[android][TextInput] Placeholder is not respecting custom font family and weight

[lorenc-tomasz]

Description

On some Android devices user can change default font to e.g. Cool jazz.

In the app we don't want to allow user to change font family, so we apply fontFamily and fontWeight.

Example:

           <TextInput style={{
                height: 60,
                borderColor: 'gray',
                borderWidth: 1,
                marginBottom: 20,
                fontFamily: 'Roboto',
                fontWeight: '400',
                fontSize: 20,
            }} placeholder={"Search..."} />

We are expecting the placeholder will be using the same fontFamilyas set in styles. However it's not a case. Placeholder will use device's default font instead.

To workaround this I manage to find this solution:

import React, { forwardRef, useRef, useCallback } from 'react';
import {Platform, StyleSheet, TextInput, TextInputProps} from 'react-native';

const CustomTextInput = forwardRef<TextInput, TextInputProps>((props, ref) => {
  const inputRef = useRef<TextInput | null>(null);

  const setRef = useCallback(
    (node: TextInput | null) => {
      if (node) {
        inputRef.current = node;

        if (typeof ref === 'function') {
          ref(node);
        } else if (ref) {
          const mutableRef = ref as React.MutableRefObject<TextInput | null>;
          mutableRef.current = node;
        }

        // Workaround for Android to apply style before setting placeholder
        // to apply font family correctly
        if (Platform.OS === 'android') {
          node.setNativeProps({
            style: StyleSheet.flatten([{
                fontFamily: 'Roboto',
                fontWeight: '400',
            }, props.style ?? {}]),
          });
        }
      }
    },
    [ref],
  );

  return <TextInput ref={setRef} {...props} />;
});

export default CustomTextInput;

so the fontFamily is applied correctly.

        <View
          style={{
            backgroundColor: isDarkMode ? Colors.black : Colors.white,
            paddingHorizontal: safePadding,
            paddingTop: safePadding,
            paddingBottom: safePadding,
          }}>
            <TextInput style={{
                height: 60,
                borderColor: 'gray',
                borderWidth: 1,
                marginBottom: 20,
                fontFamily: 'Roboto',
                fontWeight: '400',
                fontSize: 20,
            }} placeholder={"Search..."} />
        </View>
          <View
              style={{
                  backgroundColor: isDarkMode ? Colors.black : Colors.white,
                  paddingHorizontal: safePadding,
                  paddingTop: safePadding,
                  paddingBottom: safePadding,
              }}>
              <CustomTextInput style={{
                  height: 60,
                  borderColor: 'gray',
                  borderWidth: 1,
                  marginBottom: 20,
                  fontFamily: 'Roboto',
                  fontWeight: '400',
                  fontSize: 20,
              }} placeholder={"Custom search..."} />
          </View>

As you can see the first text input has wrong fontFamily and the second one uses the correct one.

However expected behaviour is that the custom font will be applied based on style.

All React-Native versions are affected.

Steps to reproduce

Set custom font into TextInput and set placeholder.
Change Font Style on device.
You will see that placeholder is not respecting the custom font.

React Native Version

0.78.1

Affected Platforms

Runtime - Android

Output of npx @react-native-community/cli info

System:
  OS: macOS 15.3.2
  CPU: (12) arm64 Apple M2 Pro
  Memory: 218.94 MB / 32.00 GB
  Shell:
    version: "5.9"
    path: /bin/zsh
Binaries:
  Node:
    version: 22.13.1
    path: /usr/local/bin/node
  Yarn:
    version: 1.22.22
    path: /usr/local/bin/yarn
  npm:
    version: 10.9.2
    path: /usr/local/bin/npm
  Watchman:
    version: 2025.02.17.00
    path: /opt/homebrew/bin/watchman
Managers:
  CocoaPods:
    version: 1.16.2
    path: /Users/tomaszlorenc/.rbenv/shims/pod
SDKs:
  iOS SDK:
    Platforms:
      - DriverKit 24.2
      - iOS 18.2
      - macOS 15.2
      - tvOS 18.2
      - visionOS 2.2
      - watchOS 11.2
  Android SDK:
    API Levels:
      - "28"
      - "31"
      - "34"
      - "35"
    Build Tools:
      - 30.0.3
      - 34.0.0
      - 35.0.0
      - 35.0.1
    System Images:
      - android-26 | Google APIs ARM 64 v8a
      - android-28 | Google ARM64-V8a Play ARM 64 v8a
      - android-34 | Google APIs ARM 64 v8a
      - android-34 | Google Play ARM 64 v8a
      - android-35 | Google APIs ARM 64 v8a
      - android-35 | Google Play ARM 64 v8a
    Android NDK: Not Found
IDEs:
  Android Studio: 2024.3 AI-243.22562.218.2431.13114758
  Xcode:
    version: 16.2/16C5032a
    path: /usr/bin/xcodebuild
Languages:
  Java:
    version: 17.0.14
    path: /usr/bin/javac
  Ruby:
    version: 3.3.0
    path: /Users/tomaszlorenc/.rbenv/shims/ruby
npmPackages:
  "@react-native-community/cli":
    installed: 15.0.1
    wanted: 15.0.1
  react:
    installed: 19.0.0
    wanted: 19.0.0
  react-native:
    installed: 0.78.1
    wanted: 0.78.1
  react-native-macos: Not Found
npmGlobalPackages:
  "*react-native*": Not Found
Android:
  hermesEnabled: true
  newArchEnabled: true
iOS:
  hermesEnabled: Not found
  newArchEnabled: false

Stacktrace or Logs

No logs.

Reproducer

https://github.com/lorenc-tomasz/react-native-text-input-placeholder-font-issue-reproducer

Screenshots and Videos

No response

[lorenc-tomasz]

Hi @cortinico,
could you look into this, please? I tried to find native solution but nothing worked for me. That's way at the moment I'm using the mentioned workaround.

[cortinico]

Change Font Style on device.

I don't have a device that allows this so I can't reproduce at the moment

[lorenc-tomasz]

Just to let you know that any new Samsung Android phone allows that. It's interesting that some users use e.g. Comic Sans on device and it's funny how apps look with that font, and even Google Maps doesn't manage it well :D

[narekmalk]

Hi, can I take this issue?

[lorenc-tomasz]

@narekmalk Do you have an idea how to fix it on native side?

[cortinico]

Hi, can I take this issue?

Please do

[narekmalk]

@cortinico, @lorenc-tomasz, I tried several physical devices and android emulators, but wasn't able to find the feature of changing system font
I think would be better to assign this issue to someone else
Apologies

[mensonones]

Hey, @cortinico and @lorenc-tomasz

I found out that the cause may be related to autoCapitalize

<TextInput
  style={{
    height: 60,
    borderColor: "gray",
    borderWidth: 1,
    marginBottom: 20,
    fontFamily: "Roboto",
    fontWeight: "400",
    fontSize: 20,
  }}
  autoCapitalize="none"
  placeholder={"Search..."}
/>;

If you pass autoCapitalize="none" the problem does not occur

You must run Android again to get the changes related to this case. hot reload does not always work with this change

[lorenc-tomasz]

Hi @mensonones,
I have checked your workaround. And it seems to work with 0.78.1. However when I tried the same solution on our production app that still uses 0.76.x, it doesn't fixed the issue. Only the workaround with ref is working fine.