211.9619390
  Xcode:
    version: 16.2/16C5032a
    path: /usr/bin/xcodebuild
Languages:
  Java:
    version: 24.0.1
    path: /usr/bin/javac
  Ruby:
    version: 2.7.6
    path: /Users/brian/.rbenv/shims/ruby
npmPackages:
  "@react-native-community/cli":
    installed: 16.0.2
    wanted: 16.0.2
  react:
    installed: 18.3.1
    wanted: 18.3.1
  react-native:
    installed: 0.77.2
    wanted: 0.77.2
  react-native-macos: Not Found
npmGlobalPackages:
  "*react-native*": Not Found
Android:
  hermesEnabled: true
  newArchEnabled: true
iOS:
  hermesEnabled: true
  newArchEnabled: true

info React Native v0.80.0 is now available (your project is running on v0.77.2).
info Changelog: https://github.com/facebook/react-native/releases/tag/v0.80.0
info Diff: https://react-native-community.github.io/upgrade-helper/?from=0.77.2&to=0.80.0
info For more info, check out "https://reactnative.dev/docs/upgrading?os=macos".

Stacktrace or Logs

info Fetching system and libraries information...
System:
  OS: macOS 15.2
  CPU: (8) arm64 Apple M1 Pro
  Memory: 647.45 MB / 32.00 GB
  Shell:
    version: "5.9"
    path: /bin/zsh
Binaries:
  Node:
    version: 20.18.1
    path: ~/.nvm/versions/node/v20.18.1/bin/node
  Yarn:
    version: 1.22.22
    path: ~/.nvm/versions/node/v20.18.1/bin/yarn
  npm:
    version: 10.8.2
    path: ~/.nvm/versions/node/v20.18.1/bin/npm
  Watchman:
    version: 2025.04.28.00
    path: /opt/homebrew/bin/watchman
Managers:
  CocoaPods:
    version: 1.16.2
    path: /Users/brian/.rbenv/shims/pod
SDKs:
  iOS SDK:
    Platforms:
      - DriverKit 24.2
      - iOS 18.2
      - macOS 15.2
      - tvOS 18.2
      - visionOS 2.2
      - watchOS 11.2
  Android SDK: Not Found
IDEs:
  Android Studio: 2022.1 AI-221.6008.13.2211.9619390
  Xcode:
    version: 16.2/16C5032a
    path: /usr/bin/xcodebuild
Languages:
  Java:
    version: 24.0.1
    path: /usr/bin/javac
  Ruby:
    version: 2.7.6
    path: /Users/brian/.rbenv/shims/ruby
npmPackages:
  "@react-native-community/cli":
    installed: 16.0.2
    wanted: 16.0.2
  react:
    installed: 18.3.1
    wanted: 18.3.1
  react-native:
    installed: 0.77.2
    wanted: 0.77.2
  react-native-macos: Not Found
npmGlobalPackages:
  "*react-native*": Not Found
Android:
  hermesEnabled: true
  newArchEnabled: true
iOS:
  hermesEnabled: true
  newArchEnabled: true

info React Native v0.80.0 is now available (your project is running on v0.77.2).
info Changelog: https://github.com/facebook/react-native/releases/tag/v0.80.0
info Diff: https://react-native-community.github.io/upgrade-helper/?from=0.77.2&to=0.80.0
info For more info, check out "https://reactnative.dev/docs/upgrading?os=macos".

MANDATORY Reproducer

.

Screenshots and Videos

No response

[react-native-bot]

Warning

Unsupported version: It looks like your issue or the example you provided uses an unsupported version of React Native.

Due to the number of issues we receive, we're currently only accepting new issues against one of the supported versions. Please upgrade to latest and verify if the issue persists (alternatively, create a new project and repro the issue in it). If you cannot upgrade, please open your issue on StackOverflow to get further community support.

[react-native-bot]

Warning

Unsupported version: It looks like your issue or the example you provided uses an unsupported version of React Native.

Due to the number of issues we receive, we're currently only accepting new issues against one of the supported versions. Please upgrade to latest and verify if the issue persists (alternatively, create a new project and repro the issue in it). If you cannot upgrade, please open your issue on StackOverflow to get further community support.

[react-native-bot]

Warning

Missing reproducer: We could not detect a reproducible example in your issue report. Reproducers are mandatory and we can accept only one of those as a valid reproducer:

• For majority of bugs: send us a Pull Request with the RNTesterPlayground.js edited to reproduce your bug.
• If your bug is UI related: a Snack
• If your bug is build/upgrade related: a project using our Reproducer Template

You can read more about about it on our website: How to report a bug.

[devanshsaini11]

Hi @bonnmh , version v0.77 is no longer supported. Please add a reproducer in version 0.80.x

[maksymhcode-care]

Hi @bonnmh , version v0.77 is no longer supported. Please add a reproducer in version 0.80.x

To be fair, it's only

import React from 'react';
import { View } from 'react-native';

export default function App() {
  return (
    <View style={{ flex: 1 , alignItems:'center', justifyContent:'center', backgroundColor:'pink'}} />
  );
}

[devanshsaini11]

@maksymhcode-care Since the issue was reported on react-native 0.77.x—which was released few months ago—the issue may already have been addressed in a newer version. Could you please try upgrading to latest react-native version 0.80.x and let us know if the issue still occurs?
Thanks!

[bonnmh]

@devanshsaini11 Thanks for getting back to me.

Exactly. The core of the issue is that this FPS drop is visible on a completely blank screen, but specifically on low-end devices. This is what makes it worrying, despite 0.77.2 being a great release otherwise.

Happy to provide more details if needed!