[bug]: BackHandler.removeEventListener causes crash on React Native 0.72+ / Expo SDK 53

[tommilleruk]

Description

Summary
The @walletconnect/modal-react-native package appears to call the deprecated BackHandler.removeEventListener() API, which was removed in React Native 0.72+. This results in a crash when navigating away from a screen that renders <WalletConnectModal /> on newer versions of React Native (including via Expo SDK 53, which uses RN 0.79).

WalletConnect Modal SDK version

1.1.0

Output of npx react-native info

info Fetching system and libraries information... System: OS: Windows 10 10.0.19045 CPU: "(8) x64 AMD Ryzen 7 4700U with Radeon Graphics " Memory: 3.65 GB / 15.23 GB Binaries: Node: version: 20.11.0 path: C:\Program Files\nodejs\node.EXE Yarn: Not Found npm: version: 10.5.0 path: C:\Program Files\nodejs\npm.CMD Watchman: Not Found SDKs: Android SDK: Not Found Windows SDK: Not Found IDEs: Android Studio: Not Found Visual Studio: - 17.4.33103.184 (Visual Studio Community 2022) Languages: Java: Not Found Ruby: Not Found npmPackages: "@react-native-community/cli": installed: 18.0.0 wanted: ^18.0.0 react: installed: 19.0.0 wanted: 19.0.0 react-native: installed: 0.79.2 wanted: 0.79.2 react-native-windows: Not Found npmGlobalPackages: "react-native": Not Found Android: hermesEnabled: Not found newArchEnabled: Not found iOS: hermesEnabled: Not found newArchEnabled: Not found

Expo Version (if applies)

53

Steps to reproduce

1. Use @walletconnect/[email protected] in a React Native app (e.g., with Expo SDK 53).
2. Render the <WalletConnectModal /> component inside a screen.
3. Navigate away from the screen.

Snack, code example, screenshot, or link to a repository

            <WalletConnectModal
                explorerRecommendedWalletIds={[
                    '',
                ]}
                explorerExcludedWalletIds={'ALL'}
                projectId={projectId!}
                providerMetadata={metadata}
            />

[ignaciosantise]

hey @tommilleruk the issue might solve if you update react-native-modal to 14.0.0-rc.0

https://github.com/react-native-modal/react-native-modal/releases/tag/v14.0.0-rc.0

Also, have you thought of migrating to AppKit? We are about to release a new major version with Multichain support