0.86.3: prebuilt React.framework calls pre-rename jsi::Runtime signature, but bundled Hermes only exports jsi::IRuntime — crash at launch (Symbol not found) #58561

Description

App crashes immediately at launch on iOS/Simulator after upgrading to react-native@0.86.3 (via expo@57.0.23, Expo SDK 57), using the standard CocoaPods + react-native.config prebuilt-binary integration (React-Core-prebuilt / use_frameworks!-less default setup). No app code was touched — this reproduces on a stock Expo SDK 57 bare-workflow project after pod install + a normal Release build.

Crash

Termination Reason: DYLD, [0x4] Symbol missing
Symbol not found: __ZN8facebook3jsi5Array18createWithElementsERNS0_7RuntimeESt16initializer_listINS0_5ValueEE
Referenced from: .../ExampleApp.app/Frameworks/React.framework/React
Expected in:     .../ExampleApp.app/Frameworks/hermesvm.framework/hermesvm

Demangled: facebook::jsi::Array::createWithElements(facebook::jsi::Runtime&, std::initializer_list<facebook::jsi::Value>)

Root cause (confirmed by direct binary inspection, not inferred)

The vendored React.xcframework (from React-Core-prebuilt.podspec, pinned to the react-native package's own version, 0.86.3) references the pre-rename JSI signature taking facebook::jsi::Runtime&.

Every Hermes build CocoaPods can resolve for this exact react-native version — both variants — exports only the renamed signature taking facebook::jsi::IRuntime&:

$ xcrun nm hermesvm.framework/hermesvm | grep createWithElements
0000000000275ef0 T __ZN8facebook3jsi5Array18createWithElementsERNS0_8IRuntimeESt16initializer_listINS0_5ValueEE

Verified against both available hermes-engine builds for this react-native version:

• V1 (default, RCT_HERMES_V1_ENABLED unset): hermes-engine (250829098.0.17), resolved via hermes-engine.podspec's HERMES_V1_VERSION_NAME (from sdks/hermes-engine/version.properties)
• Classic (RCT_HERMES_V1_ENABLED=0): hermes-engine (0.17.0), resolved via HERMES_VERSION_NAME

Both export only IRuntime-based symbols — same crash either way. This rules out a Hermes-variant-selection issue; it's a structural mismatch between the two independently-versioned prebuilt binaries (React-Core-prebuilt's React.xcframework and hermes-engine's hermesvm.framework) that react-native@0.86.3 ships together.

Also ruled out: stale Xcode DerivedData (wiped ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/<App>-* between attempts — no change, same crash, same binary UUIDs for React.framework across attempts).

Repro

1. Fresh Expo SDK 57 bare-workflow app (or any app pinning react-native@0.86.3 via the standard CocoaPods prebuilt-binary integration).
2. pod install
3. Build Release config for iphonesimulator, install + launch on a simulator.
4. App terminates immediately with the symbol-missing crash above.

Environment

• react-native: 0.86.3
• expo: 57.0.23 (SDK 57)
• Xcode: 27.0, iOS 27.0 SDK / simulator runtime
• hermes-engine: 250829098.0.17 (V1, default) — also reproduced with 0.17.0 (classic, RCT_HERMES_V1_ENABLED=0)
• Platform: macOS, arm64 (Apple Silicon), iOS Simulator

Expected behavior

React-Core-prebuilt's vendored React.xcframework should be built against, and link cleanly with, whichever Hermes build hermes-engine.podspec resolves for the same react-native release — no missing-symbol crash at launch.