[$1000] Deeplink - No prompt to open in app when navigating to deep link as logged-out web user

[lanitochka17]

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Issue found when executing PR #24638

Action Performed:

1. Go to staging.new.expensify.com
2. As signed in user on web, copy code to room and paste it on web browser and navigate to the link
3. As signed out user on web, repeat Step 2

Expected Result:

Whether user is signed in or signed out on web browser, navigate to new expensify deeplink on web should show a prompt to open ND in app

Actual Result:

When user is signed out on web and navigates to deep link, there is no prompt to open in desktop app

Workaround:

Unknown

Platforms:

Which of our officially supported platforms is this issue occurring on?

• Android / native
• Android / Chrome
• iOS / native
• iOS / Safari
• MacOS / Chrome / Safari
• MacOS / Desktop

Version Number: 1.3.56-18

Reproducible in staging?: Yes

Reproducible in production?: No

If this was caught during regression testing, add the test name, ID and link from TestRail:

Email or phone of affected tester (no customers):

Logs: https://stackoverflow.com/c/expensify/questions/4856

Notes/Photos/Videos: Any additional supporting documentation

Bug6174773_20230823_221451.mp4

Expensify/Expensify Issue URL:

Issue reported by: Applause - Internal Team

Slack conversation:

View all open jobs on GitHub

Upwork Automation - Do Not Edit

• Upwork Job URL: https://www.upwork.com/jobs/~01f534d2e9aa904030
• Upwork Job ID: 1694458731220623360
• Last Price Increase: 2023-08-30

[OSBotify]

👋 Friendly reminder that deploy blockers are time-sensitive ⏱ issues! Check out the open StagingDeployCash deploy checklist to see the list of PRs included in this release, then work quickly to do one of the following:

1. Identify the pull request that introduced this issue and revert it.
2. Find someone who can quickly fix the issue.
3. Fix the issue yourself.

[melvin-bot]

Triggered auto assignment to @yuwenmemon (Engineering), see https://stackoverflow.com/c/expensify/questions/4319 for more details.

[yuwenmemon]

I QA'd #24638 - it worked fine and I don't believe what we're seeing here is a deploy blocker. I'm going to reassign this to the bug zero team for triage.

[melvin-bot]

Triggered auto assignment to @joekaufmanexpensify (Bug), see https://stackoverflow.com/c/expensify/questions/14418 for more details.

[melvin-bot]

Bug0 Triage Checklist (Main S/O)

• This "bug" occurs on a supported platform (ensure Platforms in OP are ✅)
• This bug is not a duplicate report (check E/App issues and #expensify-bugs)
  • If it is, comment with a link to the original report, close the issue and add any novel details to the original issue instead
• This bug is reproducible using the reproduction steps in the OP. S/O
  • If the reproduction steps are clear and you're unable to reproduce the bug, check with the reporter and QA first, then close the issue.
  • If the reproduction steps aren't clear and you determine the correct steps, please update the OP.
• This issue is filled out as thoroughly and clearly as possible
  • Pay special attention to the title, results, platforms where the bug occurs, and if the bug happens on staging/production.
• I have reviewed and subscribed to the linked Slack conversation to ensure Slack/Github stay in sync

[joekaufmanexpensify]

Confirmed this works right now on production when signed in or out. It's only on staging that we don't prompt to open the desktop app when deeplinking while signed out.

[melvin-bot]

Job added to Upwork: https://www.upwork.com/jobs/~01f534d2e9aa904030

[melvin-bot]

Current assignee @joekaufmanexpensify is eligible for the External assigner, not assigning anyone new.

[melvin-bot]

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

[melvin-bot]

✅ Contributor details stored successfully. Thank you for contributing to Expensify!

[joekaufmanexpensify]

@ArekChr I would think we wouldn't want to close this, no? It seems like a bug that we're not triggering the desktop prompt when logged out on staging.

[ArekChr]

Sure, I thought that was intentional.

[napster125]

Proposal

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

When a user is signed out on the web and attempts to navigate to a deep link, there is no prompt to open the link in the desktop app.

What is the root cause of that problem?

