mfazekas · Oct 10, 2026 · Oct 29, 2026 · Oct 29, 2026 · Oct 29, 2026
diff --git a/android/build.gradle b/android/build.gradle
@@ -167,6 +167,8 @@ dependencies {
   implementation "com.facebook.react:react-android"
   implementation "org.jetbrains.kotlin:kotlin-stdlib:$kotlin_version"
   implementation "app.rive:rive-android:${riveAndroidVersion}"
+  // Same version as the lifecycle libraries rive-android depends on.
+  implementation "androidx.lifecycle:lifecycle-process:2.9.4"
   implementation project(":react-native-nitro-modules")
 }
 
diff --git a/android/src/new/java/com/margelo/nitro/rive/HybridRiveFileFactory.kt b/android/src/new/java/com/margelo/nitro/rive/HybridRiveFileFactory.kt
@@ -1,19 +1,24 @@
 package com.margelo.nitro.rive
 
 import android.annotation.SuppressLint
-import android.os.Handler
-import android.os.Looper
 import android.util.Log
-import android.view.Choreographer
 import androidx.annotation.Keep
+import androidx.lifecycle.Lifecycle
+import androidx.lifecycle.LifecycleEventObserver
+import androidx.lifecycle.LifecycleOwner
+import androidx.lifecycle.LifecycleRegistry
+import androidx.lifecycle.ProcessLifecycleOwner
 import app.rive.RiveFile
 import app.rive.RiveFileSource
 import app.rive.core.CommandQueue
 import com.facebook.proguard.annotations.DoNotStrip
 import com.margelo.nitro.core.ArrayBuffer
 import com.margelo.nitro.core.Promise
 import com.rive.RiveWorkerConfig
+import kotlinx.coroutines.CancellationException
+import kotlinx.coroutines.CoroutineScope
 import kotlinx.coroutines.Dispatchers
+import kotlinx.coroutines.launch
 import kotlinx.coroutines.withContext
 
 /**
@@ -99,26 +104,58 @@ class HybridRiveFileFactory : HybridRiveFileFactorySpec() {
      * The experimental Rive SDK's CommandQueue needs to be polled every frame
      * to process responses from the C++ command server. Without polling,
      * all suspend functions (like RiveFile.fromSource) hang indefinitely.
+     * Polls only while the app is visible, so a backgrounded app gets no frame
+     * callbacks (issue #413).
      */
     private fun startPolling(worker: CommandQueue) {
       if (pollingStarted) return
       pollingStarted = true
-      Handler(Looper.getMainLooper()).post {
-        val callback = object : Choreographer.FrameCallback {
-          override fun doFrame(frameTimeNanos: Long) {
-            try {
-              worker.pollMessages()
-            } catch (e: Exception) {
-              Log.e(TAG, "pollMessages error", e)
-            }
-            Choreographer.getInstance().postFrameCallback(this)
+      CoroutineScope(Dispatchers.Main).launch {
+        val processLifecycle = ProcessLifecycleOwner.get().lifecycle
+        // INITIALIZED means the app disabled ProcessLifecycleOwner's
+        // initializer, so it would never report RESUMED.
+        val lifecycle = if (processLifecycle.currentState == Lifecycle.State.INITIALIZED) {
+          AlwaysResumed.lifecycle
+        } else {
+          VisibleProcess.follow(processLifecycle)
+        }
+        while (true) {
+          try {
+            worker.beginPolling(lifecycle)
+            return@launch
+          } catch (e: CancellationException) {
+            throw e
+          } catch (e: Exception) {
+            Log.e(TAG, "pollMessages error", e)
           }
         }
-        Choreographer.getInstance().postFrameCallback(callback)
       }
     }
   }
 
+  private object AlwaysResumed : LifecycleOwner {
+    override val lifecycle = LifecycleRegistry(this).apply { currentState = Lifecycle.State.RESUMED }
+  }
+
+  // beginPolling() only polls while RESUMED, but a paused activity can still be
+  // visible and rendering (picture-in-picture), so report STARTED as RESUMED.
+  private object VisibleProcess : LifecycleOwner {
+    override val lifecycle = LifecycleRegistry(this)
+
+    fun follow(process: Lifecycle): Lifecycle {
+      process.addObserver(
+        LifecycleEventObserver { _, _ ->
+          lifecycle.currentState = if (process.currentState.isAtLeast(Lifecycle.State.STARTED)) {
+            Lifecycle.State.RESUMED
+          } else {
+            Lifecycle.State.CREATED
+          }
+        }
+      )
+      return lifecycle
+    }
+  }
+
   private suspend fun buildRiveFile(
     data: ByteArray,
     referencedAssets: ReferencedAssetsType?

diff --git a/android/src/new/java/com/margelo/nitro/rive/HybridViewModelArtboardProperty.kt b/android/src/new/java/com/margelo/nitro/rive/HybridViewModelArtboardProperty.kt
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import androidx.annotation.Keep
 import app.rive.Artboard
 import app.rive.ViewModelInstance
 import com.facebook.proguard.annotations.DoNotStrip
+import com.rive.RiveReactNativeView
 
