[Due for payment 2025-05-28] [Due for payment 2025-05-23] [$250] LHN - When paying someone, chat preview shows "You" and also user name before payment info.

[vincdargento]

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Version Number: 9.1.22-0
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): ibellicotest+484@gmail.com
Issue reported by: Applause Internal Team
Device used: Motorola MotoG60 - Android 12 - Chrome / Windows 10 - Chrome
App Component: Left Hand Navigation (LHN)

Action Performed:

1. Open the staging.new.expensify.com website.
2. Tap on FAB and select "Start Chat"
3. Select an user to start a chat with.
4. Once redirected to the new chat, tap on the "+" button.
5. Select the "Pay" option.
6. Add an amount and complete the payment creation flow.
7. Return to LHN.
8. Check the message displayed on chat preview.

Expected Result:

After sending a payment to another user, chat preview on LHN, should only display the name of the user who sent the payment, before the amount information.

Actual Result:

After sending a payment to another user, chat preview on LHN shows "You" and also the name of the user before the payment information.

Workaround:

Unknown

Platforms:

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

Screenshots/Videos

bug.mp4

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Issue Owner

Current Issue Owner: @lydiabarclay

[melvin-bot]

Triggered auto assignment to @lydiabarclay (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.

[samranahm]

🚨 Edited by proposal-police: This proposal was edited at 2025-04-02 20:19:52 UTC.

Proposal

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

LHN - When paying someone, chat preview shows "You" and also user name before payment info.

What is the root cause of that problem?

This is causing due to

App/src/libs/SidebarUtils.ts

Lines 651 to 653 in 9a58e7d

	} else {
	result.alternateText = lastActorDisplayName
	? `${lastActorDisplayName}: ${formatReportLastMessageText(Parser.htmlToText(lastMessageText)) || formattedLogin}`

That cause to have the "You" as well as payer name in alternate text
Because we don't have action type lastAction?.actionName === CONST.REPORT.ACTIONS.TYPE.REPORT_PREVIEW in getOptionData function

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

We should add add lastAction?.actionName === CONST.REPORT.ACTIONS.TYPE.REPORT_PREVIEW check here

and update this logic

App/src/libs/SidebarUtils.ts

Line 649 in 9a58e7d

if (isDM(report) && lastActorDisplayName !== translateLocal('common.you')) {

like this

        if (isDM(report) && (lastActorDisplayName !== translateLocal('common.you') || lastAction?.actionName === CONST.REPORT.ACTIONS.TYPE.REPORT_PREVIEW)) {

This will ensure we only have payer name in alternateText instead of You:

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)

If we want to keep the You and remove the payer name here

App/src/libs/ReportUtils.ts

Line 4135 in 9a58e7d

return translateLocal(translatePhraseKey, {amount: formattedAmount, payer: payerDisplayName ?? ''});

we pass the payer for all keys here, instead we can check if the key is iou.payerPaidAmount then pass the empty string

update the logic like this

const payer = isReportPreviewAction(originalReportAction) && isDM(parentReport) && translatePhraseKey === 'iou.payerPaidAmount' ? '' : payerDisplayName;

return translateLocal(translatePhraseKey, {amount: formattedAmount, payer: payer}); 

This will keep the LastActorDisplayName You but remove payerName from alternate text
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.

[samranahm]

Proposal updated

[thelullabyy]

Proposal

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

• After sending a payment to another user, chat preview on LHN shows "You" and also the name of the user before the payment information.

What is the root cause of that problem?

• As noted in this PR comment, in the context of DMs, we should only display the sender’s name in the preview if the sender is You. For example:

You: Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text

• This behavior is already handled in the logic here:

App/src/libs/SidebarUtils.ts

Lines 651 to 655 in 851cb43

	} else {
	result.alternateText = lastActorDisplayName
	? `${lastActorDisplayName}: ${formatReportLastMessageText(Parser.htmlToText(lastMessageText)) || formattedLogin}`
	: formatReportLastMessageText(Parser.htmlToText(lastMessageText)) || formattedLogin;
	}

• However, for messages of type REPORTPREVIEW, there is separate logic that adds the payer's name to the message:

App/src/libs/ReportUtils.ts

Line 4135 in 9a58e7d

return translateLocal(translatePhraseKey, {amount: formattedAmount, payer: payerDisplayName ?? ''});

• As a result, if the current user—say, Bob—paid an expense, the chat preview ends up redundantly showing:

You: Bob paid 12$

This creates confusion by repeating the sender’s identity when it's already implied by the "You" prefix.

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

• We should adjust the logic so that in DMs, when the current user is the payer, the preview displays:

You: paid 12$

instead of:

You: Bob paid 12$

• To achieve this, we can update the logic in the following function:

App/src/libs/ReportUtils.ts

Line 4135 in 9a58e7d

return translateLocal(translatePhraseKey, {amount: formattedAmount, payer: payerDisplayName ?? ''});

Here’s the proposed update:

const parentReport = getReport(report?.parentReportID, allReports);
const payerText = isDM(parentReport) && translatePhraseKey === 'iou.payerPaidAmount' ? '' : payerDisplayName;
return translateLocal(translatePhraseKey, {amount: formattedAmount, payer: payerText});

• Explanation: This change ensures that if the message is in a DM and the translation key is iou.payerPaidAmount (used for payment previews), we omit the payer’s name. This avoids redundant information when the sender is the current user. The "You: " prefix is already correctly handled in SidebarUtils.ts.

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

• Render SidebarLinks for a DM conversation where the most recent message is of type REPORTPREVIEW, and verify that:
  • If the current user sent the payment, the preview shows You: paid 12$
  • If another user sent the payment, the preview shows paid 12$

What alternative solutions did you explore? (Optional)

[lydiabarclay]

Same here:

[lydiabarclay]

@dannymcclain is this expected behavior or a bug? unsure

[samranahm]

@lydiabarclay It will be fixed in My proposal, now we just need to make sure what we want to keep.

• Option one (Proposed solution)

Lydia paid $65.00 //current user
Lydia paid $65.00 //other user

• Option two (alternate solution)

 You: paid $65.00 
 Lydia: paid $65.00

[dannymcclain]

Yeah what we currently have is definitely not what we want. @Expensify/design what do you think about these options?

I think I lean towards the second option

You: paid $65.00 
Lydia: paid $65.00

because that feels the most consistent with everything else? But let's get some confirmation before proceeding.

[thelullabyy]

@dannymcclain FYI, we have a long discussion about the expected behavior #58271 (comment):

No need to use the sender name in DMs unless it is You

[samranahm]

@dannymcclain FYI, we have a long discussion about the expected behavior #58271 (comment):

No need to use the sender name in DMs unless it is You

That sounds weird

You: paid $65.00 
paid $65.00

So, this is best option here as suggested by @dannymcclain

You: paid $65.00 
Lydia: paid $65.00

[dubielzyk-expensify]

Agree with @dannymcclain that the option feels most consistent with the rest 👍