The root cause of this problem is that we are not handling deep links when users are logged out.
You can find the relevant code snippet here:

App/src/components/DeeplinkWrapper/index.website.js

Lines 78 to 94 in 34d4e54

	if (isAuthenticated) {
	promptToOpenInDesktopApp();
	setHasShownPrompt(true);
	} else {
	// Navigation state is not set up yet, we're unsure if we should show the deep link prompt or not
	if (currentScreen === undefined || isAuthenticated === false) {
	return;
	}
	const preventPrompt = shouldPreventDeeplinkPrompt(currentScreen);
	if (preventPrompt === true) {
	return;
	}
	promptToOpenInDesktopApp();
	setHasShownPrompt(true);
	}

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

To address this issue, I recommend the following changes:

• Update Conditional Expression
  We need to modify the code by removing the conditional expression that checks for isAuthenticated === false. Since the existing else statement implies that isAuthenticated is false, the conditional is unnecessary.

App/src/components/DeeplinkWrapper/index.website.js

Line 83 in 34d4e54

if (currentScreen === undefined || isAuthenticated === false) {

• Adjust Denylist for Opening Desktop App
  We need to modify the code by either removing HOME from the DEEPLINK_PROMPT_DENYLIST, or by incorporating the condition navigationRef.current.getState().routes.length === 1. This indicates that these changes are specifically related to the DEEPLINK and do not affect HOME. This condition establishes that if the route length is greater than 1, it signifies a deep link; otherwise, it is not a deep link. These changes are aimed at enabling the desktop app to show a prompt for opening when a user, logged out on the web, navigates to a deep link.

App/src/components/DeeplinkWrapper/index.website.js

Lines 87 to 88 in 34d4e54

	const preventPrompt = shouldPreventDeeplinkPrompt(currentScreen);
	if (preventPrompt === true) {

App/src/CONST.js

Line 444 in 34d4e54

DEEPLINK_PROMPT_DENYLIST: [SCREENS.HOME, SCREENS.SIGN_IN_WITH_APPLE_DESKTOP, SCREENS.SIGN_IN_WITH_GOOGLE_DESKTOP],

• Modification of Conditional Code Block Adjust the code as follows:

if (currentScreen === undefined) {
  return;
}

const preventPrompt = shouldPreventDeeplinkPrompt(currentScreen);

// navigationRef.current is not null as currentScreen is not undefined. Therefore, we can utilize navigationRef.current.
if (preventPrompt === true && navigationRef.current.getState().routes.length === 1) {
  return;
}

This modification ensures proper handling of the prompt prevention based on the conditions mentioned.

What alternative solutions did you explore? (Optional)

We can remove HOME from the DEEPLINK_PROMPT_DENYLIST, but this might disrupt the original functionality.

P.S.

The existing solution has a potential problem of causing an infinite loop due to a specific section of code. This issue arises from the usage of the useEffect hooks in certain parts of the codebase, where each hook has a dependency on the hasShownPrompt variable. Consequently, when any of these dependencies change, it triggers the useEffect hooks and leads to an infinite loop.

App/src/components/DeeplinkWrapper/index.website.js

Lines 44 to 95 in 34d4e54

	useEffect(() => {
	// If we've shown the prompt and still have a listener registered,
	// remove the listener and reset its ref to undefined
	if (hasShownPrompt && removeListener.current !== undefined) {
	removeListener.current();
	removeListener.current = undefined;
	}
	if (isAuthenticated === false) {
	setHasShownPrompt(false);
	Navigation.isNavigationReady().then(() => {
	// Get initial route
	const initialRoute = navigationRef.current.getCurrentRoute();
	setCurrentScreen(initialRoute.name);
	removeListener.current = navigationRef.current.addListener('state', (event) => {
	setCurrentScreen(Navigation.getRouteNameFromStateEvent(event));
	});
	});
	}
	}, [hasShownPrompt, isAuthenticated]);
	useEffect(() => {
	// According to the design, we don't support unlink in Desktop app https://github.com/Expensify/App/issues/19681#issuecomment-1610353099
	const isUnsupportedDeeplinkRoute = _.some([CONST.REGEX.ROUTES.UNLINK_LOGIN], (unsupportRouteRegex) => {
	const routeRegex = new RegExp(unsupportRouteRegex);
	return routeRegex.test(window.location.pathname);
	});
	// Making a few checks to exit early before checking authentication status
	if (!isMacOSWeb() || isUnsupportedDeeplinkRoute || CONFIG.ENVIRONMENT === CONST.ENVIRONMENT.DEV || hasShownPrompt) {
	return;
	}
	// We want to show the prompt immediately if the user is already authenticated.
	// Otherwise, we want to wait until the navigation state is set up
	// and we know the user is on a screen that supports deeplinks.
	if (isAuthenticated) {
	promptToOpenInDesktopApp();
	setHasShownPrompt(true);
	} else {
	// Navigation state is not set up yet, we're unsure if we should show the deep link prompt or not
	if (currentScreen === undefined || isAuthenticated === false) {
	return;
	}
	const preventPrompt = shouldPreventDeeplinkPrompt(currentScreen);
	if (preventPrompt === true) {
	return;
	}
	promptToOpenInDesktopApp();
	setHasShownPrompt(true);
	}
	}, [currentScreen, hasShownPrompt, isAuthenticated]);

