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[Android] textDecorationLine underline disappears from an unchanged Text after a sibling is inserted (0.87.1) #58999
Description
Description
On Android, an underline set with textDecorationLine: 'underline' disappears from a <Text> whose own props and position did not change, once its parent commits a layout change around it (here: sibling rows inserted after it). The text still renders; only the decoration is gone. Newly mounted Text views, and Text views that moved, keep the underline. iOS is not affected.
It happens for both nested (<Text>a <Text style={{textDecorationLine: 'underline'}}>b</Text></Text>) and standalone underlined Text.
In 0.87 Android underline drawing moved from the framework UnderlineSpan to ReactUnderlineSpan (a CanvasEffectSpan painted from ReactTextView.onDraw → drawTextEffects → drawSpannedDecoration), as part of the textDecorationStyle work (87184c8). The symptom looks like that path draws nothing when an existing ReactTextView is only redrawn.
Possibly related, but different symptoms: #57900 (decoration position), #58356 (crash with numberOfLines).
We first saw it in an app where, among many identically styled rows, only some kept their underline — the ones that happened to be re-laid-out in the same commit.
Steps to reproduce
- Clone https://github.com/ChoiHyeongu/rn-087-android-underline-repro, then
cd ReproducerApp && yarn install && yarn android. - On launch, every row is underlined.
- Tap INSERT. Eight
krows are inserted between thenrows and thesrows. - Every
nrow (unchanged, above the insertion) loses its underline. The insertedkrows and the shiftedsrows keep it.
RERENDER (parent state change only) and REMOUNT (key change) do not trigger it.
React Native Version
0.87.1
Affected Platforms
Runtime - Android
Output of npx @react-native-community/cli info
System:
OS: macOS 26.5
CPU: (14) arm64 Apple M4 Pro
Memory: 3.49 GB / 48.00 GB
Shell:
version: "5.9"
path: /bin/zsh
Binaries:
Node:
version: 24.14.0
path: ~/.local/share/mise/installs/node/24.14.0/bin/node
Yarn:
version: 1.22.22
path: ~/.local/share/mise/installs/node/24.14.0/bin/yarn
npm:
version: 11.9.0
path: ~/.local/share/mise/installs/node/24.14.0/bin/npm
Watchman: Not Found
Managers:
CocoaPods:
version: 1.16.2
path: /opt/homebrew/bin/pod
SDKs:
iOS SDK:
Platforms:
- DriverKit 25.5
- iOS 26.5
- macOS 26.5
- tvOS 26.5
- visionOS 26.5
- watchOS 26.5
Android SDK: Not Found
IDEs:
Android Studio: 2025.3 AI-253.32098.37.2534.15336583
Xcode:
version: 26.6/17F113
path: /usr/bin/xcodebuild
Languages:
Java:
version: 23.0.2
path: /usr/bin/javac
Ruby:
version: 3.4.2
path: ~/.rbenv/shims/ruby
npmPackages:
"@react-native-community/cli":
installed: 20.2.0
wanted: 20.2.0
react:
installed: 19.2.3
wanted: 19.2.3
react-native:
installed: 0.87.1
wanted: 0.87.1
react-native-macos: Not Found
npmGlobalPackages:
"*react-native*": Not Found
Android:
hermesEnabled: true
newArchEnabled: true
iOS:
hermesEnabled: Not found
newArchEnabled: false
Stacktrace or Logs
No crash and no warnings — visual-only. The underline is simply not drawn.
MANDATORY Reproducer
https://github.com/ChoiHyeongu/rn-087-android-underline-repro
Screenshots and Videos
Pixel 9 Pro emulator, Android 16 (API 36).
| Before | After tapping INSERT |
|---|---|
 |
 |
Activity
Jakobbarnwell commentedon Oct 20, 2026
Confirmed the same visible failure on React Native 0.88.0 with a fresh, independent Expo 58.0.16 / React 19.3.0 app. Sibling insertion in a
ScrollViewcan remove the decoration from unchanged text. The text itself remains visible.Public reproducer: https://github.com/Jakobbarnwell/react-native-android-underline-repro/tree/ecec8ad08014f78bd3584c4aa8856bbd4f0e9e33
It has only Expo, React and React Native as dependencies, with an exact npm lockfile. No accounts, custom fonts, styling libraries or proprietary application code. The tested app source is
e934a797ee95317de1bb99f564466e83994d0060; the linked revision adds the measurements and scripts without changing that app.Device/build: Android 11 / API 30,
sdk_gphone_arm64emulator, ARM64, 1080×2400, 420 dpi; release APK with embedded JS, Hermes and New Architecture enabled. No Metro or Expo Go. CLI/environment output, device details.Steps:
npm ci, Expo prebuild, Gradle assembleRelease).com.jakobbarnwell.underlinerepro/.MainActivity; wait five seconds afteram start -Wreturns.Counted results (each of A, B and C had the same outcome):
ScrollView failures: runs 2, 3, 7, 9. Changing A's opacity restored it in 0/2 affected trials. In four separate fresh-process probes, two lost underlines and stayed missing after another ten seconds; both restored after a native
debug.layoutproperty/notification sequence (2/2 affected trials). The other two retained underlines throughout. The service command'sParcel(Error: ... "Not a data message")output is retained; this observation concerns recovery after the complete sequence, not a successful reply payload.Full lossless PNGs, launch logs/PIDs, per-screenshot counts, hashes and probe instructions.
Cold-launch-only loss was not reproduced. The possible null-
getLayout()path inReactTextView.onDrawremains an uninstrumented hypothesis. Counts are limited to this emulator; its host emittedFailed to find ColorBufferwarnings, and no physical-device or iOS validation was performed.