AppState emits `active` after locking iPhone with "Always On Screen"

Description

On iPhones that support "Always On Display" (see supported models) and have this setting on (it is on by default!), locking your phone whilst a React Native application is open causes AppState.addEventListener to emit the event: active.

This has several unwanted consequences: for popular applications who rely on the active event to fetch new data, this bug causes 1000s of unwanted API calls that automatically fail, as the runtime is immediately paused after the app is paused (which as a result causes HTTP calls to be dropped).

Steps to reproduce

1. Ensure you're running this on an iPhone (or Simulator) that support the "Always On Display" feature.
2. In a blank react native application, add the following code to a screen:

useEffect(() => {
    const eventListener = AppState.addEventListener('change', (state) => {
      console.log('🚨 AppState changed to: ', state)
    })

    return () => {
      eventListener.remove()
    }
  }, [])

3. Lock the phone.
4. You should see a inactive event, immediately followed by an active event.

React Native Version

0.81.4

Affected Platforms

Runtime - iOS

Output of npx @react-native-community/cli info

System:
  OS: macOS 26.1
  CPU: (14) arm64 Apple M4 Pro
  Memory: 1.92 GB / 48.00 GB
  Shell:
    version: "5.9"
    path: /bin/zsh
Binaries:
  Node:
    version: 22.16.0
    path: ~/.nvm/versions/node/v22.16.0/bin/node
  Yarn:
    version: 1.22.22
    path: ~/Documents/amber/amber-mobile/node_modules/.bin/yarn
  npm:
    version: 10.9.2
    path: ~/.nvm/versions/node/v22.16.0/bin/npm
  Watchman:
    version: 2025.03.03.00
    path: /opt/homebrew/bin/watchman
Managers:
  CocoaPods:
    version: 1.16.2
    path: /Users/rudy/.rbenv/shims/pod
SDKs:
  iOS SDK:
    Platforms:
      - DriverKit 25.1
      - iOS 26.1
      - macOS 26.1
      - tvOS 26.1
      - visionOS 26.1
      - watchOS 26.1
  Android SDK: Not Found
IDEs:
  Android Studio: 2025.2 AI-252.25557.131.2521.14432022
  Xcode:
    version: 26.1.1/17B100
    path: /usr/bin/xcodebuild
Languages:
  Java:
    version: 17.0.10
    path: /usr/bin/javac
  Ruby:
    version: 3.1.2
    path: /Users/rudy/.rbenv/shims/ruby
npmPackages:
  "@react-native-community/cli":
    installed: 20.0.0
    wanted: ^20.0.0
  react:
    installed: 19.1.0
    wanted: 19.1.0
  react-native:
    installed: 0.81.4
    wanted: 0.81.4
  react-native-macos: Not Found
npmGlobalPackages:
  "*react-native*": Not Found
Android:
  hermesEnabled: true
  newArchEnabled: true
iOS:
  hermesEnabled: true
  newArchEnabled: true

Stacktrace or Logs

Not relevant.

MANDATORY Reproducer

https://snack.expo.dev/@amber-pli/fascinated-violet-popcorn

Screenshots and Videos

Start with the AppState.addEventListener('change') behavior in the mandatory Snack reproducer, using an Always On Display iPhone or Simulator. Trace the iOS lifecycle events produced when the device is locked and identify why active follows inactive. Done means locking the device no longer emits the spurious active event while normal app-state transitions still work.