App/src/components/DeeplinkWrapper/index.website.js

Line 53 in 34d4e54

setHasShownPrompt(false);

App/src/components/DeeplinkWrapper/index.website.js

Line 80 in 34d4e54

setHasShownPrompt(true);

To address this problem, two potential solutions have been identified:

• Option 1: Removing a specific line of code
  In this option, the problematic line in the codebase is removed. However, it's worth noting that this action could potentially disrupt the logic, which is designed to restrict the opening of the desktop app to a single instance.

App/src/components/DeeplinkWrapper/index.website.js

Line 80 in 34d4e54

setHasShownPrompt(true);

Result:

expensify.issue.1.mp4

• Option 2: Removing another specific line of code
  Alternatively, this option suggests removing a different line of code. Similarly, this approach might impact the logic that allows the opening of the desktop app after a user has logged in.

App/src/components/DeeplinkWrapper/index.website.js

Line 53 in 34d4e54

setHasShownPrompt(false);

Result:

expensify.issue.2.mp4

Ultimately, the chosen option will depend on the priorities of the project and the desired behavior of the application.

[pradeepmdk]

Proposal

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

No prompt to open in app when navigating to deep link as logged-out web user

What is the root cause of that problem?

App/src/components/DeeplinkWrapper/index.website.js

Line 83 in 34d4e54

if (currentScreen === undefined || isAuthenticated === false) {

App/src/components/DeeplinkWrapper/index.website.js

Line 52 in 34d4e54

if (isAuthenticated === false) {

Both places we are blocking for non-auth people

This Pr is add this #23673 when social sign-in is enabled

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

we should remove isAuthenticated === false both places and
we should remove SCREENS.HOME as well because SCREENS.HOME is a root path for this allow the path

 const preventPrompt = shouldPreventDeeplinkPrompt(currentScreen); 

and
we should update

App/src/components/DeeplinkWrapper/index.website.js

Line 52 in 34d4e54

if (isAuthenticated === false) {

    + if (!hasShownPrompt) { // update this one
   - setHasShownPrompt(false); and remove this
            Navigation.isNavigationReady().then(() => {
                // Get initial route
                const initialRoute = navigationRef.current.getCurrentRoute();
                setCurrentScreen(initialRoute.name);

                removeListener.current = navigationRef.current.addListener('state', (event) => {
                    setCurrentScreen(Navigation.getRouteNameFromStateEvent(event));
                });
            });
        }

App/src/components/DeeplinkWrapper/index.website.js

Line 64 in 34d4e54

}, [hasShownPrompt, isAuthenticated]);

because when ever hasShownPrompt changes and isAuthenticated === false means it will update again hasShownPrompt as false and again it will ask the popup to open desktop so it will goes to loop.

[joekaufmanexpensify]

Sure, I thought that was intentional.

@ArekChr did you see discussion that said this somewhere? The reason I thought this was not intentional is that when I was testing it the other day, we were not showing the "switch to desktop" prompt to non-authenticated users on staging, but we were on production.

That inconsistency made me think this was likely a regression introduced at recently (unless we made the active decision to change this somewhere).

[joekaufmanexpensify]

Not overdue

[joekaufmanexpensify]

@ArekChr mind sharing your thoughts on this when you have a sec?

[melvin-bot]

📣 It's been a week! Do we have any satisfactory proposals yet? Do we need to adjust the bounty for this issue? 💸

[joekaufmanexpensify]

Still pending C+ review

[ArekChr]

@joekaufmanexpensify It Looks like this functionality is intended. There were discussions about not prompting redirects when users are logged out on the web app, a related thread here
cc: @cdanwards

[joekaufmanexpensify]

Ah cool. Yep, confirmed here. Closing as this is intended!

[Julesssss]

Hi @kbecciv I see you linked to this comment from here, mentioning that the PR wasn't passing tests. I think we are good now, but could you please just take a look to confirm? thanks!