Hybrid - Distance - No warning when start GPS then switch to OD

[jponikarchuk]

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Version Number: v9.3.60-12
Reproducible in staging?: Yes
Reproducible in production?: No
If this was caught during regression testing, add the test name, ID and link from BrowserStack: #80748
Email or phone of affected tester (no customers): applausetester+vq+1504@applause.expensifail.com
Issue reported by: Applause Internal Team
Bug source: Exploratory - Significant User Experience Deterioration
Device used: iPhone 14/ iOS 26.1
App Component: User Settings

Action Performed:

1. Open the NewDot app
2. Tap on the FAB —> Track Distance
3. Select GPS tab
4. Tap on the start
5. Navigate to the Account-> Troubleshoot
6. Switch to Classic

Expected Result:

App display a warning Stop and Switch

Actual Result:

No warning. Nothing is happening.

Workaround:

Unknown

Platforms:

• Android: App
• Android: mWeb Chrome
• iOS: App
• iOS: mWeb Safari
• iOS: mWeb Chrome
• Windows: Chrome
• MacOS: Chrome / Safari

Screenshots/Videos

Video.mp4

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[melvin-bot]

@AndrewGable recently merged #80748, but they are OOO right now, so I'll auto-assign someone else.

[melvin-bot]

Triggered auto assignment to @Julesssss (DeployBlockerCash), see https://stackoverflowteams.com/c/expensify/questions/9980/ for more details.

[melvin-bot]

💬 A slack conversation has been started in #expensify-open-source

[github-actions]

👋 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.

[MelvinBot]

Proposal

What is the root cause of that problem?

There is a desync between two independent loading-state trackers for NVP_TRY_NEW_DOT:

1. Component-level (TroubleshootPage): uses useOnyx(ONYXKEYS.NVP_TRY_NEW_DOT) + isLoadingOnyxValue() — this controls whether the "Switch to Expensify Classic" menu item is visible.
2. Module-level (HybridApp/index.ts): uses Onyx.connectWithoutView with custom logic that resets currentTryNewDot = undefined and isLoadingTryNewDot = true whenever the session's accountID changes (index.ts:62-65).

When a session update occurs (e.g., token refresh), the module resets its state but the Onyx store still holds the cached NVP_TRY_NEW_DOT value. This means:

• The component sees data → isLoadingTryNewDot = false → menu item is visible
• The module sees currentTryNewDot = undefined → isLoadingTryNewDot = true
• User taps "Switch to Classic" → closeReactNativeApp calls shouldBlockOldAppExit(undefined, true, true) → returns true (TryNewDotUtils.ts:14) → silently returns with no UI feedback

This explains the symptom exactly: the button is visible but tapping it does nothing — no warning, no switch, no error.

The GPS warning itself (added in PR Expensify/App#80748) is correctly implemented at index.ts:91-93, but it is never reached because shouldBlockOldAppExit returns early on line 87-89.

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

Two changes needed:

1. In closeReactNativeApp (HybridApp/index.ts:86): Move the GPS check before the shouldBlockOldAppExit check. If GPS is tracking, the user must be warned regardless of the NVP loading state. The GPS warning modal already handles the stop-and-switch flow correctly.

2. In shouldBlockOldAppExit or its callers: When the exit is blocked due to isLoadingTryNewDot, provide user feedback (e.g., a brief loading indicator or retry) instead of silently returning. This prevents the "nothing is happening" UX for any future edge cases.

What alternative solutions did you explore? (Optional)

• Unify the loading state trackers: Instead of maintaining a separate module-level isLoadingTryNewDot, have closeReactNativeApp accept the component's loading state as a parameter. This would eliminate the desync but requires changing all callers.
• Prevent the session callback from resetting currentTryNewDot: Only reset when the accountID actually changes to a different user (not on token refreshes for the same user). This is riskier as it may mask legitimate session-change scenarios.

Investigation details

Key code paths:

• Menu item visibility: TroubleshootPage.tsx:122 calls shouldHideOldAppRedirect(tryNewDot, isLoadingTryNewDot, CONFIG.IS_HYBRID_APP) using component-level state
• Button action: TroubleshootPage.tsx:132 calls closeReactNativeApp({shouldSetNVP: true, isTrackingGPS})
• Silent block: HybridApp/index.ts:87-89 — shouldBlockOldAppExit returns true, function returns with no UI feedback
• GPS check (never reached): HybridApp/index.ts:91-93
• Session reset causing desync: HybridApp/index.ts:62-65

Possibly related issue: Expensify/App#80593 — the original crash that PR #80748 fixed (app crashing when switching to OD during GPS trip).

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Next Steps for Contributor+ team: Reply with @MelvinBot implement this to create a draft PR, @MelvinBot <your feedback> to refine this analysis, or explain why you are rejecting Melvin's proposal.