fix(app, android): avoid NullPointerException in isAppInForeground check

[mikehardy]

Description

In the kotlin documentation for this platform API, the return value is designated as nullable, but in the android documentation it is not

Java not noted as null: https://developer.android.com/reference/kotlin/android/app/TaskInfo#baseactivity
Kotlin indeed is ? return: https://developer.android.com/reference/kotlin/android/app/TaskInfo#baseactivity

We coded off the android API and expected it to be non-null but there are user reports of a crash here

So, make the access to this potentially null method result null-safe and return a reasonable default in that case

Related issues

• Fixes [🐛] java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke virtual method 'java.lang.String android.content.ComponentName.getShortClassName()' on a null object reference #8821

Release Summary

fix release via conventional commit

Checklist

• I read the Contributor Guide and followed the process outlined there for submitting PRs.
  • Yes
• My change supports the following platforms;
  • Android
  • iOS
  • Other (macOS, web)
• My change includes tests;
  • e2e tests added or updated in packages/\*\*/e2e
  • jest tests added or updated in packages/\*\*/__tests__
• I have updated TypeScript types that are affected by my change.
• This is a breaking change;
  • Yes
  • No

Test Plan

• passes lint locally
• builds locally, and CI should build as well

Only way to cover it via tests is to receive a local FCM in foreground and background, I exercised that with my build demo which has that feature -- the code is exercised upon receipt of any FCM - while using locally created packages from this PR

https://github.com/mikehardy/rnfbdemo/blob/4ff72ba5b9894542e838b246562c9c14d285aef4/App.tsx#L276-L289

I had to fixup the test cloud function though, as it wasn't working since I converted to v2 / modular functions API and I haven't exercised it yet to notice! It works now though.

Testing indicated that the code path was definitely hit, as I received the test FCM, and the RNFirebaseMsgReceiver message indicates the code path was traveled since there is no possible way through the code without hitting that method, if you see this log message but not the one saying "broadcast intent received with no extras"

02-05 17:24:55.786  8417  8417 D RNFirebaseMsgReceiver: broadcast received for message
02-05 17:24:55.788  8417  9314 I ReactNativeJS: messaging.onMessage received: {"originalPriority":1,"priority":1,"sentTime":1770330296359,"data":{"message":"hello from data block"},"from":"448618578101","messageId":"0:1770330296368836%6b3c7cd2f9fd7ecd","ttl":2419200}

ref:

react-native-firebase/packages/messaging/android/src/main/java/io/invertase/firebase/messaging/ReactNativeFirebaseMessagingReceiver.java

Lines 21 to 43 in 9fb5ab5

	Log.d(TAG, "broadcast received for message");
	if (ReactNativeFirebaseApp.getApplicationContext() == null) {
	ReactNativeFirebaseApp.setApplicationContext(context.getApplicationContext());
	}
	if (intent.getExtras() == null) {
	Log.e(TAG, "broadcast intent received with no extras");
	return;
	}
	RemoteMessage remoteMessage = new RemoteMessage(intent.getExtras());
	ReactNativeFirebaseEventEmitter emitter = ReactNativeFirebaseEventEmitter.getSharedInstance();
	// Add a RemoteMessage if the message contains a notification payload
	if (remoteMessage.getNotification() != null) {
	notifications.put(remoteMessage.getMessageId(), remoteMessage);
	ReactNativeFirebaseMessagingStoreHelper.getInstance()
	.getMessagingStore()
	.storeFirebaseMessage(remoteMessage);
	}
	// |-> ---------------------
	// App in Foreground
	// ------------------------
	if (SharedUtils.isAppInForeground(context)) {

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Project	Deployment	Actions	Updated (UTC)
react-native-firebase	Ready	Preview, Comment	Feb 5, 2026 10:34pm