Splash Screen Reinitializes When Using Custom Keyboard with RCTSurfaceHostingProxyRootView

[RalissonMattias]

Hello,

I’m encountering an issue where the splash screen unexpectedly reinitializes when using a custom keyboard in my React Native app. I’d like to share the details of the problem and the workaround I’ve implemented, hoping it might help improve the library or its documentation for other developers.

Context

• Library Version: 6.3.3
• Environment: React Native 0.78.1, iOS 18.3.1
• Architecture: Using the New Architecture

Problem

In my app, I’ve implemented a custom keyboard that requires creating a new instance of RCTSurfaceHostingProxyRootView to display the keyboard UI. However, I’ve noticed that doing so triggers the initWithStoryboard:rootView: method in react-native-bootsplash again, causing the splash screen to reinitialize. This results in the splash screen reappearing unexpectedly, even though it was properly hidden during the app’s initial startup.

Cause

It seems the library assumes that initWithStoryboard:rootView: is called only once, during the standard app initialization. In my case, however, instantiating a new RCTSurfaceHostingProxyRootView for the custom keyboard calls this method again, leading to the splash screen reinitialization.

Workaround Implemented

To fix this, I added a static flag to ensure the splash screen initializes only once. Here’s the code I used:

static bool _splashInitialized = false;

+ (void)initWithStoryboard:(NSString * _Nonnull)storyboardName
                  rootView:(UIView * _Nullable)rootView {
    if (_splashInitialized) {
        NSLog(@"Splash screen already initialized, ignoring call");
        return;
    }
    _splashInitialized = true;
    NSLog(@"Initializing splash screen");
    // Rest of the original code
}

This prevents the method from running multiple times, effectively stopping the splash screen from reinitializing.

Suggestion

While my workaround resolves the issue, I think the library could benefit from built-in protection against accidental multiple initializations. Here are a couple of ideas:

• Add an internal flag: Similar to my solution, a flag could ensure the splash screen initializes only once.
• Update the documentation: If multiple initializations are possible in specific scenarios (like custom keyboards), the documentation could warn developers about this behavior and suggest a fix.

Question

Would you consider adding a safeguard against multiple initializations or updating the documentation to address this case? I’d be happy to contribute with a pull request if needed.

Thanks for your attention and for the great work on this library!