[🐛] Bug Report Title - It is crashing on Android Version 10 and below

[foya562]

What happened?

Description: On Android 10 and below, using react-native-google-mobile-ads (tried multiple versions), with React Native 0.79’s New Architecture enabled, our app immediately crashes with SIGABRT in libc.so during JSI initialization of the AdMob module (NativeGoogleMobileAdsNativeModuleSpecJSI → setEventEmitterCallback). This appears to be caused by the Android EventEmitter (TurboModule) stub not being implemented, so the TurboModule loader aborts when it tries to register callbacks.

Please help.

Platforms

Android, but have not tested behavior on iOS

React Native Info

Version 0.79.2

Are your using Typescript?

• My project is using Typescript

package.json

"@expo/vector-icons": "^14.1.0",
    "@react-native-async-storage/async-storage": "2.1.2",
    "@react-native-community/netinfo": "11.4.1",
    "@react-native-firebase/analytics": "^22.2.0",
    "@react-native-firebase/app": "^22.2.0",
    "@react-native-firebase/crashlytics": "^22.2.0",
    "@react-native-firebase/messaging": "^22.2.0",
    "@react-navigation/bottom-tabs": "^6.6.1",
    "@react-navigation/native": "^6.1.18",
    "@react-navigation/native-stack": "^6.10.1",
    "@supabase/supabase-js": "^2.49.9-next.2",
    "expo": "^53.0.9",
    "expo-av": "~15.1.4",
    "expo-build-properties": "~0.14.6",
    "expo-clipboard": "~7.1.4",
    "expo-constants": "~17.1.6",
    "expo-dev-client": "~5.1.8",
    "expo-haptics": "~14.1.4",
    "expo-image": "~2.1.7",
    "expo-linear-gradient": "~14.1.4",
    "expo-navigation-bar": "~4.2.4",
    "expo-network": "~7.1.5",
    "expo-notifications": "~0.31.2",
    "expo-splash-screen": "~0.30.8",
    "expo-status-bar": "~2.2.3",
    "hashids": "^2.3.0",
    "lodash": "^4.17.21",
    "lottie-react-native": "7.2.2",
    "react": "19.0.0",
    "react-native": "0.79.2",
    "react-native-gesture-handler": "~2.24.0",
    "react-native-google-mobile-ads": "14.9.1", // also tried version v15 
    "react-native-responsive-fontsize": "^0.5.1",
    "react-native-responsive-screen": "^1.4.2",
    "react-native-safe-area-context": "5.4.0",
    "react-native-screens": "~4.10.0",
    "react-native-shimmer-placeholder": "^2.0.9",
    "react-native-toast-message": "^2.2.0",
    "react-native-webview": "13.13.5",

app.json

.

ios/Podfile

android/build.gradle

android/app/build.gradle

android/settings.gradle

AndroidManifest.xml

[dylancom]

If you see the readme, the new EventEmitter is not implemented in the Android part. This library is looking for Android maintainers :) feel free to submit a PR.

[felipej26]

@foya562 I was facing the same issue as well. The fix that worked for me was disabling the New Architecture on Android.
I’ll enable it again once the new EventEmitter is implemented in this library ;)

[foya562]

@foya562 I was facing the same issue as well. The fix that worked for me was disabling the New Architecture on Android. I’ll enable it again once the new EventEmitter is implemented in this library ;)

yes i will also do the same.

The biggest issue with this kind of crash is , that even Crashlytics (with ndk enalbled and symbol uploads to true) does not give fully symbolicated stack trace. So it becomes very hard to check/understand these kind of errors.

[mrgarest]

@foya562 I was facing the same issue as well. The fix that worked for me was disabling the New Architecture on Android. I’ll enable it again once the new EventEmitter is implemented in this library ;)

I have the same problem. Can you tell me how you solved it? Did you disable ads for the app completely?

[foya562]

@foya562 I was facing the same issue as well. The fix that worked for me was disabling the New Architecture on Android. I’ll enable it again once the new EventEmitter is implemented in this library ;)

I have the same problem. Can you tell me how you solved it? Did you disable ads for the app completely?

just use the older architecture as of now.
When the team will fix this issue, use the new architecture.

Just a one line change in your code.

[mrgarest]

Thanks for the help. Switching to the old architecture in app.json really helped, and now the program works without crashing.

{
  "expo": {
    "android": {
      "newArchEnabled": false
    }
  }
}

I would also like to note that the app crash occurred not only on Android 10 and below, but also on newer versions.

[miraclenonso]

Hope switching doesn't cause any harm or something

[miraclenonso]

@foya562 please hope changing it to new architecture won't cause any kind of harm or crash?

[mrgarest]

Hope switching doesn't cause any harm or something

In my case, I needed to edit some screens after that. So check if the content is displayed correctly on your screens. I didn't have any other problems or crashes.

[miraclenonso]

@mrgarest like how about the performance of your app...did it reduce or increase? And can you give me an example of a screen you edited please and also...did all the ads format started displaying perfectly on all devices.

[mrgarest]

@mrgarest like how about the performance of your app...did it reduce or increase? And can you give me an example of a screen you edited please and also...did all the ads format started displaying perfectly on all devices.

I haven't noticed any performance issues, but the app is quite simple and undemanding.

[miraclenonso]

@mrgarest I mean the speed of the app..did it reduce ? And please you didn't answer me concerning the ads 🙏🙏

[mrgarest]

@mrgarest I mean the speed of the app..did it reduce ? And please you didn't answer me concerning the ads 🙏🙏

1. I didn't notice any difference in how the app works on two Android devices (8 and 14) and one iOS device.
2. I had problems with screens when using TailwindCSS, namely in expo/vector-icons, where colors did not work (specifically when using classes from TailwindCSS), and there was one place where justify-between (also from TailwindCSS) did not work in the Link component.
3. I only use native blocks. There are no problems with them.

[foya562]

@foya562 please hope changing it to new architecture won't cause any kind of harm or crash?

In majority of the cases, it will not.
But check your app thouroughly.
That is the only way to tell.

In my case, I was having some issues with flatList animations.
But it was simple to solve.