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

Bắt đầu với hành vi của AppState.addEventListener('change') trong trình tái hiện Snack bắt buộc, sử dụng iPhone hoặc Simulator có Always On Display. Theo dõi các sự kiện vòng đời iOS được tạo ra khi thiết bị bị khóa và xác định lý do active theo sau inactive. Công việc được xem là hoàn tất khi việc khóa thiết bị không còn phát ra sự kiện active không đúng, trong khi các chuyển đổi trạng thái ứng dụng thông thường vẫn hoạt động.