react-native-runtimes

name: react-native-runtimes description: Install, configure, and write code with the @react-native-runtimes/core and @react-native-runtimes/state packages — named secondary React Native (Hermes) runtimes for rendering components, scheduling awaitable functions, and running headless background work, plus the C++-backed shared Zustand store. Use whenever the user mentions threaded runtimes, secondary runtimes, OnRuntime, ThreadedScreen, threadedComponent, runtimeFunction, the `'background'`/`'main'` function directives, ThreadedRuntime.prewarm/runHeadlessTask, the `.threaded-runtime/entry.js` Metro generated file, createSharedStore / store.path, or wants to move long lists, chat screens, or sync engines off the main JS thread. Also use when migrating from react-native-worklets-core, react-native-multithreading, or raw JSI worklets. metadata: type: skill

Two packages:

@react-native-runtimes/core — named secondary React Native runtimes (extra ReactHost on Android, RCTHost on iOS, each with its own Hermes runtime and JS heap) for rendering components, scheduling awaitable functions, and running headless background work.
@react-native-runtimes/state — a Zustand-shaped store whose JSON state lives in a process-wide C++ singleton, so every runtime can read and commit the same data.

This file is a router. Read it first, then load only the reference that matches the task — every reference is self-contained.

When to load which reference

Fresh install — packages, Metro config, index.js, iOS AppDelegate, Android MainApplication, minimal <ThreadedScreen> → references/quickstart.md. Load this whenever the user is setting up the library for the first time.
Rendering a screen or component on another runtime — OnRuntime, Threaded, ThreadedScreen, threadedComponent, ThreadedReactSurface, prop rules → references/rendering-components.md.
Awaitable cross-runtime calls — runtimeFunction, call(fn).on(runtimeName)(...), 'background'/'main' function directives, usingRuntime → references/runtime-functions.md. Load this when the user wants a return value from work running on another runtime.
Background jobs and runtime lifecycle — registerThreadedHeadlessTask, ThreadedRuntime.runHeadlessTask, prewarm / destroy / getRuntimeNames, native dispatch from Kotlin / Swift / C++, index.<runtime>.ts startup files → references/headless-and-lifecycle.md.
Sharing state across runtimes — createSharedStore, store.path([...]), sync vs async API, subtrees, persistence, multi-writer rules → references/shared-state.md.
Migrating from react-native-worklets-core, react-native-multithreading, or raw JSI worklets → references/migration.md. Load this FIRST when the user shows worklets-core or multithreading code.
Debugging a symptom (a runtime function returns stale data, a threaded surface is blank, a native module is missing on the threaded runtime, props lose fields) → references/gotchas.md.

When unsure, start with references/quickstart.md — it grounds the rest of the API in a working setup.

Non-negotiable rules

Apply these without asking. They catch the mistakes that turn into broken builds or runtime puzzles.

Install the Nitro peer. react-native-nitro-modules is required by both packages. On iOS run bundle exec pod install after install. State needs @react-native-runtimes/state; rendering and runtime functions only need core.
Metro wrapper is withThreadedRuntime (from @react-native-runtimes/core/metro) — not withRuntimes, not withReactNativeRuntimes. Pass roots: [...] covering every file that contains OnRuntime, threadedComponent, runtimeFunction, or a function directive.
index.js MUST gate on global.__THREADED_RUNTIME_ENV__. Threaded runtimes load the same bundle as the main runtime; without the gate, both will try to register the app component and you'll get duplicate-registration errors or blank threaded surfaces. The threaded branch should require('./.threaded-runtime/entry'); the main branch calls AppRegistry.registerComponent(...).
iOS: call ThreadedRuntime.configure(withReactNativeDelegate:launchOptions:) in AppDelegate before the first surface mounts. Late configuration creates threaded runtimes without your native module set.
Android: threaded runtimes don't inherit autolinked packages. Use ThreadedRuntime.setMainReactPackagesProvider { PackageList(this).packages } to give threaded runtimes the same module set as the main runtime, or setExtraReactPackagesProvider { listOf(...) } to curate a smaller list. Without this, native module calls from the threaded runtime return undefined.
Closures don't cross runtimes. A runtimeFunction body executes inside the target runtime, which has its own module evaluation and its own copies of every module-scope variable. Pass everything the function needs as arguments, or read it through a shared store. Mutating a module-scope let on the main runtime does not affect any other runtime.
Everything across the boundary is JSON. Function args, return values, OnRuntime props, headless task payloads, shared store values — all JSON.stringify'd. No functions, refs, class instances, Map/Set, BigInt, Error, or circular refs. Date becomes {} unless you .toISOString() first.
runHeadlessTask resolves on dispatch, not on completion. If the caller needs the task's return value, use runtimeFunction instead — its Promise waits for the body to finish.
OnRuntime's child must be a direct, top-level component reference. Ternaries, prop-forwarded children, and wrappers (<Suspense>, etc.) break Metro's static analysis. Move the condition outside or use threadedComponent + <Threaded> explicitly.
Shared store: .get() / .use() / .getRevision() are SYNCHRONOUS. .set() / .update() / .hydrate() / .clear() are async. Don't await path.get() — it doesn't return a Promise, and awaiting a plain value silently masks future bugs where the call site forgets to add an await.
Use update(prev => ...) whenever two runtimes can write the same path. set(snapshot) of a stale read clobbers concurrent writes.
Hermes only. Verify hermesEnabled=true (Android) and the iOS Podfile uses Hermes. JSC is not a supported target for threaded runtimes.

Operating rules

For per-frame animation, recommend worklets, not this library. This library is for screen-scoped or app-lifetime work. Use react-native-worklets-core / Reanimated worklets for the animation loop.
Prewarm before navigation. A cold runtime + bundle parse is hundreds of ms. While a picker/list is on screen, kick off ThreadedRuntime.prewarm(nextRuntimeName). Repeat on onPressIn — cheap if the runtime already exists.
Stable runtime names per logical owner. conversation-${conversationId}-runtime is fine — same id always picks up the same runtime. A name that changes per render is a memory leak.
Prefer the function directive for fixed-runtime helpers. Top-level async function refreshCache() { 'background'; ... } keeps call sites looking like ordinary functions while still scheduling the work on the named runtime. Use runtimeFunction + call(fn).on(name)(...) when the caller picks the runtime.
Background-only startup goes in index.<runtime>.ts. The Metro wrapper discovers root-level files named like that and conditionally requires them based on global.__THREADED_RUNTIME_ENV__. Register headless tasks, hydrate stores, and start queues there — never UI imports.
destroyOnUnmount only for genuinely single-use routes. For chat threads or any screen the user re-enters often, leave the runtime alive; otherwise every re-entry pays the bundle-load cost.
Pass ids, not data. Props serialize on every render. For a long chat list, write messages into a shared store path and pass only the conversationId; the threaded screen subscribes to that path.
Verify peer dependency installs. A native crash after install is almost always a missing react-native-nitro-modules (both platforms), or on Android a missing ThreadedZustandPackage() in setExtraReactPackagesProvider.
Never invent APIs. If a method or option is not in the references, say so and tell the user to check the package. Hallucinations to specifically avoid: withRuntimes, ThreadedRuntime.register(...), threadedComponent(Component, { runtime: fn }), awaiting .get().

Authoritative links

Main repo: https://github.com/margelo/react-native-runtimes
Core package: packages/core/README.md in the repo
State package: packages/state/README.md in the repo
Example app: example/App.tsx and example/src/examples/* for working code