react / react/react-native

FlatList with initialScrollIndex skips earlier items when list fits viewport

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Component: FlatList Needs: Triage :mag:
Dominant language
C++
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Description

Description

If initialScrollIndex is set to a non-zero value and the list fits entirely on screen, items before that index are not rendered on Android.

You land at the correct index, but the items before it never appear and can’t be reached

Steps to reproduce
  1. Render a short FlatList so all items fit in the viewport (no scrolling)
  2. Set initialScrollIndex to something > 0
  3. Provide getItemLayout

The provided expo snack has a complete demo example with trigger buttons.

React Native Version

0.84.1

Affected Platforms

Runtime - Android

Output of npx @react-native-community/cli info
System:
  OS: Windows 11 10.0.26200
  CPU: "(16) x64 AMD Ryzen 7 6800H with Radeon Graphics         "
  Memory: 4.72 GB / 15.25 GB
Binaries:
  Node:
    version: 23.5.0
    path: C:\Program Files\nodejs\node.EXE
  Yarn:
    version: 1.22.22
    path: C:\Users\Andrei\AppData\Roaming\npm\yarn.CMD
  npm:
    version: 11.9.0
    path: C:\Program Files\nodejs\npm.CMD
  Watchman: Not Found
SDKs:
  Android SDK: Not Found
  Windows SDK:
    AllowAllTrustedApps: Enabled
    Versions:
      - 10.0.26100.0
IDEs:
  Android Studio: Not Found
  Visual Studio: Not Found
Languages:
  Java:
    version: 23.0.1
    path: C:\Program Files\Common Files\Oracle\Java\javapath\javac.EXE
  Ruby: Not Found
npmPackages:
  "@react-native-community/cli":
    installed: 20.1.0
    wanted: 20.1.0
  react:
    installed: 19.2.3
    wanted: 19.2.3
  react-native:
    installed: 0.84.1
    wanted: 0.84.1
  react-native-windows: Not Found
npmGlobalPackages:
  "*react-native*": Not Found
Android:
  hermesEnabled: true
  newArchEnabled: true
iOS:
  hermesEnabled: Not found
  newArchEnabled: Not found
Stacktrace or Logs
There is no crash or thrown error in this case.

This is a rendering issue:
MANDATORY Reproducer

https://snack.expo.dev/@andyhoover/flatlist-initialscrollindex-bug-2026

Screenshots and Videos
Image Image Image

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start with the Expo Snack reproducer and inspect the FlatList behavior on Android when initialScrollIndex is non-zero, the list fits the viewport, and getItemLayout is provided. Trace the relevant React Native Android entry points, then verify that all earlier items render and remain reachable while the initial index is still selected.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
android, react-native
Domain
mobile
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Quiet
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
48/100

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