 @Keep
 @DoNotStrip
@@ -23,6 +24,7 @@ class HybridViewModelArtboardProperty(
     try {
       val newArtboard = Artboard.fromFile(sourceFile, hybridArtboard.artboardName)
       instance.setArtboard(path, newArtboard)
+      RiveReactNativeView.onViewModelChanged()
     } catch (e: Exception) {
       Log.e(TAG, "Failed to set artboard for path '$path'", e)
     }

diff --git a/android/src/new/java/com/margelo/nitro/rive/HybridViewModelBooleanProperty.kt b/android/src/new/java/com/margelo/nitro/rive/HybridViewModelBooleanProperty.kt
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import com.facebook.proguard.annotations.DoNotStrip
 import com.margelo.nitro.core.Promise
 import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.first
 import kotlinx.coroutines.runBlocking
+import com.rive.RiveReactNativeView
 
 @Keep
 @DoNotStrip
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@ class HybridViewModelBooleanProperty(
 
   override fun set(value: Boolean) {
     instance.setBoolean(path, value)
+    RiveReactNativeView.onViewModelChanged()
   }
 
   override fun setValueAsync(value: Boolean): Promise<Unit> {

diff --git a/android/src/new/java/com/margelo/nitro/rive/HybridViewModelColorProperty.kt b/android/src/new/java/com/margelo/nitro/rive/HybridViewModelColorProperty.kt
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import com.facebook.proguard.annotations.DoNotStrip
 import com.margelo.nitro.core.Promise
 import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.first
 import kotlinx.coroutines.runBlocking
+import com.rive.RiveReactNativeView
 
 @Keep
 @DoNotStrip
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@ class HybridViewModelColorProperty(
 
   override fun set(value: Double) {
     instance.setColor(path, value.toLong().toInt())
+    RiveReactNativeView.onViewModelChanged()
   }
 
   override fun setValueAsync(value: Double): Promise<Unit> {

diff --git a/android/src/new/java/com/margelo/nitro/rive/HybridViewModelEnumProperty.kt b/android/src/new/java/com/margelo/nitro/rive/HybridViewModelEnumProperty.kt
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import com.facebook.proguard.annotations.DoNotStrip
 import com.margelo.nitro.core.Promise
 import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.first
 import kotlinx.coroutines.runBlocking
+import com.rive.RiveReactNativeView
 
 @Keep
 @DoNotStrip
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@ class HybridViewModelEnumProperty(
 
   override fun set(value: String) {
     instance.setEnum(path, value)
+    RiveReactNativeView.onViewModelChanged()
   }
 
   override fun setValueAsync(value: String): Promise<Unit> {

diff --git a/android/src/new/java/com/margelo/nitro/rive/HybridViewModelImageProperty.kt b/android/src/new/java/com/margelo/nitro/rive/HybridViewModelImageProperty.kt
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import com.facebook.proguard.annotations.DoNotStrip
 import kotlinx.coroutines.CoroutineScope
 import kotlinx.coroutines.Dispatchers
 import kotlinx.coroutines.launch
+import com.rive.RiveReactNativeView
 
 @Keep
 @DoNotStrip
@@ -31,6 +32,7 @@ class HybridViewModelImageProperty(
         val result = ImageAsset.fromBytes(riveWorker, hybridImage.rawData)
         if (result is app.rive.Result.Success) {
           instance.setImage(path, result.value)
+          RiveReactNativeView.onViewModelChanged()
         } else {
           Log.e(TAG, "Failed to decode image for path '$path'")
         }

diff --git a/android/src/new/java/com/margelo/nitro/rive/HybridViewModelListProperty.kt b/android/src/new/java/com/margelo/nitro/rive/HybridViewModelListProperty.kt
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import app.rive.core.CommandQueue
 import com.facebook.proguard.annotations.DoNotStrip
 import com.margelo.nitro.core.Promise
 import kotlinx.coroutines.runBlocking
+import com.rive.RiveReactNativeView
 
 @Keep
 @DoNotStrip
@@ -77,13 +78,15 @@ class HybridViewModelListProperty(
     DeprecationWarning.warn("ListProperty.addInstance", "addInstanceAsync")
     val hybridInstance = instance as? HybridViewModelInstance ?: return
     this.instance.appendToList(path, hybridInstance.viewModelInstance)
+    RiveReactNativeView.onViewModelChanged()
   }
 
