Android: Header briefly flashes white when going back after overriding NavigationContainer theme colors.card

Author: chungheCreated May 29, 2026Updated Sep 15, 2026
Labelsbugpackage:stackplatform:androidrepro provided

Current behavior

Description

When overriding the React Navigation theme and changing colors.card, Android shows a brief white flash in the top-left area of the header during back navigation transitions.

This only happens for a single frame while returning from a pushed screen.

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/900ccabf-d3fc-4171-8baa-208511dfafdb

Image

Expected behavior

Back navigation transition should remain visually stable without any white flash or transparent frame.

Reproduction

https://github.com/chunghe/react-navigation-flicker

Platform

  • Android (pixel 9, android simulator)
  • iOS
  • Web
  • Windows
  • MacOS

Packages

  • @react-navigation/bottom-tabs
  • @react-navigation/drawer
  • @react-navigation/material-top-tabs
  • @react-navigation/stack
  • @react-navigation/native-stack
  • react-native-drawer-layout
  • react-native-tab-view

Environment

  • [] I've removed the packages that I don't use
package version
@react-navigation/native 7.2.5
@react-navigation/bottom-tabs 7.16.2
@react-navigation/stack 7.9.3
react-native 0.83.6
expo 55.0.26
node 24.14.0
npm or yarn yarn

Source: react-navigation/react-navigation