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fix(ios): re-attach root view after in-process runtime reload#11261

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fix(ios): re-attach root view after in-process runtime reload#11261
NathanWalker wants to merge 2 commits into
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fix/ios-reload

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@NathanWalker

@NathanWalker NathanWalker commented Jun 6, 2026 •
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When the runtime is reloaded in-process (NativeScriptRuntime.reloadApplication, used for OTA soft reboots) the app re-runs main in a fresh JS isolate while the process stays alive. iOSApplication.run() sees a live UIApplication and routes to runAsEmbeddedApp()

  • The previous UIWindow was deallocated along with the old isolate (it was retained only by the JS-side SceneDelegate._window), and sceneWillConnectToSession, which creates the window, does not re-fire on a reload. getWindow() then returned null and runAsEmbeddedApp() bailed early, leaving a black screen.
  • With no embedder delegate (NativeScript owns the UIApplication), the new root was presented modally over the old, now-dead root controller instead of replacing it, leaking the old controller on every reload and breaking when an overlay is mid-presentation.

runAsEmbeddedApp() works same as before but now supports this use case:

  • recreates a window bound to the active UIWindowScene when none is found (initWithWindowScene + _setWindowForScene/_setupWindowForScene);
  • moves the rootViewController guard into the embedder-only branch, since a freshly recreated window has no controller yet;
  • replaces the window root via setWindowRootView() for the NativeScript-owned case

Supports 9.1 runtime features for OTA installed hot reloading of runtime isolates.

@NathanWalker
fix(ios): re-attach root view after in-process runtime reload
bcb87c9 
When the runtime is reloaded in-process (NativeScriptRuntime.reloadApplication,
used for OTA soft reboots) the app re-runs main in a fresh JS isolate while the
process stays alive. iOSApplication.run() sees a live UIApplication and routes
to runAsEmbeddedApp()

- The previous UIWindow was deallocated along with the old isolate (it was
  retained only by the JS-side SceneDelegate._window), and
  sceneWillConnectToSession — which creates the window — does not re-fire on a
  reload. getWindow() then returned null and runAsEmbeddedApp() bailed early,
  leaving a black screen.
- With no embedder delegate (NativeScript owns the UIApplication), the new root
  was presented modally over the old, now-dead root controller instead of
  replacing it — leaking the old controller on every reload and breaking when an
  overlay is mid-presentation.

runAsEmbeddedApp() now:
- recreates a window bound to the active UIWindowScene when none is found
  (initWithWindowScene + _setWindowForScene/_setupWindowForScene);
- moves the rootViewController guard into the embedder-only branch, since a
  freshly recreated window has no controller yet;
- replaces the window root via setWindowRootView() for the NativeScript-owned
  case instead of modal-presenting over the stale root.
@nx-cloud

nx-cloud Bot commented Jun 6, 2026 •
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View your CI Pipeline Execution ↗ for commit 51b957a

Command Status Duration Result
nx test apps-automated -c=ios ✅ Succeeded 2m 15s View ↗
nx run-many --target=test --configuration=ci --... ✅ Succeeded <1s View ↗

💡 Verify your cache is correct by running tasks in a sandbox. Read docs ↗

☁️ Nx Cloud last updated this comment at 2026-06-09 21:58:44 UTC

@NathanWalker

NathanWalker commented Jun 6, 2026

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Looking for one thing? Review this PR in Change Stack to search files, summaries, diffs, and code without losing your place.

Review Change Stack

📝 Walkthrough

Walkthrough

This PR updates embedded NativeScript app initialization to handle missing UIWindow by recreating it bound to an active UIWindowScene, tolerate null root view controller during startup, and adjust view attachment strategies based on embedder presence versus direct owning-app mode.

Changes

Embedded app window initialization

Layer / File(s) Summary
Window recreation and view controller attachment
packages/core/application/application.ios.ts		 runAsEmbeddedApp now recreates UIWindow bound to selected UIWindowScene when unavailable, tolerates null rootViewController initially, and wires view controller views differently: embedder path guards missing controller and calls setViewControllerView before delegating; owning-app path attaches NativeScript directly via setWindowRootView instead of presenting from visible view controller.

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🚥 Pre-merge checks | ✅ 5
✅ Passed checks (5 passed)
Check name Status Explanation
Title check ✅ Passed The title accurately describes the main change: fixing iOS root view re-attachment after in-process runtime reload, which is the core issue addressed in the PR.
Description check ✅ Passed The description is directly related to the changeset, explaining the problem context, technical details, and specific changes made to runAsEmbeddedApp() to support in-process runtime reloading.
Docstring Coverage ✅ Passed No functions found in the changed files to evaluate docstring coverage. Skipping docstring coverage check.
Linked Issues check ✅ Passed Check skipped because no linked issues were found for this pull request.
Out of Scope Changes check ✅ Passed Check skipped because no linked issues were found for this pull request.

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Actionable comments posted: 1

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Configuration used: Repository UI

Review profile: CHILL

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Run ID: f2c1c242-f3f7-48bd-9baf-36cfebc2086a

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Reviewing files that changed from the base of the PR and between 71d2203 and bcb87c9.

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  • packages/core/application/application.ios.ts

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@NathanWalker NathanWalker mentioned this pull request Jun 7, 2026
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@NathanWalker NathanWalker added this to the 9.1 milestone Jun 9, 2026
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Comment thread packages/core/application/application.ios.ts
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