expo: [SDK 49][0.72.7][Android] `expo-dev-client` causes NullPointerException in `DevLoadingModule` during hot-reload

Summary

After bumping react native to 0.72.7, saving the project will immediately crash the Android app.

It’s definitely related to this commit. The introduction of DevLoadingModule does not play well with expo-dev-client.

Managed or bare workflow?

bare

What platform(s) does this occur on?

Android

Package versions

"dependencies": {
  "expo": "~49.0.19",
  "expo-dev-client": "~2.4.12",
  "expo-status-bar": "~1.7.1",
  "react": "18.2.0",
  "react-native": "0.72.7",
  "expo-splash-screen": "~0.22.0"
}

Environment

expo-env-info 1.0.5 environment info:
  System:
    OS: macOS 14.1.1
    Shell: 5.9 - /bin/zsh
  Binaries:
    Node: 16.15.0 - ~/.asdf/installs/nodejs/16.15.0/bin/node
    Yarn: 1.22.19 - /opt/homebrew/bin/yarn
    npm: 8.5.5 - ~/.asdf/plugins/nodejs/shims/npm
    Watchman: 2023.06.26.00 - /opt/homebrew/bin/watchman
  Managers:
    CocoaPods: 1.12.1 - /Users/thespacemanatee/.asdf/shims/pod
  SDKs:
    iOS SDK:
      Platforms: DriverKit 23.0, iOS 17.0, macOS 14.0, tvOS 17.0, watchOS 10.0
    Android SDK:
      API Levels: 23, 26, 29, 30, 31, 33, 34
      Build Tools: 26.0.3, 29.0.2, 30.0.3, 31.0.0, 33.0.0, 33.0.1, 33.0.2, 34.0.0, 34.0.0
      System Images: android-24 | Google APIs ARM 64 v8a, android-26 | Google APIs ARM 64 v8a, android-26 | Google APIs Intel x86_64 Atom, android-26 | Google Play Intel x86 Atom, android-29 | Google Play ARM 64 v8a, android-33 | Desktop ARM 64 v8a, android-33 | Google APIs ARM 64 v8a, android-33 | Google Play ARM 64 v8a, android-34 | Google Play ARM 64 v8a
  IDEs:
    Xcode: 15.0/15A240d - /usr/bin/xcodebuild
  npmPackages:
    expo: ~49.0.19 => 49.0.20 
    react: 18.2.0 => 18.2.0 
    react-native: 0.72.7 => 0.72.7 
  npmGlobalPackages:
    eas-cli: 5.9.1
  Expo Workflow: bare

Reproducible demo

https://github.com/thespacemanatee/dev_loading_module_crash_repro

• Run the project and save any changes
• Crash

Please checkout branch without-expo-dev-client to see that hot reloading works without expo-dev-client

Stacktrace (if a crash is involved)

 ERROR  Your app just crashed. See the error below.
java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke interface method 'void com.facebook.react.devsupport.interfaces.DevLoadingViewManager.showMessage(java.lang.String)' on a null object reference
  com.facebook.react.modules.devloading.DevLoadingModule$1.run(DevLoadingModule.java:49)
  android.os.Handler.handleCallback(Handler.java:958)
  android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:99)
  android.os.Looper.loopOnce(Looper.java:205)
  android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:294)
  android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:8177)
  java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
  com.android.internal.os.RuntimeInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(RuntimeInit.java:552)
  com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:971)