   override fun addInstanceAt(instance: HybridViewModelInstanceSpec, index: Double): Boolean {
     DeprecationWarning.warn("ListProperty.addInstanceAt", "addInstanceAtAsync")
     val hybridInstance = instance as? HybridViewModelInstance ?: return false
     return try {
       this.instance.insertToListAtIndex(path, index.toInt(), hybridInstance.viewModelInstance)
+      RiveReactNativeView.onViewModelChanged()
       true
     } catch (e: Exception) {
       Log.e(TAG, "addInstanceAt failed", e)
@@ -95,17 +98,20 @@ class HybridViewModelListProperty(
     DeprecationWarning.warn("ListProperty.removeInstance", "removeInstanceAsync")
     val hybridInstance = instance as? HybridViewModelInstance ?: return
     this.instance.removeFromList(path, hybridInstance.viewModelInstance)
+    RiveReactNativeView.onViewModelChanged()
   }
 
   override fun removeInstanceAt(index: Double) {
     DeprecationWarning.warn("ListProperty.removeInstanceAt", "removeInstanceAtAsync")
     this.instance.removeFromListAtIndex(path, index.toInt())
+    RiveReactNativeView.onViewModelChanged()
   }
 
   override fun swap(index1: Double, index2: Double): Boolean {
     DeprecationWarning.warn("ListProperty.swap", "swapAsync")
     return try {
       this.instance.swapListItems(path, index1.toInt(), index2.toInt())
+      RiveReactNativeView.onViewModelChanged()
       true
     } catch (e: Exception) {
       Log.e(TAG, "swap failed", e)
@@ -118,6 +124,7 @@ class HybridViewModelListProperty(
       ?: return Promise.rejected(RuntimeException("Expected HybridViewModelInstance"))
     return Promise.async {
       this.instance.appendToList(path, hybridInstance.viewModelInstance)
+      RiveReactNativeView.onViewModelChanged()
     }
   }
 
@@ -127,6 +134,7 @@ class HybridViewModelListProperty(
     return Promise.async {
       requireIndexInBounds(index.toInt(), allowEnd = true)
       this.instance.insertToListAtIndex(path, index.toInt(), hybridInstance.viewModelInstance)
+      RiveReactNativeView.onViewModelChanged()
     }
   }
 
@@ -135,13 +143,15 @@ class HybridViewModelListProperty(
       ?: return Promise.rejected(RuntimeException("Expected HybridViewModelInstance"))
     return Promise.async {
       this.instance.removeFromList(path, hybridInstance.viewModelInstance)
+      RiveReactNativeView.onViewModelChanged()
     }
   }
 
   override fun removeInstanceAtAsync(index: Double): Promise<Unit> {
     return Promise.async {
       requireIndexInBounds(index.toInt())
       this.instance.removeFromListAtIndex(path, index.toInt())
+      RiveReactNativeView.onViewModelChanged()
     }
   }
 
@@ -150,6 +160,7 @@ class HybridViewModelListProperty(
       requireIndexInBounds(index1.toInt())
       requireIndexInBounds(index2.toInt())
       this.instance.swapListItems(path, index1.toInt(), index2.toInt())
+      RiveReactNativeView.onViewModelChanged()
     }
   }
 

diff --git a/android/src/new/java/com/margelo/nitro/rive/HybridViewModelNumberProperty.kt b/android/src/new/java/com/margelo/nitro/rive/HybridViewModelNumberProperty.kt
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import com.facebook.proguard.annotations.DoNotStrip
 import com.margelo.nitro.core.Promise
 import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.first
 import kotlinx.coroutines.runBlocking
+import com.rive.RiveReactNativeView
 
 @Keep
 @DoNotStrip
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@ class HybridViewModelNumberProperty(
 
   override fun set(value: Double) {
     instance.setNumber(path, value.toFloat())
+    RiveReactNativeView.onViewModelChanged()
   }
 
   override fun setValueAsync(value: Double): Promise<Unit> {

diff --git a/android/src/new/java/com/margelo/nitro/rive/HybridViewModelStringProperty.kt b/android/src/new/java/com/margelo/nitro/rive/HybridViewModelStringProperty.kt
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import com.facebook.proguard.annotations.DoNotStrip
 import com.margelo.nitro.core.Promise
 import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.first
 import kotlinx.coroutines.runBlocking
+import com.rive.RiveReactNativeView
 
 @Keep
 @DoNotStrip
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@ class HybridViewModelStringProperty(
 
   override fun set(value: String) {
     instance.setString(path, value)
+    RiveReactNativeView.onViewModelChanged()
   }
 
   override fun setValueAsync(value: String): Promise<Unit> {

diff --git a/android/src/new/java/com/margelo/nitro/rive/HybridViewModelTriggerProperty.kt b/android/src/new/java/com/margelo/nitro/rive/HybridViewModelTriggerProperty.kt
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package com.margelo.nitro.rive
 import androidx.annotation.Keep
 import app.rive.ViewModelInstance
 import com.facebook.proguard.annotations.DoNotStrip
+import com.rive.RiveReactNativeView
 
 @Keep
 @DoNotStrip
@@ -14,6 +15,7 @@ class HybridViewModelTriggerProperty(
 
   override fun trigger() {
     instance.fireTrigger(path)
+    RiveReactNativeView.onViewModelChanged()
   }
 
   override fun addListener(onChanged: () -> Unit): () -> Unit {