[$250] Thread - The compose box is not focused after starting a thread

[mitarachim]

If you haven’t already, check out our contributing guidelines for onboarding and email [email protected] to request to join our Slack channel!

---

Version Number: 9.1.16-1
Reproducible in staging?: Yes
Reproducible in production?: Yes
If this was caught on HybridApp, is this reproducible on New Expensify Standalone?: Yes, reproducible on both
If this was caught during regression testing, add the test name, ID and link from TestRail: n/a
Email or phone of affected tester (no customers): n/a
Issue reported by: Applause Internal Team
Device used: iPhone 13 / 18.3.2
App Component: Chat Report View

Action Performed:

1. Open the app or navigate to https://staging.new.expensify.com
2. Navigate to a 1:1 conversation
   3.Start a thread in an owned message

Expected Result:

The compose box is focused after starting a thread

Actual Result:

The compose box is not focused after starting a thread

Workaround:

Unknown

Platforms:

• Android: Standalone
• Android: HybridApp
• Android: mWeb Chrome
• iOS: Standalone
• iOS: HybridApp
• iOS: mWeb Safari
• MacOS: Chrome / Safari
• MacOS: Desktop

Screenshots/Videos

Bug6777503_1742513865978.ScreenRecording_03-20-2025_18-33-59_1.mp4

View all open jobs on GitHub

Upwork Automation - Do Not Edit

• Upwork Job URL: https://www.upwork.com/jobs/~021903068815363671624
• Upwork Job ID: 1903068815363671624
• Last Price Increase: 2025-03-21

Issue Owner

Current Issue Owner: @s77rt

[melvin-bot]

Triggered auto assignment to @NicMendonca (Bug), see https://stackoverflow.com/c/expensify/questions/14418 for more details. Please add this bug to a GH project, as outlined in the SO.

[daledah]

Proposal

Please re-state the problem that we are trying to solve in this issue.

The compose box is not focused after starting a thread

What is the root cause of that problem?

The logic to focus the composer automatically is in

App/src/pages/home/report/ReportActionCompose/ComposerWithSuggestions/ComposerWithSuggestions.tsx

Line 271 in c9c9d1e

const shouldAutoFocus = shouldFocusInputOnScreenFocus && !modal?.isVisible && shouldShowComposeInput && areAllModalsHidden() && isFocused && !didHideComposerInput;

and shouldFocusInputOnScreenFocus is false for small screen.

We don't have the logic to focus after user starting a thread

What changes do you think we should make in order to solve the problem?

We should add the condition to check if they want to start the thread. That means it's the empty thread

    const isEmptyThread = isThread(report) && isEmptyReport(report)
    const shouldAutoFocus = (shouldFocusInputOnScreenFocus || isEmptyThread) && !modal?.isVisible && shouldShowComposeInput && areAllModalsHidden() && isFocused && !didHideComposerInput;

What specific scenarios should we cover in automated tests to prevent reintroducing this issue in the future?

None

What alternative solutions did you explore? (Optional)

Reminder: Please use plain English, be brief and avoid jargon. Feel free to use images, charts or pseudo-code if necessary. Do not post large multi-line diffs or write walls of text. Do not create PRs unless you have been hired for this job.

[melvin-bot]

Job added to Upwork: https://www.upwork.com/jobs/~021903068815363671624

[melvin-bot]

Triggered auto assignment to Contributor-plus team member for initial proposal review - @s77rt (External)

[s77rt]

This is not a bug, that's expected. @NicMendonca Can we close this?

[daledah]

Why do you think it's expected? When we start a thread, that means we want to reply, so opening the keyboard looks right cc @NicMendonca

[s77rt]

@daledah Same thing when you open a chat with any user we don't show up the keyboard. Maybe we should check with the QA team why this is reported (e.g. check if it was caught as part of a regression test)

[daledah]

Same thing when you open a chat with any user we don't show up the keyboard

IMO, when open the chat on small screen, the users may want to read the message only so always showing the keyboard doesn't necessary. But in this case after reply in a thread, the user actually want to type something so opening the keyboard makes more sense. Please let me know your idea @NicMendonca

[FitseTLT]

Proposal

Please re-state the problem that we are trying to solve in this issue.

Thread - The compose box is not focused after starting a thread

What is the root cause of that problem?

autoFocus will be false because and shouldFocusInputOnScreenFocus is false for small screen (canUseTouchScreen)

App/src/pages/home/report/ReportActionCompose/ComposerWithSuggestions/ComposerWithSuggestions.tsx

Line 271 in c9c9d1e

const shouldAutoFocus = shouldFocusInputOnScreenFocus && !modal?.isVisible && shouldShowComposeInput && areAllModalsHidden() && isFocused && !didHideComposerInput;

What changes do you think we should make in order to solve the problem?

We initially used to auto focus for mobile if the report is empty chat report but not transaction thread

App/src/pages/home/report/ReportActionCompose/ComposerWithSuggestions/ComposerWithSuggestions.tsx

Lines 301 to 307 in acc2e84

	const resetKeyboardInput = useCallback(() => {
	if (!RNTextInputReset) {
	return;
	}
	RNTextInputReset.resetKeyboardInput(findNodeHandle(textInputRef.current));
	}, [textInputRef]);

This is because we normally don't auto focus for mobile to avoid keyboard opening disturbing user experience but if the report is empty there is nothing to see unless it is transaction thread so we auto-focus.
But in here we removed (shouldFocusInputOnScreenFocus || (isEmptyChat && !ReportActionsUtils.isTransactionThread(parentReportAction))) && to auto focus but only avoid the keyboard opening
But another problem arose and we readded shouldFocusInputOnScreenFocus condition in here to avoid auto focus on mobile So in the process we lost the important condition || (isEmptyChat && !ReportActionsUtils.isTransactionThread(parentReportAction)).
Therefor we should re-apply it

What specific scenarios should we cover in automated tests to prevent reintroducing this issue in the future?

N / A

What alternative solutions did you explore? (Optional)

[s77rt]

Asked in slack https://expensify.slack.com/archives/C01GTK53T8Q/p1742871897616699?thread_ts=1740682679.344749&cid=C01GTK53T8Q

[jayeshmangwani]

This is intended behavior. We are intentionally not opening the keyboard under any condition. Tagging the @Expensify/design team for their input.

[shawnborton]

That is indeed correct, I think we can close.

I could see an argument that if you are going to start a thread, you might want the compose box immediately focused but I don't feel too strongly - I think this is a case where I would prefer consistency and that we don't auto focus. Let's see what the other designers think though!

[FitseTLT]

@shawnborton What about our previous logic of autoFocusing for empty chats which is:

We normally don't auto focus for mobile to avoid keyboard opening disturbing user experience but if the report is empty there is nothing to see unless it is transaction thread so the user likely opened the chat to compose a message so we auto-focus.

[dannymcclain]

I would prefer to never autofocus—even when starting a new chat/thread.

[shawnborton]

Okay cool, I say we close then.