[TypeError: Cannot read property 'start' of null] Did anyone got this for the first time?

[abdulwahid211]

I'm using the latest "react-native-background-actions": "^4.0.1", trying to understand why am I getting null when I do await BackgroundService.start(veryIntensiveTask, options); So did anyone experience this issue before? Please see package.json and sample code which I used

---

Package.json

{
  "name": "trackingproject",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "main": "node_modules/expo/AppEntry.js",
  "scripts": {
    "start": "expo start",
    "android": "expo run:android",
    "ios": "expo run:ios",
    "web": "expo start --web"
  },
  "dependencies": {
    "@dangttp/react-native-background-service": "^0.1.3",
    "@microsoft/signalr": "^8.0.0",
    "@react-native-async-storage/async-storage": "1.23.01",
    "@react-native-community/geolocation": "^3.2.1",
    "@react-native-community/hooks": "^3.0.0",
    "@react-navigation/native": "^6.1.18",
    "@react-navigation/native-stack": "^6.9.17",
    "axios": "^1.6.7",
    "expo": "~51.0.31",
    "expo-camera": "~15.0.15",
    "expo-file-system": "~17.0.1",
    "expo-location": "^17.0.1",
    "expo-sharing": "^12.0.1",
    "expo-status-bar": "~1.12.1",
    "expo-task-manager": "~11.8.2",
    "expo-updates": "~0.25.24",
    "haversine-distance": "^1.2.3",
    "moment": "^2.30.1",
    "node-signalr": "^3.0.0-alpha.1",
    "react": "18.2.0",
    "react-native": "0.74.5",
    "react-native-background-actions": "^4.0.1",
    "react-native-bouncy-checkbox": "^3.0.7",
    "react-native-get-random-values": "~1.11.0",
    "react-native-maps": "1.18.0",
    "react-native-maps-directions": "^1.9.0",
    "react-native-maps-routes": "^1.0.3",
    "react-native-modal": "^13.0.1",
    "react-native-pager-view": "6.3.0",
    "react-native-reanimated": "^3.15.4",
    "react-native-tab-view": "^3.5.2",
    "react-native-url-polyfill": "^2.0.0"
  },
  "devDependencies": {
    "@babel/core": "^7.24.0",
    "@tsconfig/react-native": "^3.0.2",
    "@types/jest": "^29.5.11",
    "@types/react": "~18.2.79",
    "@types/react-native": "^0.73.0",
    "@types/react-test-renderer": "^18.0.7",
    "typescript": "^5.3.3"
  },
  "private": true
}

---

sampleCode.tsx

import * as React from 'react';
import { Text, View} from 'react-native';
import BackgroundService from 'react-native-background-actions';
import { useEffect } from 'react';

const veryIntensiveTask = async (taskDataArguments: any) => {
  console.log('Yahhhhhhhhhhhhhh');
};

const options = {
  taskName: 'Example',
  taskTitle: 'ExampleTask title',
  taskDesc: 'ExampleTask description',
  taskIcon: {
    name: 'ic_launcher',
    type: 'mipmap',
  },
  color: '#ff00ff',
  linkingURI: 'yourSchemeHere://chat/jane', // See Deep Linking for more info
  parameters: {
    delay: 1000,
  },
};

export function IntroScreen({ navigation }: any) {
  const startBackgroundTasks = async () => {
    try {
      if (BackgroundService) {
        await BackgroundService.start(veryIntensiveTask, options); // I believe here where its failing 
        await BackgroundService.updateNotification({
          taskDesc: 'New ExampleTask description',
        });
      }
    } catch (error) {
      console.error(error);
    }
  };

  useEffect(() => {
    console.log('Yaaag');
    startBackgroundTasks();
  }, []);

  return (
    <View>
      <Text>Bavckground Service System</Text>
    </View>
  );
}

Any suggestions or feedback would be appreciated :)

[henryobiaraije]

Any fix for this?

[abdulwahid211]

Nope still waiting..

[Renato1478]

I got the same error. I just runned gradlew clean inside android folder and reinstalled the App

[vincon09]

Any fix for this?

just re-build the app, it works for me