[Android] - Higher memory usage on 0.85.x vs 0.83.x with the new Hermes (~25–30% more RAM, same app)

### Description After upgrading an app from 0.83.9 → 0.85.3 with no application code changes (only the react-native / @react-native/* bump and the Hermes that ships with it), RAM usage is consistently ~25–30% higher across an identical scripted flow. It starts ~110 MB higher and widens to ~160 MB higher by the end of the run. Both builds run the New Architecture + Hermes and the exact same third-party dependencies; the only meaningful difference is the React Native version (and therefore the bundled Hermes / "Hermes V1"). Environment - Platform: Android, physical device (Google Pixel 9 Pro, Android 16, arm64-v8a) - JS engine: Hermes (default, hermesEnabled=true) - Architecture: New Architecture (Fabric + TurboModules) enabled in both builds - Build type: release-optimized profileable build (Hermes bytecode, minified, debuggable=false) - Key deps (identical across both builds): - react-navigation 7, @shopify/flash-list 2, react-native-reanimated 4 + react-native-worklets, react-native-screens 4, react-native-gesture-handler 3 ### Steps to reproduce 1. Build & install a release (profileable) APK on 0.83.9. 2. Drive a fixed UI flow under measurement. I used [Flashlight](https://docs.flashlight.dev/) + a [Maestro](https://maestro.mobile.dev/) flow that scrolls a FlashList product feed, opens a product screen, taps a related item, and repeats 10×. 3. Record RAM, then repeat on 0.85.3 with the same app code and flow. ```bash # on 0.83.9 flashlight test --bundleId <app.id> --iterationCount <N> \ --testCommand "maestro test flow.yaml" --resultsFilePath results_83.json # on 0.85.3 (identical app code) flashlight test --bundleId <app.id> --iterationCount <N> \ --testCommand "maestro test flow.yaml" --resultsFilePath results_85.json flashlight report results_83.json results_85.json ``` ### React Native Version Regression between 0.83.9 and 0.85.3. ### Affected Platforms Runtime - Android ### Output of `npx @react-native-community/cli info` ```text System: OS: macOS 26.5 CPU: (10) arm64 Apple M5 Memory: 168.42 MB / 32.00 GB Shell: version: "5.9" path: /bin/zsh Binaries: Node: version: 22.14.0 path: /Users/josemaria.elias/.nvm/versions/node/v22.14.0/bin/node Yarn: Not Found npm: version: 10.9.2 path: /Users/josemaria.elias/.nvm/versions/node/v22.14.0/bin/npm Watchman: version: 2026.05.18.00 path: /opt/homebrew/bin/watchman Managers: CocoaPods: version: 1.16.2 path: /Users/josemaria.elias/.gem/ruby/3.3.6/bin/pod SDKs: iOS SDK: Platforms: - DriverKit 25.5 - iOS 26.5 - macOS 26.5 - tvOS 26.5 - visionOS 26.5 - watchOS 26.5 Android SDK: Not Found IDEs: Android Studio: 2025.3 AI-253.32098.37.2534.15336583 Xcode: version: 26.5/17F42 path: /usr/bin/xcodebuild Languages: Java: version: 17.0.19 path: /usr/bin/javac Ruby: version: 3.3.6 path: /Users/josemaria.elias/.rubies/ruby-3.3.6/bin/ruby npmPackages: "@react-native-community/cli": installed: 20.1.0 wanted: 20.1.0 react: installed: 19.2.3 wanted: 19.2.3 react-native: installed: 0.85.3 wanted: 0.85.3 react-native-macos: Not Found npmGlobalPackages: "*react-native*": Not Found Android: hermesEnabled: true newArchEnabled: true iOS: hermesEnabled: true newArchEnabled: true ``` ### Stacktrace or Logs ```text Expected behavior Comparable memory between 0.83.x and 0.85.x for the same workload (ideally lower, given the Hermes work). Actual behavior 0.85.3 uses materially more RAM for the entire run — ~110 MB higher at start, ~160 MB higher by the end (~25–30%). RN 0.83.9 RN 0.85.3 Δ RAM at start ~370 MB ~480 MB +~110 MB RAM at end ~560 MB ~720 MB +~160 MB A snapshot breakdown via adb shell dumpsys meminfo <app.id> attributes the increase mainly to Native heap + Graphics, consistent with the engine/runtime + image buffers retaining more memory. ``` ### MANDATORY Reproducer https://github.com/SirJalias/AwesomeProject ### Screenshots and Videos <img width="1221" height="634" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/46659f2e-3f90-4288-9ebf-84a662b54868" />